Qelelevu or Nggelelevu is a

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and sec ...

islet An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be permanent ...

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

, a member of the

Ringgold Isles The Ringgold Isles are an archipelago in Fiji, forming an outlier group to Vanua Levu. The Budd, Nukusemanu, and Heemskercq Reefs form part of the group. The group is mostly uninhabited, but Qelelevu has a small village. In 2008 Pacific rat ...

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...

, which forms an outlier to the northern island of

Vanua Levu Vanua Levu (pronounced ), formerly known as Sandalwood Island, is the second largest island of Fiji. Located to the north of the larger Viti Levu, the island has an area of and a population of 135,961 . Geology Fiji lies in a tectonically ...

Geography

Apart from two nearby coral islets, Tai Ni Beka and Tauraria due west on the same atoll rim, it is from the nearest island, which is '' Vetauua'', to the West. Qelelevu covers an area of 1.5 square kilometers. Its maximum elevation is . Qelelevu lagoon lies 8 miles eastward of Thakau Vuthovutho reef. The lagoon has three main passes allowing boats to enter: Rendell, Deep and Brown. Qelelevu is one of the two only true atolls of Fiji, because it has an island and is not a mere coral reef. Most of the island is covered in palm trees and bushes. The small village of Nalutu () is located on Qelelevu. Fishing is the only significant economic activity. The atoll habitat of the island contributes to its national significance as outlined in Fiji's Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

History

Qelelevu may have been first inhabited by people from Futuna. Later in time, people from

Laucala Laucala (pronounced ) is one of a triplet of small islands that lie to the east of Thurston Point on the island of Taveuni in Fiji. The privately owned islands are the site of the Laucala Resort. The total land area of the main island is . It is ...

arrived and soon dominated the population. Qelelevu has been in the Laucala sphere of influence, as well as other islands like Naitauba,

Namalata Namalata () is a village and island in Fiji. It is located in the southern portion of the Vanua Balavu island group, part of Fiji's Lau Islands. The village is a constituent of the larger Lomaloma village. The people of Namalata descend from the ...

, Yacata and villages of Vutuna, Daliconi and Mavana on

Vanua Balavu Vanua Balavu (pronounced ) is the third largest island in Fiji's Lau archipelago, and the main island of the Northern Lau Group. Geography and infrastructure This coral and volcanic island has a land area of . Its maximum elevation is . The isl ...

References

Islands of Fiji Ringgold Isles Preliminary Register of Sites of National Significance in Fiji {{Fiji-geo-stub