The Ringgold Isles are an

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 Arc ...

in Fiji, forming an outlier group to

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 ...

. The Budd, Nukusemanu, and Heemskercq

Reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock o ...

s form part of the group. The group is mostly uninhabited, but Qelelevu has a small village. In 2008

Pacific rat The Polynesian rat, Pacific rat or little rat (''Rattus exulans''), known to the Māori as ''kiore'', is the third most widespread species of rat in the world behind the brown rat and black rat. The Polynesian rat originated in Southeast Asia, a ...

s were eradicated from seven islands of the group in an endeavour facilitated by BirdLife International's Fiji Programme. A area covering the archipelago is the Ringgold Islands Important Bird Area. This area supports globally and regionally significant populations of marine turtles, humpback whales, seabirds and semi-nomadic reef fish, and may hold concentrations of cold-water corals.

Cakau Matacucu

Cobia

Cobia is an island in Fiji, and is a member of the Ringgold Isles

, which forms an outlier group to the northern island of

. It has a land area of 69.29 hectares.

Lailai

Maqewa

Maqewa Island is narrow and rocky. It has a total land area of 26.05 hectares.

Mota Levu

Nanuku Levu

Nukubalati and Nukubasaga

A single coral reef with two rock bound islands, one larger than the other

Qelelevu

Qelelevu 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 ...

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 permanen ...

in Fiji, a member of the Ringgold Isles

, which forms an outlier to the northern island of

. Apart from three nearby coral islets, it is from the nearest island. Qelelevu covers an area of 1.5 square kilometers. Its maximum elevation is . The small village of Nalutu () is located on Qelelevu. Fishing is the only significant economic activity.

Raranitiqa

Raranitiqa Island in Fiji, a member of the Ringgold Isles archipelago, which forms an outlier group to the northern island of Vanua Levu. It has a land area of 2.49 hectares.

Taininbeka

Taininbeka is an

atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical oceans and seas where corals can gr ...

in Fiji, a member of the Ringgold Isles

, which forms an outlier group to the northern island of

. This uninhabited islet is situated at 16.04° South and 179.09° East, and has a total land area of 144.34ha.

Tauraria

Tauraria is an

in Fiji, a member of the Ringgold Isles

, which forms an outlier group to the northern island of

. This uninhabited islet is situated at 16.04° South and 179.09° East. Its land area is 11.06 hectares.

Vetauua

Vetauua is a small, uninhabited cay.

Vucovuco

Yanuca

Small mountain island. Inhabited by about 60-80 people who live in a small village in a tiny beach cove.

References

Archipelagoes of Fiji Island restoration Archipelagoes of the Pacific Ocean Important Bird Areas of Fiji {{Fiji-geo-stub