ʻEua

Eua is one of the island group of Tongatapu in the Kingdom of Tonga. It is located about 40 km southeast of the main island of Tongatapu and is one of the oldest islands in the Pacific.

Geography

Eua is 19 km long, 7.5 km wide, has a surface area of 86.7 km ². and has 5,206 inhabitants ( as of 2006) in 15 villages.

The island can be reached by plane and boat from Nukualofa from. The journey by boat is approximately three hours. Largest city and capital is Ohonua Division ( 1626 inhabitants including Taanga ). There are all facilities of the island, the Port Nafanua, two supermarkets, a post office, a bank and a gas station. The island has four accommodation. Located in Tufu is suitable for the observation of whales.

The island is very hilly and still partly covered by a dense rain forest. The highest point of the island is the Teemoa with 312 meters above the sea. A significant attraction of the island is one of the largest and oldest birch figs in the world.

The annual rainfall is 2700 mm, of which 2/ 3 during the rainy season from November to April falls.

Management

The division Eua also includes the 35 -acre addition to Kalau Island, which lies 3.8 km southwest of the southern tip of EUAs ( Lakufaanga ).

The Eua Division is divided into two districts:

• Eua Motua ( Eua Proper ), in the north, with 2949 residents in six villages
• Eua Niuafoou ( Eua Foou ), in the south, with 2257 inhabitants in nine villages

The nine villages of the southern district Eua Niuafoou (or short Eua Foou ) are all named after the villages of the island Niuafoou, and were founded by former residents Niuafoous, had to leave in 1946 because of a volcanic eruption this island.

The northern district is in contrast Eua Proper, ie called real Eua. To him is an exclave but also the further south Kolomaile village, which was founded by the former inhabitants of the island of Ata and named after Atas historic capital.

History

'Eua 's "discoverer" was on 21 January 1643 Dutch navigator Abel Janszoon Tasman, which, however, did not enter the island. He called them " Middelburg Island " after the capital of the Dutch province of Zeeland.

James Cook landed on October 2, 1773 of Middleburg Island, was warmly welcomed, shown around, but he could not complete his provisions. That's why he went on the same day on the " Amsterdam Island " today Tongatapu.

Eua was from the mid-1860s home of the last good 200 remaining on Ata residents after 144 men were abducted in June 1863 by Peruvian slave traders and sold as foreign workers for the guano mining on the Chincha Islands.

The remaining residents were moved to safety after hearing of the events of King George Tupou I. Schooling on three formers of Ata after Eua.

Descendants of the evacuated residents of Ata still live in the village Haatua to the west of 'Eua. There, a settlement was built, which was named after the former village of Ata - Kolomaile. Kolomaile had the 2006 census recorded a population of 511 ( with Haatua ).