Taveuni

Taveuni is the third-largest island in Fiji, after Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, and had a population of around 9,000, some 75 percent of them indigenous Fijians, at the 1996 census. The cigar-shaped island is situated 6.5 kilometers to the east of Vanua Levu, across the Somosomo Strait, and is part of the Northern Division. Taveuni has abundant flora and is sometimes known as the 'Garden Isle'. It is a popular tourist destination.

Geography

The island is 9.5 kilometers wide and 40 kilometers long. As much as 10 meters of rain falls annually on the eastern side of the island, but the western side is sheltered from the southeast trade winds by a volcanic ridge that runs the length of the island, with Uluigalau, Fiji's second highest peak, reaching 1241 meters.

All plants and animals indigenous to Fiji are found on Taveuni, which has suffered less devastation from land clearance than other areas of Fiji. The absence of the mongoose, a major predator, has also played a part in the survival on Taveuni of land crabs, the unique Fiji fruit bat, the Taveuni Smilk bat, and some unique species of palm. To protect Fiji's wildlife, two sanctuaries have been created on the island of Taveuni, namely the Ravilevu Nature Preserve on the east coast, and the Taveuni Forest Preserve in the middle of the island.

Lake Tagimaucia is one of Taveuni's most famous tourist attractions. It occupies a volcanic crater at an altitude of 800 meters, and is the habitat the rare tagimacuia flower. Fiji's most famous waterfalls, the Bouma Falls, are also on the island. The Rainbow Reef and Vuna Reef are famous for diving and snorkeling, respectively.

Settlements

The population is concentrated mostly on the more sheltered western side of the island. Halfway down the west coast is the administrative centre of Waiyevo. The largest urban area, however, comprises the twin villages of Somosomo and Nagera. As the traditional fiefdom of the Tui Cakau, one of Fiji's highest-ranked chiefs, Somosomo is regarded as the capital of the Tovata Confederacy, while Nagera, an Indo-Fijian settlement, is the island's commercial centre.

Notable Taveunians

Perhaps the best-known Taveuni resident internationally was Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau, Fiji's last Governor-General and first President, who was also Tui Cakau. The Ganilau family is a branch of the Ai Sokula clan, to which the present Tui Cakau and Conservative Alliance Party leader Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu also belongs. Another notable Taveunian is Fiji's current First Lady, Adi Salaseini Kavunono, wife of President Ratu Josefa Iloilo.