Gaga'emauga

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gaga'emauga
Basic data
Country Samoa
Capital Sale'aula
surface 223 km²
Residents 7840 (November 7, 2016)
density 35 inhabitants per km²
ISO 3166-2 WS-GE
Fale tele, the meeting house in Lelepa. The architecture of Samoa prescribes specific seating in cultural ceremonies and rituals.
Fale tele , the meeting house in Lelepa . The architecture of Samoa prescribes specific seating in cultural ceremonies and rituals.

Coordinates: 13 ° 30 ′  S , 172 ° 19 ′  W

Gagaʻemauga is a political district (itūmālō; electoral district) of Samoa , on the island of Savaiʻi . The district is located in the center of the north coast of Savaiʻi. The name Gagaʻemauga means "near side of the mountain" and refers to the eastern side of the volcanic mountain range that runs through the center of the island.

geography

The Gagaemauga district in Samoa.

As everywhere in Samoa, most of the settlements are on the coast. Inland settlements in Gagaʻemauga are Patamea and Samalae'ulu . The traditional center of the district is Saleʻaula , where the chiefs ( Matai ) and advisors gather at Vaituʻutuʻu malae. In the hinterland, the terrain rises continuously towards the mountain range. A prominent peak in the district is Mount Matavanu ( 700  m ⊙ ). The Maliolio River ( ⊙ ), which flows into the sea on the northeast coast , also runs in the center of the district .

Upolu exclaves

Mt Matavanu eruption , 1905, Alfred John Tattersall .

Two small exclaves of Gaga'emauga are on the island of Upolu . The exclaves were created by resettlements after the destruction of several villages in the course of the Matavanu volcanic eruptions at the beginning of the 19th century. These exclaves are called Leʻauvaʻa (5.558 km², 3,457 inhabitants for the 2016-11-07 census) and Salamumu (13.11 km², 371 inhabitants). Politically, they belong to Savaiʻi, despite their remoteness, and continue to retain the traditional faʻalupega (genealogical connections). The Leʻauvaʻa exclave is the largest settlement in the Gagaʻemauga district with a population of 3,457 at the 2016 census. The Salamumu exclave consists of the two villages Salamumu Utu (338 inhabitants) and Salamumu Tai (31 inhabitants).

Volcanic eruptions around 1900

Lava fields on Savaiʻi.

From 1905 to 1911 there were several eruptions of Mount Matavanu, which is about 11 km inland from Matautu on the north coast. Lava flows destroyed several villages, including Saleʻaula and Salago, and turned the northern half of the district into lava fields, which are clearly visible, especially near Saleʻaula. The affected residents were evacuated to Upolu, where they subsequently founded the two settlements Leʻauvaʻa and Salamumu. The names Leavaʻa and Salamumu refer to the events of the 1905 eruption. More recently, some families have rebuilt houses in the lava fields.

Matautu, 1902, Gagaʻemauga district

tradition

Saleʻaula village has strong traditional ties with Safotulafai in the east, where the chief title Letufuga resides. Safotulafai is the main town of the Itumalo Faʻasaleleaga .

Itu-o-tane

Gagaʻemauga and the neighboring district of Gagaifomauga are collectively referred to as Itu-o-Tane , "The men's side". This designation refers to the bravery of the people of Itu-o-Tane who lived with A'ana in the war and especially in the Great Aana War (1828–1830). In contrast, the area on the south coast is called Itu-o-Fafine , "The Women's Side".

history

George Pratt (1817–1894), a missionary with the London Missionary Society , lived in Matautu for a long time (1839–1879). He wrote the first grammar and dictionary of the Samoan language (A Grammar and Dictionary of the Samoan Language, with English and Samoan Vocabulary), which was published in 1862 by the Samoa Mission Press .

During the Second World War , the village of Fagamalo , a pito nuʻu settlement (district) of the Matautu village association, was the administrative center on Savaiʻi and had an anchorage and a jetty. It was also the seat of the Colonial Resident Commissioner of Savaiʻi as long as Allied troops fought against Japan in the South Pacific . In the second half of the 20th century, the administration was transferred from Savaiʻi to Tuasivi in the Faʻasaleleaga district . There is a hospital, a police station, and a courthouse.

Schools

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ - Treasured islands of the South Pacific. Samoa.travel
  2. ↑ Malama Meleisea: Lagaga: A Short History of Western Samoa. editorips@usp.ac.fj 1987: 121. ISBN 978-982-02-0029-6
  3. ↑ O Samoa Anamua by Siaosi Tana. 1884: 197.
  4. ↑ Majorie Crocombe Ron Crocombe: Works of taʻunga: records of a polynesian traveler in the south seas, 1833-1896 . University of the South Pacific ,, ISBN 982-02-0232-9 , p. 19.
  5. ^ New Zealand Electronic Text Center . Retrieved April 16, 2009.
  6. ^ Gordon L. Rottman: World War II Pacific Island Guide: A Geo-military Study . Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002, ISBN 978-0-313-31395-0 , pp. 87-.

Web links