Nukufetau

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left: ISS006-E-5847 Image courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center. http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov Nukufetau The strange quadrangular Nukufetau Atoll consists among others of the islets of Funaota and Matanukulaelae in the north, Teafuanonu, Motulua, Teafuaniua, Niuatui, Oua, Lafanga, Niualuka and Faiava Lasi as well as Kongo Loto Lafanga in the east resp. southeast. Motuloa and Motufetau are two tiny islets quite in the middle of the southeastside of the atoll. In the southern part lay Motulalo, the largest island of the atoll. On this islet was during the Second Worldwar an american airfield, of which some remains can still be found. On the northwestside the atoll has two passes with the two small islets Teafuone and Sakalua inbetween. Perhaps on the entrance of the northermost pass is the infinitesimal tiny islet Teafatule. Finally Savave, Fale, Temotuloto and Motumua in the west of the atoll should also be mentioned. Alltogether these islets reach a size of only about 2,99 km sq.

Flora of Nukufetau (incomplete) (green = pictures) Asplenium nidus, Barringtonia asiatica, Calophyllum inophyllum, Canavalia cathartica, Cocos nucifera, Guettarda speciosa, Heliotropium foertherianum, Hernandia nymphaeifolia, Pandanus tectorius, Pisonia grandis, Scaevola taccada, Thespesia populnea, Vigna marina (?)

References: - K. A. Rogers: 'Occurence of phosphate rock and associated soils in Tuvalu, Central Pacific'