Niulakita

The discovery of Niulakita is claimed by travellers from Nui, led by Kaunatu who was taking people home to Vaitupu, however their canoe drifted off course to the south and they arrived at Niulakita. There was only saltbrush (Atriplex) and pukavai trees (Pisonia grandis) on the islands. Kaeula, one of the passengers, died and was buried with the last of their coconuts planted at the head of his grave. The island was named by Kaunatu after a place of that name on Nui.{{cite book |first1=Sotaga |last1=Pape |editor-first1=Hugh |editor-last1=Laracy |title= Tuvalu: A History |year= 1983 |publisher= Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific and Government of Tuvalu |page=77 |chapter=Chapter 10 – Nui}}

The first sighting recorded by Europeans of Niulakita was on 29 August 1595 by the Spanish navigator Alvaro de Mendaña during his second expedition encountered Niulakita. The island was charted as "La Solitaria" (Lonesome in Spanish).Maude, Islands and Men: Studies in Pacific History, Melbourne: Oxford University Press (1986) p.307Keith S. Chambers & Doug Munro, The Mystery of Gran Cocal: European Discovery and Mis-Discovery in Tuvalu, 89(2) (1980) The Journal of the Polynesian Society, 167–198Laumua Kofe, Palagi and Pastors, Tuvalu: A History, Ch. 15, (U.S.P./Tuvalu) An attempt was made to find a port with two small vessels in its southern part but the bottom was uneven and rocky and they abandoned their attempts.Maude, H.E. Spanish discoveries in the Central Pacific. A study in identification Journal of the Polynesian Society, Wellington, LXVIII, 1959, pp.306,307.

In 1821, Captain George Barrett, of the Nantucket whaler Independence II, visited Niulakita, which he named "Rocky (Group)". This name was never much used, but "Independence Island", after Barrett's ship, was one of the several names which came into general use for Niulakita during the 19th century. Niulakita was also known as "Sophia".

In about 1879, the elders of Vaitupu were interested in Niulakita and send a working party to plant coconuts on the island.{{cite book |last1=Roberts|first1=R.G.|title= Te Atu Tuvalu: A short history of the Ellice Islands |year= 1958 |publisher= 67 (4) Journal of the Polynesian Society|pages=196–197}} However, in 1880 they were informed that J. C. Godeffroy und Sohn of Hamburg (operating out of Samoa) claimed ownership of the island. Notwithstanding this claim in 1884 the Vaitupu elders transferred their claim to Niulakita to H. M. Ruge and Company, a German trading firm that operated from Apia, for $400 in part payment of a debt of $13,000 owed to the company.{{cite book |first1=Kalaaki |last1=Laupepa |editor-first1=Hugh |editor-last1=Laracy |title= Tuvalu: A History |year= 1983 |publisher= Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific and Government of Tuvalu |pages=78|chapter=Chapter 11 – Vaitupu}} Ruge & Co became insolvent in about 1888. On 15 April 1889 Niulakita was sold for $1,000 to Harry Jay Moors, an American citizen living in Apia, Samoa. On 16 September 1896, Captain Herbert Gibson of HMS Curacoa, recorded in his journal that six men and six women, natives of various islands, were living on Niulakita working for Moors. Captain Gibson determined that the island was not under American protection so he hoisted the Union Jack and delivered the flag, with a copy of the Declaration of British Protectorate, to the headman of the working party.{{cite book |editor-last1=Laracy |editor-first1=Hugh |title= Tuvalu: A History |year= 1983 |publisher= Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific and Government of Tuvalu |pages=196–197|chapter=The 'Ownership' of Niulakita, 1880–1896 }}

In August 1896, the sailing ship Seladon of Stavanger was wrecked on the coral reef of Starbuck Island. The crew of 16 men were in the lifeboats with little food and water for 30 days, until they arrived at Niulakita. The crew were stranded for ten months until rescued by a passing steam ship.{{cite book|last1= Wincent Rege, Malvin Rege & Eli Rege|title= The wreck of the Seladon: A true survival on an island story|year= 2012 |publisher= CreateSpace|isbn=978-1470002459}}

In 1914, Niulakita was purchased from Moors by the Samoa Shipping Trading Co Ltd, which was owned by Captain Ernest Frederick Hughes Allen.{{cite web| last = Laracy | first =Hugh |title= Ernest Frederick Hughes Allen (1867–1924): South Seas trader|publisher= Further Pacific Islands Portraits (Watriama and Co) |page=127-140|year =2013|url= https://press.anu.edu.au/publications/watriama-and-co | accessdate=22 March 2024}} It was bought by the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony administration in 1944. The administration gave people from Vaitupu permission to settle Niulakita. However, in 1949, a later administration decided to have Niulakita settled by the community from Niutao, which was considered to be overpopulated. The removal of the Vaitupuans was controversial.{{cite web |url=http://tighar.org/wiki/Foua_Tofiga |title=Foua Tofiga |publisher=tighar.org |access-date=26 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202034200/http://tighar.org/wiki/Foua_Tofiga |archive-date=2 February 2017 |url-status=dead }}

The United States asserted a claim to Niulakita under the Guano Islands Act of 1856; this claim was renounced under the 1983 treaty of friendship between Tuvalu and the United States.{{cite web |url=http://www.doi.gov/oia/Islandpages/disputedpage.htm |title=DOI Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) – FORMERLY DISPUTED ISLANDS |publisher=Doi.gov |access-date=15 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014736/http://www.doi.gov/oia/Islandpages/disputedpage.htm |archive-date=30 September 2007 |df=dmy-all }}

Niulakita is a reef island.{{cite book |title= British Admiralty Nautical Chart 766 Ellice Islands|date= 21 March 1872 |edition= 1893|publisher= United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO)}} There are four ponds or lakes and the village has a maneapa (a community hall) in Tuvalu, which provides meeting and recreational functions as well. The isle has an oval outline, with the longer axis running east–west (about 1 km long). This island features highest point of Tuvalu ({{convert|4.6|m|ft}} above sea level). A fringing reef surrounds the whole island, which makes local fishing and transport into and out of the island difficult.

{{Weather box

| width = auto

| metric first = yes

| single line = yes

| location = Niukalita (1991–2020)

| Jan record high C = 35.0

| Feb record high C = 34.3

| Mar record high C = 34.7

| Apr record high C = 34.4

| May record high C = 34.5

| Jun record high C = 35.5

| Jul record high C = 33.8

| Aug record high C = 33.8

| Sep record high C = 34.0

| Oct record high C = 34.2

| Nov record high C = 34.7

| Dec record high C = 34.4

| year record high C =

| Jan high C = 31.2

| Feb high C = 31.1

| Mar high C = 31.3

| Apr high C = 31.6

| May high C = 31.3

| Jun high C = 30.9

| Jul high C = 30.6

| Aug high C = 30.7

| Sep high C = 31.1

| Oct high C = 31.2

| Nov high C = 31.4

| Dec high C = 31.5

| year high C =

| Jan mean C = 28.3

| Feb mean C = 28.2

| Mar mean C = 28.4

| Apr mean C = 28.6

| May mean C = 28.4

| Jun mean C = 28.1

| Jul mean C = 27.9

| Aug mean C = 27.9

| Sep mean C = 28.2

| Oct mean C = 28.2

| Nov mean C = 28.3

| Dec mean C = 28.5

| year mean C =

| Jan low C = 25.5

| Feb low C = 25.3

| Mar low C = 25.4

| Apr low C = 25.5

| May low C = 25.5

| Jun low C = 25.4

| Jul low C = 25.1

| Aug low C = 25.1

| Sep low C = 25.2

| Oct low C = 25.2

| Nov low C = 25.2

| Dec low C = 25.6

| year low C =

| Jan record low C = 22.1

| Feb record low C = 5.7

| Mar record low C = 20.1

| Apr record low C = 22.0

| May record low C = 22.1

| Jun record low C = 21.7

| Jul record low C = 20.0

| Aug record low C = 20.2

| Sep record low C = 22.3

| Oct record low C = 7.0

| Nov record low C = 22.1

| Dec record low C = 22.0

| year record low C =

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 368.9

| Feb precipitation mm = 327.8

| Mar precipitation mm = 342.1

| Apr precipitation mm = 195.2

| May precipitation mm = 231.3

| Jun precipitation mm = 242.3

| Jul precipitation mm = 225.9

| Aug precipitation mm = 220.2

| Sep precipitation mm = 180.1

| Oct precipitation mm = 264.9

| Nov precipitation mm = 263.1

| Dec precipitation mm = 271.4

| year precipitation mm =

| unit precipitation days = 1 mm

| Jan precipitation days = 18.5

| Feb precipitation days = 17.0

| Mar precipitation days = 17.4

| Apr precipitation days = 14.8

| May precipitation days = 16.0

| Jun precipitation days = 15.6

| Jul precipitation days = 15.1

| Aug precipitation days = 14.7

| Sep precipitation days = 13.5

| Oct precipitation days = 16.0

| Nov precipitation days = 15.7

| Dec precipitation days = 16.5

| year precipitation days =

| source 1 = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/oceans/archive/arc0216/0253808/5.5/data/0-data/Region-5-WMO-Normals-9120/Tuvalu/CSV/NIULAKITA_IS_91648.csv

|title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|format = CSV

|access-date = 14 September 2024}}

}}

Niulakita's junior school is Lotoalofa Primary School.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}

{{portal|Tuvalu}}

• Geography of Tuvalu
• Samoa hotspot
• List of Guano Island claims

{{reflist|2}}

{{Islands of Tuvalu}}

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Category:Atolls of Tuvalu

Category:Populated places in Tuvalu

Category:Geography of Tuvalu

Category:Pacific islands claimed under the Guano Islands Act

Category:Former disputed islands

Category:Highest points of countries