The Reef Islands are a loose collection of 16 islands in Temotu Province, in the independent nation of Solomon Islands. These islands have historically also been known by the names of Swallow Islands and Matema Islands.
Geography The islands lie about north of Nendo, the largest of the Santa Cruz Islands. The center of the group is at approximately 10°12'36" S lat., 166°10'12" E. long. The islands are raised some five metres on the east and tilted west. The islands are subject to tidal surges caused by cyclones and volcanic activity from nearby Tinakula volcano. The island soils are shallow yet fertile.
The islands or atolls of the group are: Lomlom Nifiloli Fenualoa Ngalo Ngawa Ngandeli Nibanga Temau Nibanga Nendi Matema Island Ngatendo Pigeon Island.
Numa Miombilou or "Great Reef" is one continuous shoal, extending about west of Nifiloli. About to the south of this shoal are 4 small coral reefs: Malani Malim Manuwa Matumbi.
Separated from these groups are what are called the "outer islands": Nalongo and Nupani at 10°6'36" S. lat., 165°19'12" E. long., located at about 75 km (45 mi.) northwest of the main group Nukapu located about 35 km (21 mi.) to the northwest of the main group Makalom about 17 km (10 mi.) to the northwest of the main group Pileni about 9 km (5.5 mi.) to the northwest of the main group Patteson Shoal about 100 km (60 mi.) away from the main group
Population and languages The total population of the Reef Islands is about 5,600, according to 2003 estimates. This includes a Polynesian community, believed to be descendants of people from northern Tuvalu.
Two very different languages are spoken in the Reef Islands, both Oceanic, yet genealogically and typologically very different. The inhabitants of Pileni, Matema, Nupani and Nukapu, speak Vaeakau-Taumako (a.k.a. Pileni), a Polynesian outlier language. The remaining Melanesian (non-Polynesian) population speaks Äiwoo, a member of the Reefs–Santa Cruz group of Oceanic.Boerger, Brenda; Næss, Åshild; Vaa, Anders; Emerine, Rachel; Hoover, Angela. 2012. Sociological factors in Reefs-Santa Cruz language vitality: a 40 year retrospective. International Journal of the Sociology of Language. Volume 2012, Issue 214, Pages 111–152, ISSN (Online) 1613-3668, ISSN (Print) 0165-2516, DOI: 10.1515/ijsl-2012-0023.
See also Oceania Pacific Islands Pacific Ocean
References
Other links Santa Cruz and the Reef Islands, 1908 account by W. C. O'Ferrall, Anglican missionary from 1897 to 1904.