Lifou: The Largest Loyalty Island

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

Covering 1196 square kilometres (81 km long and 16-24 km wide), Lifou is the largest - and most culturally diverse - of the Loyalty Islands. Bigger than both Tahiti and Martinique, this raised coral atoll is also geographically diverse, with limestone caves, bleached white sand and rich sea life. It does not have any hills or rivers, however.

Lifou is also the most populated Loyalty Island, with some 10 000 inhabitants. 20% of the population live off the island in Nouméa (New Caledonia's capital), though, for employment or education reasons. Tourism is the major industry on the island, though Lifou also exports copra, rubber, vanilla and sugarcane.

The native language on the island is Drehu. French is also spoken as is a tiny bit of English.