Nomuka
Encyclopedia
Nomuka is a small island in the southern part of the Haapai
group of islands in the Kingdom of Tonga. It is part of the Nomuka Group of islands, also called the Otu Muomua.
Nomuka, is 7 square kilometres in area and contains a large, brackish lake in the middle. There are approximately 400-500 inhabitants who subsist on fishing, farming, and remittances
from family members abroad. The island has a secondary school, two primary schools, and a kindergarten. It also has seven churches.
The island is accessible by boat only. Boats leave weekly from Nukualofa
and Lifuka
, Haapai. There is one guesthouse on the island, and three or four small fale koloa, or convenience stores.
Notable historic visitors include Abel Tasman
, Captain Cook
, Captain Bligh
, and William Mariner
. The Dutch
Abel Tasman made the first European discovery of the island on 24 January 1643. A party went ashore to get water, and the description of the huge lake they brought back afterwards leaves little doubt about the identification. Tasman called it Rotterdam island, after the city of Rotterdam
, a major port in the Netherlands
, and noted in his maps the indigenous name of Amamocka, a misspelling of a Nomuka, a being a subject indicating article
. We also find the name of Amorkakij for Nomuka iki. Captain Bligh in the Bounty spent 3 days wooding and watering at Nomuka in April 1789. The Mutiny on the Bounty
occurred the day after they left.
Ha'apai
Haapai is a group of islands, islets, reefs and shoals in the central part of the Kingdom of Tonga, with the Tongatapu group to the south and the Vavau group to the north. Seventeen of the Haapai islands are populated....
group of islands in the Kingdom of Tonga. It is part of the Nomuka Group of islands, also called the Otu Muomua.
Nomuka, is 7 square kilometres in area and contains a large, brackish lake in the middle. There are approximately 400-500 inhabitants who subsist on fishing, farming, and remittances
Remittances
A remittance is a transfer of money by a foreign worker to his or her home country. Note that in 19th century usage a remittance man was someone exiled overseas and sent an allowance on condition that he not return home....
from family members abroad. The island has a secondary school, two primary schools, and a kindergarten. It also has seven churches.
The island is accessible by boat only. Boats leave weekly from Nukualofa
Nukuʻalofa
Nukualofa is the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga. It is located on the north coast of the island of Tongatapu, in the southern most island group of Tonga.-Mythological origins:...
and Lifuka
Lifuka
Lifuka is an island in the Kingdom of Tonga. It is located within the Haapai Group in the centre of the country, to northeast of the national capital of Nukualofa...
, Haapai. There is one guesthouse on the island, and three or four small fale koloa, or convenience stores.
Notable historic visitors include Abel Tasman
Abel Tasman
Abel Janszoon Tasman was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the VOC . His was the first known European expedition to reach the islands of Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand and to sight the Fiji islands...
, Captain Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
, Captain Bligh
William Bligh
Vice Admiral William Bligh FRS RN was an officer of the British Royal Navy and a colonial administrator. A notorious mutiny occurred during his command of HMAV Bounty in 1789; Bligh and his loyal men made a remarkable voyage to Timor, after being set adrift in the Bounty's launch by the mutineers...
, and William Mariner
William Mariner (writer)
William Mariner was an Englishman who lived in the Tonga Islands from 29 November 1806 to 8 November 1810. He wrote an account of his experiences, Tonga Islands, that is now one of the major sources of information on pre-Christian Tonga.-Mariner's sojourn in Tonga:William Mariner was a teenage...
. The Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Abel Tasman made the first European discovery of the island on 24 January 1643. A party went ashore to get water, and the description of the huge lake they brought back afterwards leaves little doubt about the identification. Tasman called it Rotterdam island, after the city of Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, a major port in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and noted in his maps the indigenous name of Amamocka, a misspelling of a Nomuka, a being a subject indicating article
Article (grammar)
An article is a word that combines with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun. Articles specify the grammatical definiteness of the noun, in some languages extending to volume or numerical scope. The articles in the English language are the and a/an, and some...
. We also find the name of Amorkakij for Nomuka iki. Captain Bligh in the Bounty spent 3 days wooding and watering at Nomuka in April 1789. The Mutiny on the Bounty
Mutiny on the Bounty
The mutiny on the Bounty was a mutiny that occurred aboard the British Royal Navy ship HMS Bounty on 28 April 1789, and has been commemorated by several books, films, and popular songs, many of which take considerable liberties with the facts. The mutiny was led by Fletcher Christian against the...
occurred the day after they left.