 Map of Samoa showing Upolu at right | |
 Location of Upolu in the Samoan Islands | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 13°55′S171°45′W / 13.917°S 171.750°W /-13.917; -171.750 |
| Area | 1,125 km2 (434 sq mi) |
| Length | 75 km (46.6 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 1,113 m (3652 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Vaivai[1] |
| Administration | |
Samoa | |
| Largest settlement | Apia (pop. ~35,000) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 143,418 (2011) |
| Pop. density | 127/km2 (329/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | 92.6%Samoans, 7%Euronesians (persons of European andPolynesian blood), 0.4%Europeans |
Upolu is anisland inSamoa, formed by a massivebasalticshield volcano which rises from theseafloor of thewestern Pacific Ocean. The island is 75 kilometres (47 miles) long and 1,125 square kilometres (434 square miles) in area, making it the second largest of theSamoan Islands by area. With approximately 145,000 inhabitants, it is by far the most populous of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the southeast ofSavai'i, the "big island".Apia, thecapital, is in the middle of the north coast, andFaleolo International Airport at the western end of the island. The island has not had any historically recorded eruptions, although there is evidence of three lava flows, dating back only to between a few hundred and a few thousand years ago.
In theSamoan branch ofPolynesian mythology, Upolu was the first woman on the island.
James Michener based his character Bloody Mary inTales of the South Pacific (later a major character in theRodgers and Hammerstein musical,South Pacific) on the owner of Aggie Grey's Hotel on the south end of the island. She was still running the hotel in 1960. A branch was later opened in Apia, overlooking the harbor.
In 1841, the island was the site of theBombardment of Upolu, an incident during theUnited States Exploring Expedition.
In the late 19th century, the Scottish writerRobert Louis Stevenson owned a 400-acre (160-hectare)estate in the village ofVailima in Upolu. He died there in 1894 and is buried at the top ofMount Vaea overlooking his former estate. The Vailima estate was purchased in 1900 to serve as the official residence for theGerman governor ofGerman Samoa. When theBritish/Dominion took over governance of the islands, theyconfiscated the estate and put it to the same use. It later served as the residence for theNew Zealand administrator and, after independence, for the Samoan head of state. DuringWorld War II, the US Navy builtNaval Base Upolu on the island.[2][3]
The island of Upolu was hit by atsunami at 06:48:11 local time on 29 September 2009 (17:48:11UTC).[4] Twenty villages on Upolu's south side were reportedly destroyed, includingLepā, the home of Samoa'sprime minister,[5]Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi. In Lepā, only thechurch and the village's welcome sign remained standing after the disaster.[6][7]
On 5 October 2024 theRoyal New Zealand Navy shipHMNZSManawanui ran aground and sunk off the coast ofSiumu on the southern coast of Upolu. TheManawanui had been surveying a nearby reef and was caught up in a storm.[8][9] The sinking of theManawanui polluted the surrounding sea and disrupted the livelihoods of local communities in the Safata district, who were unable to fish due to restrictions around the wreckage site.[10][11] The Samoan and New Zealand authorities were criticised by local villagers for a lack of compensation and engagement with local communities.[12] This led local villagers to seek financial assistance from the Chinese Embassy inApia.[13]
On 12 February 2025 the Samoan Government lifted a "precautionary zone" around the wreckage of HMNZSManawanui following testing by the Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (SROS). However, a twokm prohibition zone around the sunken ship remained in force.[14]
An extremely small species ofspider lives on Upolu. According to theGuinness Book of World Records, the spider is the size of aperiod (full stop) on a printed page.[15]
Upolu was the filming location for the 1953South Seas filmReturn to Paradise, starringGary Cooper.
The island was also the filming location for several seasons of several editions of the competitionreality television series,Survivor. This included:
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Media related toUpolu at Wikimedia Commons
Upolu travel guide from Wikivoyage| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
