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TheLau Islands (also called theLau Group, theEastern Group, theEastern Archipelago) ofFiji are situated in the southernPacific Ocean, just east of theKoro Sea. Of this chain of about sixty islands and islets, about thirty are inhabited. The Lau Group covers a land area of 188 square miles (487 square km), and had a population of 10,683 at the most recentcensus in 2007. While most of the northern Lau Group arehigh islands ofvolcanic origin, those of the south are mostlycarbonatelow islands.
Administratively the islands belong toLau Province.
TheBritish explorerJames Cook reachedVatoa in 1774. By the time of the discovery of the Ono Group in 1820, the Lau archipelago was the most mapped area of Fiji.
Political unity came late to the Lau Islands. Historically, they comprised three territories: the Northern Lau Islands, the Southern Lau Islands, and theMoala Islands. Around 1855, the renegadeTongan princeEnele Ma'afu with the help ofTui Nayau’s army, conquered the region and established a unified administration.Tui Nayau thenbestowed the titleTui Lau, or King of Lau, to Ma’afu, promulgated aconstitution and encouraged the establishment of Christian missions. The first missionaries had arrived atLakeba in 1830, but had been expelled. TheTui Nayau, who had been the nominal overlord of the Lau Islands, became subject to Ma'afu.
TheTui Nayau andTui Lau titles came intopersonal union in 1969.Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, who had already beenbestowed the title ofTui Lau in 1963 by the Vuanirewa Clan on the approval of his fatherRatu Tevita Uluilakeba II (the reigningTui Nayau during that time), was also installed asTui Nayau following the death ofRatu Tevita Uluilakeba II in 1966. The titleTui Lau was left vacant from his uncle,Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, in 1958 as referenced in Mara, The Pacific Way Paper. The installation of the Tui Nayau takes place in Narocivo Maumi on the island ofNayau, by theVunirewa clan elders or the Matua I Tui Nayau. The Tui Nayau can also be installed by the Masi Ni Vanua o Nayau in the island of Nayau.
The Northern Lau Islands, which extended as far south asTuvuca, were under the overlordship ofTaveuni and paidtribute to theTui Cakau (Paramount Chief ofCakaudrove). In 1855, however, Ma'afu &Tui Nayau gained sovereignty over Northern Lau, establishingLomaloma, onVanua Balavu, as Ma”afu’scapital.
The Southern Lau Islands extended fromOno-i-Lau, in the far south, to as far north asCicia. They were the traditional chiefdom of theTui Nayau, but with proper consultation between Ma'afu &Tui Nayau in the 1850s, united them to theLau Province.
TheMoala Islands had closer affiliation withBau Island andLomaiviti than with Lau, but Ma'afu &Tui Nayau’s conquest united them with the Lau Islands. They have remained administratively a part of theLau Province ever since.
Since they lie betweenMelanesianFiji andPolynesianTonga, the Lau Islands are a meeting point of the two cultural spheres. Lauan villages remain very traditional, and the islands' inhabitants are renowned for their wood carving andmasi paintings. Lakeba especially was a traditional meeting place between Tongans and Fijians. The south-east trade winds allowed sailors to travel from Tonga to Fiji, but much harder to return. The Lau Island culture became more Fijian rather than Polynesian beginning around 500 BC.[1] However, Tongan influence can still be found in names, language, food, and architecture. Unlike the square-shaped ends characterizing most houses elsewhere in Fiji, Lauan houses tend to be rounded, following theTongan practice.
In early July 2014, Tonga's Lands Minister,Lord Maʻafu Tukuiʻaulahi, revealed a proposal for Tonga to give the disputedMinerva Reefs to Fiji in exchange for the Lau Group.[2] At the time that news of the proposal first broke, it had not yet been discussed with the Lau Provincial Council.[3] Many Lauans have Tongan ancestors and some Tongans have Lauan ancestors; Tonga's Lands Minister is named afterEnele Ma'afu, the Tongan Prince who originally claimed parts of Lau for Tonga.[4] Historically, the Minerva Reefs have been part of the fishing grounds belonging to the people ofOno-i-Lau, an island in the Lau Group.[5]
Just off the island ofVanua Balavu at Lomaloma was the Yanuyanu Island Resort, built to encouragetourism in what has been a less accessible area of Fiji, but the small resort failed almost immediately and has been abandoned since the year 2000. An airstrip is located off Malaka village and a port is also located on Vanua Balavu, atLomaloma. There are guest houses on Vanua Balavu and onLakeba, the other principal island.
The Lau Islands are the centre of the game ofCricket in Fiji. Cricket is the most popular team sport in Lau, unlike the rest of the country whereRugby andAssociation Football are preferred. The national team is invariably dominated by Lauan players.
The Lau Islands' most famous son is the lateRatu Sir Kamisese Mara (1920-2004), theTui Lau,Tui Nayau,Sau ni Vanua (hereditary ParamountChief of the Lau Islands) and thefounding father of modern Fiji who wasPrime Minister for most of the period between 1967 and 1992, andPresident from 1993 to 2000. Other noted Lauans includeRatu Sir Lala Sukuna (1898-1958), who forged embryonic constitutional institutions for Fiji in the years that preceded independence. Other notable Lauans include:
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