atoll, Tokelau, New Zealand
Duke of Clarence Island
Nukunonu, coral atoll of Tokelau, a dependency of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean. It comprises 30 islets encircling a lagoon 8 miles (13 km) by 7 miles (11.3 km). Discovered (1791) and named Duke of Clarence Island by the captain of the British ship Pandora, which was searching for mutineers from HMS Bounty, Nukunonu’s inhabitants were converted to Roman Catholicism (before 1858) by a Samoan missionary. The islanders depend upon coconuts, pandanus, and marine life for subsistence; fresh water is scarce. Shipping is hampered by the lack of an adequate anchorage. Local administration consists of a Taupulega (Council of Elders), made up of heads of family groups and two elected members. Area 1.8 square miles (4.7 square km). Pop. (2006) 287.
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island territory of New Zealand, consisting of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean. Tokelau lies about 300 miles (480 km) north of Samoa and 2,400 miles (3,900 km) southwest of Hawaii. Tokelau does not have a central capital; each atoll has its own administrative centre.
The Tokelau group’s three coral atolls are Fakaofo (1.5 square miles [4 square km]), Nukunonu (1.8 square miles [4.7 square km]), and Atafu (1.4 square miles [3.6 square km]), arranged in a southeast-to-northwest line. Each atoll consists of numerous islets, located on its reef, which falls off sharply a short distance from shore. The lagoons are shallow and dotted with coral outcrops and thus...
Any area of land smaller than a continent and entirely surrounded by water. Islands may occur in oceans, seas, lakes, or rivers. A group of islands is called an archipelago. Islands...