Utupua
Utupuais an island in theSanta Cruz Islands,located 66 km to the Southeast of the main Santa Cruz group, betweenVanikoroand Santa Cruz proper (Nendö). This island belongs administratively to theTemotu ProvinceofSolomon Islands.
Geography[edit]
Utupua is a high u-shaped island surrounded by a coral reef. Its land surface is 69.0 square kilometres (26.6 square miles) and its highest point 380 metres (1,247 feet).
Utupua has a population of 848 inhabitants (1999 census) scattered in small villages. The main villages on the island are Avita, Malombo, Tanimbili, Apakho, and Nembao.
Utupua has a forested path that leads to viewpoints overlooking the coral reef that encloses the island.[1]
History[edit]
First sighting by Europeans was in September 1595 by the second Spanish expedition ofÁlvaro de Mendaña.More precisely it was sighted byLorenzo Barretowhile in command of one of the smaller vessels on a local voyage round the then called Santa Cruz, which is today'sNendöisland.[2][3]
Society[edit]
Social practices[edit]
According to some observers,[4]the society of Utupua functions withoutcash:islanders share their property instead of using abarterormoneysystem.
In fact, Utupua islanders used to have a system of traditional money, in the form offeather moneymade with feathers ofMyzomela cardinalisbirds.[5]That ceremonial money was mostly used for payment of thebride price.[6]Since the 1980s, it has been replaced by cash.[6]
Languages[edit]
ThreeOceanic languagesarespoken on Utupua:[7]
Each language is associated with a distinct community, on different points of the island.
Notes[edit]
- ^"Utupua Is, Solomons - GO Cruising".gocruising.cruisefactory.net.Retrieved2024-03-03.
- ^Sharp, AndrewThe discovery of the Pacific IslandsOxford, 1960, pp.52-55.
- ^Brand, Donald D.The Pacific Basin: A History of its Geographical ExplorationsThe American Geographical Society, New York, 1967, p.136.
- ^Korns, Luke.I visited the island that capitalism never reached (no money used here).Retrieved2024-06-19– viaYouTube.
- ^"Feather money".Museum of the National Bank of Belgium.Retrieved2024-06-19.
- ^abBonshek, Elizabeth (2009)."A personal narrative of particular things:Tevau(feather money) from Santa Cruz, Solomon Islands ".The Australian Journal of Anthropology.20(1): 74–92.doi:10.1111/j.1757-6547.2009.00004.x.Retrieved2024-06-19.
- ^Lynch, Ross, & Crowley (2002), p.885.
References[edit]
- John Lynch;Malcolm Ross;Terry Crowley(2002).The Oceanic languages.Richmond, Surrey: Curzon.ISBN9780700711284.OCLC48929366.
| Central | |
|---|---|
| Choiseul | |
| Guadalcanal | |
| Isabel | |
| Makira-Ulawa | |
| Malaita | |
| Rennell and Bellona | |
| Temotu | |
| Western | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
11°20′S166°30′E/ 11.333°S 166.500°E
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