Tuvalu

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Introducing Tuvalu

In a stunning approach from the air, the islets of tiny Tuvalu appear like a mirage in the vastness of the Pacific. Barely higher than the surrounding ocean, and capped with a fringe of coconut palms, it's easy to understand why rising sea level due to global warming is a major concern here.

Time moves at its own pace on the five atolls and four islands of this sun-stunned nation. The weight of heat requires immediate retreat to the shade; it's impossible to move or even to think fast. Change down a gear, and enjoy the lack of hustle and bustle.

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Tepuka Islet.
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Tepuka Islet.

Lonely Planet photographer
  • Peter Bennetts
  • Lonely Planet photographer
  • Children playing on the shore.
  • Canoe at sunset in Funafuti Lagoon.
  • Funafuti Atoll, July 1999. Ice cream is an import eagerly awaited, especially by children.
  • Vaitupu Island, May 2000. Talofa (hello or welcome) sign for the Constitutional Review Committee's (CRC) visit. Vaitupu's church is in the background.
  • Nukulaelae Atoll, December 2000. Isako Teoli is a 13-year old schoolboy sailing a model of a big outrigger canoe.
  • Funafuti Atoll, December 2000. People often sleep on the runway to avoid overcrowded and hot modern houses.
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