Vanua Levu (pronounced [βaˈnua ˈleβu], lit. 'Big Land', Fiji Hindi: वानुआ लेवु), formerly known as Sandalwood Island, is the second largest island of Fiji. Located 64 kilometres (40 miles) to the north of the larger Viti Levu, the island has an area of 5,587.1 square kilometres (2,157.2 sq mi) and a population of 135,961 as of 2007.
The Somosomo Strait is the strait that separates Taveuni island and Vanua Levu in Fiji. It is known for its soft coral and is a popular diving location.
Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1,100 nautical miles (2,000 km; 1,300 mi) north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about 110 are permanently inhabited—and more than 500 islets, amounting to a total land area of about 18,300 square kilometres (7,100 sq mi). The most outlying island group is Ono-i-Lau. About 87% of the total population live on the two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. About three-quarters of Fijians live on Viti Levu's coasts, either in the capital city of Suva, or in smaller urban centres such as Nadi (where tourism is the major local industry) or Lautoka (where the sugar-cane industry is dominant). The interior of Viti Levu is sparsely inhabited because of its terrain.
The majority of Fiji's islands were formed by volcanic activity starting around 150 million years ago. Some geothermal activity still occurs today on the islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni. The geothermal systems on Viti Levu are non-volcanic in origin and have low-temperature surface discharges (of between roughly 35 and 60 degrees Celsius (95 and 140 °F).
Taveuni (pronounced [tāhvéuni]) is the third-largest island in Fiji, after Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, with a total land area of 434 square kilometres (168 square miles). The cigar-shaped island, a massive shield volcano which rises from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, is situated 6.5 kilometres (4.0 miles) east of Vanua Levu, across the Somosomo Strait. It belongs to the Vanua Levu Group of islands and is part of Fiji's Cakaudrove Province within the Northern Division.
The island's population is estimated to be between 12,000 and 20,000, with the official estimate being 13,774 in the 2017 Fijian census. Over 80% of the island's population are indigenous Fijians.
The Vanua Levu Group is an archipelago in northern Fiji. It takes its name from its predominant island, Vanua Levu. Among the other island in the group, the most important is Taveuni. Other islands in the group include Laucala, Matagi, Namena Lala, Qamea, Rabi, Vorovoro and Yadua Tabu. They have an aggregate area of 6,199 square kilometres (2,393 square miles), with a total population of 140,016 at the 1996 census, the last held.
The Vanua Levu Group is coextensive with Fiji's Northern Division, one of four into which the country is divided for local government purposes. Together with the remote Lau Islands, they form the Tovata Confederacy, one of three chiefly hierarchies.
Cakaudrove (Fijian pronunciation: [ðaˈkɔuɳɖʳoβe]) is one of fourteen provinces of Fiji, and one of three based principally on the northern island of Vanua Levu, occupying the south-eastern third of the island and including the nearby islands of Taveuni, Rabi, Kioa, and numerous other islands in the Vanua Levu Group. It has a total land area of 2,816 square kilometers, with a population of 50,469 at the most recent census in 2017, making it the seventh most populous province. The only major town is Savusavu, with a population of 3,372 in 2007.
The Northern Division is one of four Divisions into which Fiji's fourteen Provinces are grouped for local government purposes. The administrative centre of the Division, where main governmental departments are located, is Labasa.
The Northern Division covers three Provinces: Macuata, Cakaudrove, and Bua, and includes the entire island of Vanua Levu. This is based on the decisions of the traditional Fijian Provinces, as well as administrative considerations. Excluding the Lau Islands, which form part of the Eastern Division, the Northern Division is coextensive with the Tovata Confederacy.