Haʻapai comprises 51 islands that lie directly west of the
Tonga Trench. They constitute a chain of both
volcanic and coral islands, including Kao, the highest point in the kingdom, which stands high. Farther to the east are the
coral islands, which are inhabited. The Haʻapai archipelago lies north of
Tongatapu and south of
Vavaʻu. Seventeen of the islands are inhabited, including the main islands of Lifuka and Foa. The two main villages in the archipelago are Pangai on Lifuka (where Salote Pilolevu Airport is located) and
Haʻano. A total of 6125 people live on the Ha'apai islands (Census 2016). All of the larger islands of Haʻapai are in the eastern Lifuka group. The two largest islands are
Lifuka and
Foa which in 2016 had recorded populations of 2,205 and 1,392 people respectively. The next largest are
Nomuka and
Haʻano, which have four villages, with a combined population of 910. To the south of these islands is
ʻUiha, which has two villages with a combined population of 695. ʻUiha is also the site of ancient burial grounds and an ancient monument. The large islands of
Tofua (an active volcano) and
Kao (a dormant volcano) are in the far west. The islands of the
Kotu group, locally known as
Lulunga, are in the southwest of the archipelago. The islands of the
Nomuka group, locally known as ʻOtu Muʻomuʻa, are farther south. The
Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai volcano is located in the southwest of Haʻapai.
Humpback whales migrate to the area during their “wintering” seasons. ==History==