Maewo

"Aurora Island" redirects here. It is not to be confused with the phantom Aurora Islands.

Maewo
Island
Maewo Maewo
Location within Vanuatu Location within Vanuatu
Coordinates:
Country	Vanuatu
Province	Penama Province
Area
• Total	269 km2 (104 sq mi)
Elevation	795 m (2,608 ft)
Population (2009)
• Total	3,569
• Density	13/km2 (34/sq mi)
Time zone	VUT (UTC+11)

Maewo (local pronunciation: [ŋʷaewo]; formerly Aurora Island) is an island in Vanuatu in Penama province, 105 km to the east of Espiritu Santo.

It is 47 km long, and 6 km wide, with an area of 269 km². Its highest point is 795 m above sea level. In 2009 the island had a population of almost 3,600.

History

First recorded sighting of Maewo Island by Europeans was by the Spanish expedition of Pedro Fernández de Quirós at the end of April of 1606. They charted it as Aurora (The light of dawn in Spanish).

Geography

Maewo is the island with the highest rainfall in Vanuatu, greater than 2500 mm per year. The island is covered in green, lush vegetation. The heavy rainfall provides abundant fresh water and waterfalls. There are also hot springs in the centre of Maewo. The largest of these waterfalls is a series of cascades located near Maewo-Naone Airport on the north end of the island near the village of Naone. This series of cascades is commonly referred to as Big Wota.