Haʻapai consists of 51 islands directly west of the Tonga Trench, constituting a chain of both volcanic and coral islands including Kao, the highest point in the kingdom standing at ;further to the east are the coral islands which are inhabited. The 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 and Ha'ano. A total of 7212 people live on the Ha'apai islands. All the larger islands are in the eastern Lifuka group. The two larger islands are Lifuka and Foa which have 2,968 and 1,485 people respectively as of 2006. After the two larger islands are Nomuka and Haʻano which have four villages with a population of 951. To the south of these islands is ʻUiha, which has two villages with a population of 638, ancient burial grounds and an ancient monument. The large islands of Tofua and Kao 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 further south. Humpback whales migrate here in wintering seasons.
History
At the Haʻapai island group, traces of settlements of Lapita culture from around 1500 BC have been found. The first European to visit Haʻapai, was Abel Tasman in 1643. Captain James Cook in 1774 and 1777, made several stops on the islands. He gave them the name of Friendly Islands in 1777. On 18 May 1777, Cook arrived with Omai. They were greeted by Fatafehi Paulaho, 'King of the Isles' or Tu'i Tonga, the most sacred chief in these islands. On 28 April 1789, the Haʻapai island group was the site of the Mutiny on the Bounty; Captain William Bligh visited the volcanic island Tofua shortly after being set adrift following the mutiny. In 1806, William Mariner arrived aboard the Port-au-Prince, whose crew was killed at this occasion by Tongan warriors. Mariner lived four years in Tonga, before he was found by a passing English ship returning to England. The US Exploring Expedition met with George, chief of Ha'apai, in 1840.
