The Loyalty Islands: Lifou, Mare and Ouvea, situated off the Grande Terra islands east coast.
Situated
100 kilometers off the coast of the Caledonian mainland, Lifou, Mare', Ouvea
and Tiga constitute the Loyalty Islands archipelago, spanning a surface area
of 2,200km2. Inhabited by Melanesians more than 3,000 years ago, the Loyalties
later became home to Polynesians: immigrants from Tonga, Polynesian seafarers,
and Samoan fishermen integrated the tribes because of their know-how.
In
1864, the Loyalty Islands were annexed by France. However, unsuited to intensive
colonisation, they were constituted as native reservations, a status that
established the archipelago's history for evermore. This special status set
the Loyalty islanders apart as "different" Melanesians. Traditional
Kanak customary organisation remains very strong, and continues to govern
daily life. Visitors are immersed in a truly authentic way of life.
Endowed
with natural wealth and beautiful landscapes, there are long deserted beaches
of pristine white sand, crystal-clear turquoise lagoons, sheer cliffs, rocks
rising like medieval fortresses and fish and coral fauna found nowhere else
in the world.
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