It has a population of around 2,100 in eight
villages, the most important of which is the capital Tubou which lies in the
island's south. Near Tubou is the village of Levuka; not to be confused with its
namesake – Fiji's old capital – Levuka on Lakeba is home to a fishing tribe
whose ancestors came from Bau Island. Another significant village is Nasaqalau,
located in the northern part of Lakeba.
Situated at 18.20° South and 178.80°
East, Lakeba has an irregular oval shape. About 9 kilometers long and 8
kilometers wide, it is circumscribed by a total shoreline of 32 kilometers. The
island, which has a maximum altitude of 219 meters, has a core of andesitic
volcanic rock of Miocene age, with raised coral rock around it. The limestone
lies bare in places, forming karst and – particularly on the north and
north-west coasts – cliffs up to 76 meters high; the overall area taken up by
bare limestone is about 4% of Lakeba's total land surface.
Lakeba is known as a
chiefly island, being the home island of the chiefly Vuanirewa clan, which is
based in Tubou. The head of this clan takes the title of Tui Nayau and is the
Paramount Chief of the Lau Islands. The current Tui Nayau is Ratu Tevita
Uluilakeba Mara, son of the previous Tui Nayau Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
(1920–2004), who was the first Prime Minister of Fiji and second President of
Fiji, and the most durable figure of Fijian politics for more than three
decades.
Source: Wikipedia