Hihifo

For the district of Wallis and Futuna, see Hihifo District.

Map of Niuatoputapu Island

Women from the village of Hihifo fishing on Niuatoputapu in 1969.

Hihifo is the main village on the island of Niuatoputapu in the Kingdom of Tonga. Hihifo (which means 'west' in the Tongan language) is situated on the west side of Niuatoputapu and is the main centre for public and government facilities that serve the island residents, including a post office and police station. The other two villages on Niuatoputapu are Falehau and Vaipoa.

The population of the village is 301 (as of 2021).^[1]

Overview

Hihifo was extensively damaged in the 2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami with a number of fatalities.^[2] The tsunami followed an 8.0 M_w  earthquake in the Samoan Islands region at 06:48:11 local time on September 29, 2009 (17:48:11 UTC).^[3]

References

1. "PRELIMINARY RESULT TONGA POPULATION CENSUS 2021" (PDF). Tonga Statistics Department. December 24, 2021. p. 5. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
2. Scores dead after Pacific tsunami, Al Jazeera, September 30, 2009
3. Magnitude 8.0 - SAMOA ISLANDS REGION Report on U.S. Geological Service's website. Retrieved online d.d. September 29, 2009.

External links

• Tsunami flattens villages in Samoa, Tonga – Los Angeles Times

15.953°S 173.796°W / -15.953; -173.796