What is the capital of Tuvalu?

The capital of Tuvalu is Funafuti. Unlike a conventional inland city, Funafuti is an atoll made up of numerous narrow coral islets surrounding a large lagoon.

Funafuti became the administrative capital when Tuvalu gained independence in 1978. The main inhabited islet, Fongafale, contains Vaiaku, where the national government operates. This leads to a frequent quiz mistake: Fongafale and Vaiaku are important places within the capital area, but the officially recognized capital is Funafuti, the entire atoll.

Funafuti is Tuvalu’s most urbanized and populous area, containing roughly 60 percent of the country’s population. Its lagoon is about 18 kilometres long and 14 kilometres wide, while the total land area of its islets is only a few square kilometres. Much of the land rises less than one metre above sea level.

Funafuti also has unusual scientific importance. Royal Society expeditions drilled there in the 1890s to test Charles Darwin’s theory that coral atolls develop as volcanic islands gradually subside beneath the sea.