Map of Samoa |
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Area | 1,125 km2 (434.4 sq mi) |
| Length | 75 km (46.6 mi) |
| Country | |
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Samoa
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| Largest city | Apia (pop. 58,800) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 134,400 (as of 2001) |
| Density | 119.47 /km2 (309.43 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | 92.6% Samoans, 7% Euronesians (persons of European and Polynesian blood), 0.4% Europeans |
Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is 75 kilometres (47 mi) long, 1,125 km2 (434 sq mi) in area, and is the second largest in geographic area as well as the most populated of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the east of the "big island", Savai'i. The capital Apia is in the middle of the north coast with Faleolo International Airport at the western end of the island. The island has not had any historically recorded eruptions, although three lava flows date back only a few hundred to a few thousand years.
In the Samoan branch of Polynesian mythology, Upolu was the first woman on the island of the same name.
In 1841, the island was the site of the Bombardment of Upolu, an incident during the United States Exploring Expedition.
In the late 19th century, Robert Louis Stevenson owned a four-hundred-acre (1.6 km²) estate at Vailima village and died there in 1894. He is buried at the top of Mount Vaea above his former home. The Vailima estate was purchased in 1900 as official residence for the German governor and, after British/Dominion confiscation, served successively as residence for the New Zealand administrator and for the Samoan head of state after independence.
An extremely small species of spider lives on Upolu. According to the Guinness Book of World Records 2005, the spider is the size of a full stop on a printed page.
The island was the filming location for Survivor: Samoa, the nineteenth season of the CBS competitive reality television series, as well as Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, the twentieth season of the series, Survivor: South Pacific, the twenty-third season of the series, and the twenty-fourth season, Survivor: One World
The island was the location of the WWASP School known as Paradise Cove from 1994 until it was shut down by Samoan authorities in 1999 under allegations of abuse.
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The island of Upolu was affected by a tsunami region at 06:48:11 local time on 29 September 2009 (17:48:11 UTC).[1] Twenty villages on Upolu's south side were reportedly destroyed, including Lepa, the home of Samoa's Prime Minister [2] Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi. In Lepa, only the church and the village's welcome sign remained standing following the tsunami.[3][4]
Upolu is the location for the American reality show Survivor in seasons 19, 20, 23 and 24. This makes it the most used location in the show's history.
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