Toga (island) explained

Toga
Native Name:Toge
Location:Pacific Ocean
Coordinates:-13.4167°N 207°W
Archipelago:Vanuatu, Torres Islands
Area Km2:18.8[1]
Highest Mount:Mt Lemeura
Elevation M:104
Country Admin Divisions Title:Province
Country Admin Divisions:Torba Province
Country Largest City:Sola
Population:250
Population As Of:2012

Toga is an island in the Torres group, within the Torba Province of Vanuatu.[2] [3] [4]

Geography

Toga Island is the most southern of the Torres Islands. The island's size is 6 km by 4.5 km. The estimated terrain elevation above sea level is 104 meters.[5] Toga is surrounded by a narrow fringing reef quickly dropping off into deep water. The summit of the island is Mt Lemeura (locally Lēmere pronounced as /ˈlemərə/) located on the western side of the island.[6] The climate on Toga is humid tropical. The average annual rainfall is about 4000 mm. The island is subject to frequent cyclones and earthquakes.

Population

Toga is the most populated island in the Torres Islands, with about 250 people. They speak the Toga dialect of the Lo-Toga language. The population lives in two villages: Liqal pronounced as /liˈkʷal/ and Litew pronounced as /liˈtəw/. An ancient village, now abandoned, was called Qururetaqō pronounced as /kʷurʉrətakʷo/.

Fauna

Barn owls are known to live in the area. Many samples of the owl's bones were found in a cave in Toga, which were reviewed by scientists. Their prey were geckos and rats.[7]

Name

The name Toga pronounced as /toɣa/ comes from the Mota language, which was used as the primary language of the Melanesian Mission. Locally, the island is called Toge pronounced as /ˈtɔɣə/ in Lo-Toga and in Hiw. Both these names come from a Proto-Torres-Banks form *Toɣa.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Vanuatu . Haos Blong Volkeno . 8 August 2018.
  2. Web site: Welcome to Torres Islands . . 5 August 2018.
  3. Web site: Torres . Vanuatu Travel . 5 August 2018.
  4. Web site: Torres Islands . . 5 August 2018.
  5. Web site: Toga Island . Geoview . 5 August 2018.
  6. Web site: Seech . John . Toga Island, Vanuatu - John Seach . Vanuatu Travel . 5 August 2018.
  7. Ineich. Ivan. Pregill. Gregory. Fontaine. Benoit. Olivier. Gargominy. 2012-09-01. Banded geckos, Gekko vittatus (Reptilia, Gekkonidae), as the main prey of barn owls (Tyto alba) on the Torres Islands (northern Vanuatu). New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 39. 3 . 179–185. 10.1080/03014223.2011.627565. free.