Reef Islands
The Reef Islands are a loose collection of islands in the northwestern part of the Solomon Islands province of Temotu. These islands have historically also been known by the names of Swallow Islands and Matema Islands.
The islands lie about 80 km (50 mi.) north of Nendo, the most important of the Santa Cruz Islands. The center of the group is at approximately 10°12'36" S lat., 166°10'12" E. long.
The islands or atolls of the group are:
- Nifiloli
- Fenualoa
- Ngalo
- Ngawa
- Ngandeli
- Grimbanga Temoa
- Grimbanga Nende
- Matema
- Ngatendo
- Pigeon Island
Numa Miombilou or "Great Reef is one continuous shoal, extending about 25 km (15 mi.) west of Nifiloli. About 10 km (6 mi.) to the south of this shoal are 4 small coral reefs:
- Malani
- Malim
- Manuwa
- Matumbi
Separated from these groups are what are called the "outer islands":
- Nalongo and Nupani at 10°6'36" S. lat., 165°19'12" E. long., located at about 75 km (45 mi.) northwest of the main group
- Nukapu located about 35 km (21 mi.) to the northwest of the main group
- Makalom about 17 km (10 mi.) to the northwest of the main group
- Pileni about 9 km (5.5 mi.) to the northwest of the main group
- Patteson Shoal about 100 km (60 mi.) to the of the main group
The inhabitants of the islands are primarily either Papuans or Polynesians, speaking either Pileni a Polynesian outlier language, or one of several Papuan languages.