East Rennell World Heritage Site

Official name

East Rennell | UNESCO

Country

Solomon Islands | Map

Continent

Australia

Location

Southernmost of the Solomon Islands, Rennell and Bellona Province
-11.6833° Lat, 160.3333° Lon | Map

Code

854

Time Zone

Pacific/Guadalcanal (+11, +1100)

Current Time

Category

Natural

Description

Inscribed 1998. East Rennell makes up the southern third of Rennell Island, the southernmost island in the Solomon Island group in the western Pacific. Rennell, 86 km long x 15 km wide, is the largest raised coral atoll in the world. The site includes approximately 37,000 ha and a marine area extending 3 nautical miles to sea. A major feature of the island is Lake Tegano, which was the former lagoon on the atoll. The lake, the largest in the insular Pacific (15,500 ha), is brackish and contains many rugged limestone islands and endemic species. Rennell is mostly covered with dense forest, with a canopy averaging 20 m in height. Combined with the strong climatic effects of frequent cyclones, the site is a true natural laboratory for scientific study. The site is under customary land ownership and management.