Langa Langa Lagoon

Langa Langa Lagoon

Native name: Akwalaafu
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	08°52′39″S 160°44′42″E / 8.87750°S 160.74500°E / -8.87750; 160.74500
Archipelago	Solomon Islands
Area	21 km2 (8.1 sq mi)
Length	21 km (13 mi)
Width	1 km (0.6 mi)
Administration
Solomon Islands
Province	Malaita Province
Largest settlement	Honiara (pop. 54,600 (2003 est.))
Demographics
Population	(2008)
Ethnic groups	Melanesian 100%

Langa Langa Lagoon or Akwalaafu is a natural lagoon on the West coast of Malaita near the provincial capital Auki within Solomon Islands. The lagoon is 21 km in length and just under 1 km wide. The "lagoon people" or "salt water people" live on small artificial islands built up on sand bars over time where they were forced to flee from the headhunters of mainland Malaita.

The islands in the lagoon are renowned for their shell money minting process, their "shark worship" beliefs, their shipbuilding skills and tourism. The most popular and well known of this islands is Laulasi which has had a thriving tourism industry dating back to the early 1970s; although tourism is largely underdeveloped. The Langa Langa Lagoon provides opportunities for snorkeling, and the villagers provide shell making demonstrations.^[1]