书城旅游地图一本书畅游世界顶级景点
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第72章 大洋洲——爱上最精致的生态美(9)

Mysterious Island Scenery 神秘的岛屿风光

Taboo Island

The southern Tongatapu is Tonga’s most prosperous island. Tonga is the largest island, accounting for about one-third of the land. The Capital Nuku’alofa sits on the island. The island has large plantations of coconut and banana, near Villanueva it’s covered with lush tropical rainforest.

Ghost Island

In 1831, an island appeared suddenly in the western region of the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific by undersea volcanic eruption. However, when the people began to talk about it, it disappeared as if a ghost into the ocean. A few years later, when the people forgot it, it appeared again from the sea as if a ghost. In December 1967, it emerged on the sea once again. But in 1968, it disappeared once more.

Three Stone Pagodas

In the outskirts of Nuku’alofa, there is a three-story stone pagoda, which is taken as the arch of the old palace. It is constructed from large stones shipped by the ancient Tongan with a large canoe from Warri. There is another artifact, a“Calendar” made of large stones. On the top of this “Calendar”are engraved the date of the longest day and shortest day, and the mark of the sun rises.

Spray Wave Hole

Spray Wave Hole is the unique landscape of the South Pacific. In the south coast of Tongatapu, when the high tide comes, the waves are taken to the coast, sea water spewing out of thousands of rock caves, forming water columns of tens of meters high. It is very spectacular.

塔布岛

最南端的塔布岛是汤加最繁华的岛屿,也是汤加最大的岛屿,约占全国土地的三分之一。首都努库阿洛法就坐落在这个岛上。岛上有大片大片的椰子和香蕉种植园,附近的埃瓦岛上覆盖着茂密的热带雨林。

幽灵岛

1831年,在南太平洋汤加王国西部海域中,由于海底火山爆发而突然冒出一个小岛来。然而,当人们还在谈论它并有所打算时,它却像幽灵一样消失在洋面上。过了几年,当人们对它早已忘得一干二净时,它又像幽灵一样从海中露了出来。1967年12月,它再一次冒出海面,可到了1968年,它又消失得无影无踪。

三石塔

在努库阿洛法的郊外,有一座三石塔,据说是旧皇宫的拱门,它是古代汤加人用大型独木舟从瓦里斯岛运来的大石头建造的。还有一处文物,是一块大石头制成的“日历”,这块“日历”顶端刻着一年中最长和最短一天的日期,并且有太阳升起时的标记。

喷潮洞

喷潮洞是南太平洋的独特景观。在汤加塔布岛的南岸,每当涨潮的时候,惊涛骇浪拍向海岸,海水从成千上万的礁石的洞穴中喷涌出来,形成几十米高的水柱,十分壮观。

Comfortable Living 舒适的人民生活

Medical

It has implemented the national free health care system in Tonga. In 2001, there were four hospitals, 34 clinics, 302 beds, 52 doctors, and 303 nurses. The Human Development Index here ranked 54th in the United Nations Development Programme and took the first place in the South Pacific island nations. The life expectancy of man reaches to 69 years and female to 74 years.

Education

Public schools offer free education to children from 5 to 14 years in Tonga, and it is popular for intermediate compulsory education, almost no illiteracy. There are no universities, but the South Pacific University Campus locates here. Church of Tonga may be involved in education law to build independent schools. Government and some Commonwealth countries provide partial scholarships to send students abroad to study.