 Vanikoro from space. Courtesy NASA | |
  | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Archipelago | Santa Cruz Islands |
| Area | 173 km2 (67 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
Solomon Islands | |
| Province | Temotu |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 1293 (2009) |
| Ethnic groups | Melanesian, Polynesian |
Vanikoro (sometimes wrongly named Vanikolo) is an island in the Santa Cruz group, located 118 kilometres (73 miles) to the Southeast of the main Santa Cruz group. It is part of the Temotu Province of Solomon Islands.
The name Vanikoro is always used as though it referred to a single island, due to both its geophysical and cultural unity. However, technically it is a group of several nearby islands surrounded by a single belt of coral reef. Only the two major islands are inhabited: the bigger one Banie, and the smaller one Teanu (or Tevai). Other, uninhabited islets in the Vanikoro group include Manieve, Nomianu and Nanunga. The total area of the Vanikoro group is 173 square kilometres (66.8 square miles).