World Heritage Identification Number: 854
World Heritage since: 1998
Category: Natural Heritage
WHE Type: Natural Landscapes & Geographic Features
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: Yes
Country: 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands
Continent: Oceania
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
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Exploring East Rennell: The Largest Raised Coral Atoll in the World
East Rennell, a significant part of Rennell Island, is a unique and captivating destination located in the Solomon Islands group in the western Pacific Ocean. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, this extraordinary location offers a fascinating blend of geological wonders, biodiversity, and cultural heritage.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
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.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (ix): East Rennell demonstrates significant on-going ecological and biological processes and is an important site for the science of island biogeography. The property is an important stepping stone in the migration and evolution of species in the western Pacific and for speciation processes, especially with respect to avifauna. Combined with the strong climatic effects of frequent cyclones, the property is a true natural laboratory for scientific study. The unmodified forest vegetation contains floral elements from the more impoverished Pacific Islands to the east and the much richer Melanesian flora to the west. For its size, Rennell Island has a high number of endemic species, particularly among its avifauna and also harbours 10 endemic plant species. The wildlife includes 11 species of bat (one endemic) and 43 species of breeding land and water birds (four species and nine subspecies endemic respectively). The invertebrate life is also rich with 27 species of land snail (seven endemics) and approximately 730 insect species, many of which are endemic. The flora of Lake Tegano is dominated by more than 300 species of diatoms and algae, some of which are endemic. There is also an endemic sea snake in the lake.
Encyclopedia Record: East Rennell
East Rennell is the southern portion of Rennell Island in the Solomon Islands which is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Rennell is the largest raised coral atoll in the world and the area in East Rennell surrounding Lake Tegano contains many endemic species.Additional Site Details
Area: 37,000 hectares
Number of Components: 1
Coordinates: -11.68333 , 160.33333
IUCN World Heritage Outlook
The 2025 Conservation Outlook on East Rennell reports the following assessment:
Source: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) · View assessment
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Unknown, Public domain
