Editing Upolu (section)

==History==
In 1841, the island was the site of the [[Bombardment of Upolu]], an incident during the [[United States Exploring Expedition]].

In the late 19th century, the Scottish writer [[Robert Louis Stevenson]] owned a {{convert|400|acre|abbr=off|adj=on}} [[estate (land)|estate]] in the village of [[Vailima, Samoa|Vailima]] in Upolu. He died there in 1894 and is buried at the top of [[Mount Vaea]] overlooking his former estate. The Vailima estate was purchased in 1900 to serve as the official residence for the [[Germany|German]] governor of [[German Samoa]]. When the [[United Kingdom|British]]/[[Dominion]] took over governance of the islands, they [[confiscation|confiscated]] the estate and put it to the same use. It later served as the residence for the [[New Zealand]] administrator and, after independence, for the Samoan head of state. During [[World War II]], the US Navy built [[Naval Base Upolu]] on the island.<ref>[https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/Building_Bases/bases-24.html Built of US Navy bases]''US Navy''</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://codenames.info/operation/straw/|title=Straw &#124; Operations & Codenames of WWII|website=codenames.info}}</ref>

===2009 Samoa tsunami===
{{Main|2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami}}
The island of Upolu was hit by a [[tsunami]] at 06:48:11 local time on 29 September 2009 (17:48:11 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]).<ref>[https://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2009mdbi.php Magnitude 8.0 – Samoa Islands Region] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007165801/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2009mdbi.php |date=7 October 2009 }} Report on [http://www.usgs.gov/aboutusgs/ U.S. Geological Service]'s website. Retrieved online d.d. 29 September 2009.</ref> Twenty villages on Upolu's south side were reportedly destroyed, including [[Lepā, Samoa|Lepā]], the home of Samoa's [[prime minister]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://windsorstar.com/news/Tsunami+smashes+Pacific+islands+over+feared+dead/2049879/story.html |title=Tsunami smashes Pacific islands, over 100 feared dead |date=29 September 2009 |publisher=windsorstar.com |access-date=30 September 2009 |author=Baris Atayman <!-- BOT GENERATED AUTHOR --> |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006123549/http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Tsunami+smashes+Pacific+islands+over+feared+dead/2049879/story.html |archive-date=6 October 2011 |url-status=live  }}</ref> [[Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi]]. In Lepā, only the [[Place of worship|church]] and the village's welcome sign remained standing after the disaster.<ref name=dt>{{cite news|first=Tamara|last=McClean|title=Searching ruins for reason to live after the tsunami |url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/searching-ruins-for-reason-to-live-after-the-tsunami/story-e6freuy9-1225781822624 |work=The Daily Telegraph|location=Sydney|date=2 October 2009 |access-date=5 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=At least seven dead after quake, tsunami hit Samoa|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10600416|newspaper=The New Zealand Herald|access-date=19 August 2010|date=30 September 2009}}</ref>

===2024 HMNZS ''Manawanui'' sinking===
{{Main|HMNZS Manawanui (2019)#Sinking}}
On 5 October 2024 the [[Royal New Zealand Navy]] ship [[HMNZS Manawanui (2019)|HMNZS ''Manawanui'']] ran aground and sunk off the coast of [[Siumu]] on the southern coast of Upolu. The ''Manawanui'' had been surveying a nearby reef and was caught up in a storm.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Yee |first1=Isaac |title=New Zealand loses first naval ship since WWII; vessel threatening oil spill off Samoan coast |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/07/world/new-zealand-navy-ship-sinks-intl-hnk/index.html |website=[[CNN]] |date=7 October 2024 |access-date=11 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/samoa/111420 |title=NZ navy ship sinks, oil smell fills village air |work=Samoa Observer |author=Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi |date=6 October 2024 |access-date=6 October 2024 |archive-date=7 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007020258/https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/samoa/111420 |url-status=live }}</ref> The sinking of the ''Manawanui'' polluted the surrounding sea and disrupted the livelihoods of local communities in the Safata district, who were unable to fish due to restrictions around the wreckage site.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Duff |first1=Michelle |last2=Tupufia |first2=Lanuola |title=A sunken timebomb? Samoa fears long-lasting damage from wrecked New Zealand navy ship |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/19/a-sunken-timebomb-samoa-fears-long-lasting-damage-from-wrecked-new-zealand-navy-ship |access-date=20 October 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=18 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tinetali-Fiavaai |first1=Grace |title=Manawanui probe 'being done by the wrong people,' Samoan expert says |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/535236/manawanui-probe-being-done-by-the-wrong-people-samoan-expert-says |access-date=30 November 2024 |work=[[RNZ]] |date=29 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241129135036/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/535236/manawanui-probe-being-done-by-the-wrong-people-samoan-expert-says |archive-date=29 November 2024}}</ref> The Samoan and New Zealand authorities were criticised by local villagers for a lack of compensation and engagement with local communities.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tinetali-Fiavaai |first1=Grace |title=Manawanui probe 'being done by the wrong people,' Samoan expert says |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/535236/manawanui-probe-being-done-by-the-wrong-people-samoan-expert-says |access-date=30 November 2024 |work=[[RNZ]] |date=29 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241129135036/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/535236/manawanui-probe-being-done-by-the-wrong-people-samoan-expert-says |archive-date=29 November 2024}}</ref> This led local villagers to seek financial assistance from the Chinese Embassy in [[Apia]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tinetali-Fiavaai |first1=Grace |title=Samoa communities affected by Manawanui sinking seek support from China |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/541109/samoa-communities-affected-by-manawanui-sinking-seek-support-from-china |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=6 February 2025}}</ref>

On 12 February 2025 the Samoan Government lifted a "precautionary zone" around the wreckage of HMNZS ''Manawanui'' following testing by the Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (SROS). However, a two [[kilometer|km]] prohibition zone around the sunken ship remained in force.<ref>{{cite news |title=Samoa govt removes precautionary zone around Manawanui disaster site |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/541647/samoa-govt-removes-precautionary-zone-around-manawanui-disaster-site |access-date=12 February 2025 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=12 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250212011800/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/541647/samoa-govt-removes-precautionary-zone-around-manawanui-disaster-site |archive-date=12 February 2025}}</ref>