Largest raised coral atoll

A raised coral atoll is an island that formed as a normal coral atoll, but was then uplifted by tectonic forces. The largest of these is Lifou Island, which forms part of French New Caledonia in the south west Pacific Ocean. Measuring some 1,207 square km in area, the island is low-lying, with its highest points at around 60 m above sea level. It is the most populous of the Loyalty Islands, with around 9,275 inhabitants as of 2014.

First discovered by French explorer and rear admiral Jules Dumont d'Urville in 1857, the island is flat with no rivers or hills and was uplifted to its present elevation some two million years ago.