The largest village is Forau, which has around 1,500 permanent residents but can swell to three times that number during important local feasts or religious holidays (e.g. Christmas, Easter).

The road from Auki, which passes through Malu'u, ends at Fouia wharf opposite the islands of Sulufou and Adagege in the Lau Lagoon.

The people of Lau Lagoon build islands on the reef as these provided protection against attack.

[5] Supplementary crops include papaya, bananas, sugar cane, coconut and green vegetables.

The areas that have higher resource potential are those that are recognised as being owned and are inherited by patrilineal descent groups.

[5] The fish stocks of the Lau Lagoon and sea areas was once plentiful, but it is becoming harder to come by due to pressure from international fisheries.

The wane i asi 'salt-water people' of South Malaita have continued to hunt dolphin; In 2010, the villages of Fanalei, Walende, and Bitamae in South Malaita signed a MoU with the non-governmental organisation, Earth Island Institute, to stop hunting dolphin.