Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean.

Apia, the capital, is in the middle of the north coast, and Faleolo International Airport at the western end of the island.

The island has not had any historically recorded eruptions, although there is evidence of three lava flows, dating back only to between a few hundred and a few thousand years ago.

In the late 19th century, the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson owned a 400-acre (160-hectare) estate in the village of Vailima in Upolu.

[4] Twenty villages on Upolu's south side were reportedly destroyed, including Lepā, the home of Samoa's prime minister,[5] Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi.

[8][9] 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.