East Rennell

Rennell, southernmost of the Solomon Islands, is the world's largest raised coral atoll, and its eastern third is wild enough to serve as a natural laboratory: dense forest with a canopy around 20 metres, battered and reshaped by frequent cyclones. At its heart lies Lake Tegano, the biggest lake of the island Pacific at 15,500 hectares — brackish, dotted with rugged limestone islets and home to endemic species. Held under customary ownership, East Rennell was inscribed by UNESCO in 1998.