n.
Coral atoll (pop., 2000 est.: 4,590), Tuvalu , west-central Pacific Ocean.
It is the location of Fongafale, the capital of Tuvalu. Funafuti comprises some 30 islets and has a total land area of 0.9 sq mi (2.4 sq km). It encircles a lagoon that affords good anchorage. A U.S. military base was established there in 1943; the U.S. dropped its claim to the atoll in 1983. Fongafale village has a hotel, a hospital, and an airstrip.