Pack your bags, and get ready to go to the South Pacific to observe the largest lagoon in the world (after we win the lottery, right!)

I found this info in less than 10 seconds on the web using (NO KIDDING!) the search engine Altavista (http://www.altavista.com/). All you have to do is type in your question, and click return, and the program will do its best to find the websites that best match your question words. I typed in "What is the largest lagoon in the world"

NOW your turn! Try finding the largest lake in the world, and the tallest mountain in the world...

I have copied info from this website:
http://www.hideawayholidays.com.au/nou.htm for you to peruse at your leisure. Sounds like a tropical paradise!

"The Largest Lagoon in the World
New Caledonia is situated in the heart of the South Pacific, 1500 kms east of Australia. This land of contrast is composed of a group of islands, The Main Island, Loyalty Islands, Isle of Pines, Belep and a myriad of small islands. The barrier reef stretching 1600 kms and encircling the mainland island is the world's largest lagoon, and surely
one of the most beautiful.
Cooled by the Pacific Ocean and the trade winds, New Caledonia enjoys a soft, sunny climate. From the central mountain range to the warm tropical waters you will discover flora and fauna which people come from all over the world to discover. With an incredible mixture of ethnic groups, New Caledonia is a land with many traditions, customs and different cultures. The blend of Melanesian and French culture enhanced by Polynesian and Asian races makes an exciting yet harmonious lifestyle. Whether you experience New Caledonia from the sea, land or air, her wild unspoilt beauty will leave you with lasting memories."

The world's largest lagoon is located inside the islands of the Huvadhoo atoll, in the Indian Ocean. The lagoon is about 2,800 square kilometers! The lagoon was formed by subsistence, a process Darwin described in 1831-1836. First, a volcano forms in the middle of the seafloor and eventually breaks the surface, creating an island. After some time, a coral reef begins to grow around the edges of the island (like the Hawaiian islands today). Eventually, the island starts to sink underwater. However, the process is so slow that the coral reefs are able to keep up with the sinking process and continue to grow to the surface of the water. (If the coral reefs sank out of the light along with the island, they would die since corals need light to grow.) After the island is entirely underwater, only the fringing reef of coral is left, forming a doughnut of land with a large, shallow lagoon in the center. The lagoon surrounded by the Huvadhoo atoll was formed this way, as are many of the lagoons in the tropical Pacific!

Why do you think these lagoons only form in tropical oceans? Can you find the Huvadhoo atoll on the map (latitude 7 degrees 06' 38" North, longitude 72 degrees 33' 40" East)? Can you find some other atoll lagoons in the middle of the Pacific ocean? (Hint: look near the equator!) These islands are made almost entirely of sand. Why do you think that is?