Maupiti

Last updated
Maupiti ISS002.jpg
NASA aerial picture of Maupiti
Karta FP Societe isl.PNG
Geography
Location Pacific Ocean
Coordinates 16°26′24.3″S152°16′27.3″W / 16.440083°S 152.274250°W / -16.440083; -152.274250
Archipelago Society Islands
Major islandsMaupiti
Area11 km2 (4.2 sq mi)
Highest elevation380 m (1250 ft)
Administration
Overseas collectivity French Polynesia
Administrative subdivision Leeward Islands
Commune Maupiti
Demographics
Population1,200
Pop. density109/km2 (282/sq mi)
Additional information
Flag of Maupiti.svg
Flag

Maupiti is an island in the western Leeward Islands in French Polynesia. It is the westernmost volcanic island in the archipelago, 315 kilometres (196 miles) northwest of Tahiti and 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Bora Bora. It has a population of 1,286 people. [1] The largest town is Vai'ea.

Contents

Geography

Maupiti is a volcanic island, and lies on the Society hotspot. It is estimated to be 3.9 - 4.5 million years old. [2] :4 The island is a "near atoll", consisting of a central volcanic peak surrounded by a lagoon and barrier reef with four motu: Auira, Pa'ao, Tuanai, Tiapa'a and Pitiahe. [2] :3,4 The lagoon has an area of 27 square kilometres (10 square miles) and the central island has an area of 12 square kilometres (4.6 square miles) and a maximum elevation of 372 metres (1,220 feet). [2] :5

History

There are ancient Polynesian archaeological artifacts dating from at least AD 850 in Maupiti. A burial site excavated in 1962 suggested early cultural links with New Zealand. [3]

The first European to arrive on the island was the Dutchman Jakob Roggeveen in 1722. Historically, the island has had strong cultural links with Bora Bora.

Economy

A Maupiti supply ship. The blue barrels on the dock are noni which is sent to Papeete for processing. Noniship.jpg
A Maupiti supply ship. The blue barrels on the dock are noni which is sent to Papeete for processing.

Maupiti Airport, located on the motu of Tuanai, [4] provides a connection to the rest of French Polynesia. The primary economic activity on Maupiti was noni production. [5]

Administration

Maupiti is administratively part of the commune (municipality) of Maupiti, itself in the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands. The main settlement is Vai'ea.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">French Polynesia</span> Overseas French territory

French Polynesia is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) in the South Pacific Ocean. The total land area of French Polynesia is 3,521 square kilometres (1,359 sq mi), with a population of 278,786.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of French Polynesia</span>

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquesas Islands</span> Archipelago in French Polynesia

The Marquesas Islands are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. Their highest point is the peak of Mount Oave on Ua Pou island, at 1,230 m (4,035 ft) above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bora Bora</span> Island in French Polynesia

Bora Bora is an island group in the Leeward Islands. The Leeward Islands comprise the western part of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, which is an overseas collectivity of the French Republic in the Pacific Ocean. Bora Bora has a total land area of 30.55 km2 (12 sq mi). The main island, located about 230 kilometres northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. In the center of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano, rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu; the highest point is at 727 m (2,385 ft). Bora Bora is part of the Commune of Bora-Bora, which also includes the atoll of Tūpai. The languages spoken in Bora Bora are Tahitian and French. However, due to the high tourism population, many natives of Bora Bora have learned to speak English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raiatea</span> Island in French Polynesia

Raiatea or Ra'iatea is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti, in French Polynesia. The island is widely regarded as the "centre" of the eastern islands in ancient Polynesia and it is likely that they organised migrations to the Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand and other parts of East Polynesia started at Ra'iātea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taha'a</span> Island in French Polynesia

Taha’a is an island located among the western group, the Leeward Islands, of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The islands of Taha’a and neighboring Ra‘iātea to the immediate south are enclosed by the same coral reef, and they may once have been a single island. At the 2017 census it had a population of 5,234. The island has an area of 90 square kilometres. Mount Ohiri is the highest mountain on the island standing at 590 metres (1,940 ft) above sea level. It is also known as the "Vanilla Island" and produces pearls of exceptional quality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetiꞌaroa</span> Atoll in French Polynesia

Tetiʻaroa is an atoll in the Windward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas territorial collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean. Once the vacation spot for Tahitian royalty, the islets are under a 99-year lease contracted by Marlon Brando and are home to The Brando Resort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gambier Islands</span> Archipelago in French Polynesia

The Gambier Islands are an archipelago in French Polynesia, located at the southeast terminus of the Tuamotu archipelago. They cover an area of 27.8 km2 or 10.7 sq mi, and are made up of the Mangareva Islands, a group of high islands remnants of a caldera along with islets on the surrounding fringing reef, and the uninhabited Temoe atoll, which is located 45 km south-east of the Mangareva Islands. The Gambiers are generally considered a separate island group from Tuamotu both because their culture and language (Mangarevan) are much more closely related to those of the Marquesas Islands, and because, while the Tuamotus comprise several chains of coral atolls, the Mangareva Islands are of volcanic origin with central high islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeward Islands (Society Islands)</span> Archipelago in French Polynesia

The Leeward Islands are the western part of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the South Pacific. They lie south of the Line Islands, east of the Cooks and north of the Austral Islands. Their area is 404 km2 and their population is over 36,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uturoa</span> Commune in French Polynesia, France

Uturoa is a commune located in Ra'iātea, the largest island of the Îles Sous le Vent in French Polynesia. It is situated in between the administrative subdivision of Leeward Islands and the main port of the island of Ra'iātea. According to the 2017 census, Uturoa has a population of 3,778 individuals. The commune spans approximately 120 miles (193.121 km) northwest of Pape'ete, the capital of French Polynesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motu One (Society Islands)</span> Atoll in French Polynesia

Motu One, also known as Bellinghausen, is an atoll in the Leeward group of the Society Islands. Motu One is located 550 km northwest from Tahiti and 72 km northeast of Manuae, its closest neighbor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Society Islands</span> Archipelago in French Polynesia

The Society Islands are an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean. Politically, they are part of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the French Republic. Geographically, they form part of Polynesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manuae (Society Islands)</span> Atoll in French Polynesia

The atoll of Manua'e, also known as Scilly, is located approximately 60 km (37 mi) to the northwest of Maupiha'a and 255 km (158 mi) to the west of Maupiti. It is the westernmost of the Society Islands' Leeward Islands, located 217 mi. (350 km) west of Bora Bora and 342 mi. (550 km) west of Pape'ete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maupihaa</span> Atoll in French Polynesia

Maupihaa, also known as Mopelia, is an atoll in the Leeward group of the Society Islands. This atoll is located 72 km southeast of Manuae, its nearest neighbor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maupiti (commune)</span> Commune in French Polynesia, France

Maupiti is a commune of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The commune is in the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fakarava</span> Atoll in French Polynesia

Fakarava, Havaiki-te-araro, Havai'i or Farea is an atoll in the west of the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. It is the second largest of the Tuamotu atolls. The nearest land is Toau, a coral atoll which lies 14 kilometres to the northwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fakahina</span> Atoll in French Polynesia

Fakahina, or Kaīna, is a small atoll in the north of the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. The nearest land is Fangatau Atoll, located 72 km to the north-west. Fakahina's length is 9 kilometres and its maximum width 6.3 kilometres. It has a land area of 11.55 square kilometres and a lagoon area of 20 square kilometres. There is no pass connecting the lagoon with the ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temoe</span>

Temoe, or Te Moe, is a small atoll of the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the far southeast of the Tuamotu group archipelago. It lies about 37 km southeast from the Gambier Islands and more than 1,700 kilometres southeast from Mataiva, at the other end of the Tuamotu archipelago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of French Polynesia–related articles</span>

This page list topics related to French Polynesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franco-Tahitian War</span> 1844–1847 military conflict in modern-day French Polynesia

The Franco-Tahitian War or French–Tahitian War (1844–1847) was a conflict between the Kingdom of the French and the Kingdom of Tahiti and its allies in the South Pacific archipelago of the Society Islands in modern-day French Polynesia.

References

  1. "French Polynesia". City Population. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Kahn, J. G.; Dotte-Sarout, E.; Molle, G.; Conte, E. (2015). "Mid- to Late Prehistoric Landscape Change, Settlement Histories, and Agricultural Practices on Maupiti, Society Islands (Central Eastern Polynesia)". The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology. 10 (3): 1–29. doi:10.1080/15564894.2014.1001922. S2CID   129352874 . Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  3. Emory, Kenneth P.; Sinoto, Yosihiko H. (1964). "EASTERN POLYNESIAN BURIALS AT MAUPITI". Journal of the Polynesian Society. 73 (2): 143–160. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  4. "Destination Maupiti : Infos clés & aéroport". Air Tahiti. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  5. "MAUPITI - THE ECONOMY AT HALF FALLS DOWN HEIVA". la depeche.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Maupiti (atoll) at Wikimedia Commons