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Nihiru
Nihiru, or Nikia, is one of the Tuamotu atolls in French Polynesia. It is a relatively small atoll located 49 km to the east of Makemo Atoll and 30 km northeast of Marutea Atoll. Nihiru Atoll is roughly triangular in shape. It measures 14 km in length with a maximum width of 10.5 km. Its lagoon has an area of 79 km2. Nihiru had 11 inhabitants in 2012, most of whom originated from Taenga. History The first recorded European to arrive to Nihiru was Russian oceanic explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen in 1820 on ships ''Vostok'' and ''Mirni''. He named this atoll "Nigeri". Administration Nihiru Atoll belongs to the commune of Makemo, which consists of the atolls of Makemo, Haraiki, Marutea Nord, Katiu, Tuanake, Hiti, Tepoto Sud Tepoto Atoll (Tepoto Sud), or Ti Poto, is a small atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located southwest of Makemo Atoll. Tepoto Atoll is almost round in shape. It measures in diameter. Its love ...
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Marutea Nord
Marutea, or Taunga tauranga-e-havana, is one of the Tuamotu atolls in French Polynesia. It is located 24 km to the southeast of Makemo Atoll and 30 km southwest of Nihiru Atoll. Marutea Atoll measures 42 km in length with a maximum width of 17 km. Its lagoon has an area of 458 km² and one pass to enter it. It has a land area of approx 2.7 km2. This atoll is very low and its reef is often awash. Marutea Atoll is permanently uninhabited. Marutea Nord should not be confused with Marutea Sud located in the far south-eastern reaches of the Tuamotu Archipelago at 21˚ 30'S., 135˚ 32'W. History Taunga-tauranga-e-havana, the second native name of Marutea, means "the friendly bird that rested and plumed itself on our mast" —so says Marerenui, a native of Faaite Atoll. There is a legend attached to this name, of which only fragments can be obtained. The first recorded European to arrive to Marutea Atoll was Captain James Cook in 1773. Historically ...
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Taenga
Taenga, or Taunga-hara, is one of the Tuamotu atolls in French Polynesia. It is located 32 km to the northeast of Makemo Atoll and 27 km to the northwest of Nihiru Atoll. Taenga Atoll is roughly triangular in shape. It measures 27 km in length with a maximum width of 11 km. Taenga's lagoon has an area of . It is very difficult to enter on account of the currents and the very narrow pass. This atoll currently has 113 inhabitants, most of whom are Mormons who have lived there since 1845.''The Lost Island of Saints''
by Yves and Kathleen Perrin, Ensign, June 1986, 39.


History

Taenga Atoll was first discovered by John Buyers on 10 March 1803 who named i ...
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Makemo
Makemo, Rangi-kemo or Te Paritua, is an atoll in the Tuamotu archipelago in French Polynesia. History Makemo is the home of legendary Polynesian hero Moeava. The first recorded European to arrive to Makemo Atoll was English pearl merchant John Buyers on the brig ''Margaret''. He arrived at Makemo on 10 March 1803 on the same day he discovered Taenga and named the Makemo Atoll "Phillips Island", after a late sheriff of London, Sir Richard Phillips. In some maps Makemo appears as "Kutusov". In the 19th century, Makemo became a French territory with a population of about 250 indigenous inhabitants around 1850, making it one of the largest in the Tuamotus; it was used as a port for ships. By mid-century, the atoll was evangelized with the founding of St. Joseph Parish in 1851 (which since 2004 also includes churches on Taenga and Nihiru Atolls), followed by the construction of the church of the same name in 1975, attached to the Diocese of Papetee. Legend The legend explains ...
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Tepoto Sud
Tepoto Atoll (Tepoto Sud), or Ti Poto, is a small atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located southwest of Makemo Atoll. Tepoto Atoll is almost round in shape. It measures in diameter. Its lovely turquoise-blue lagoon is connected to the ocean by a narrow channel in the north-east. This atoll is sometimes called Tepoto Sud in French, to distinguish it from the island of Tepoto, approximately to the northeast in the Disappointment Islands. The small group formed by Tepoto Sud, Hiti and Tuanake is also known as the "Raevski Atolls". The Tuamotu reed warbler and the Polynesian ground dove are found in this area. Tepoto Atoll is permanently uninhabited. According to articles in Ireland's Own and the Times Educational Supplement Website, the atoll is identified by Tony Crowley as being the site of buried treasure stolen during the 19th century by four adventurers from a church in Pisco, Peru. Over the years, people have searched for the treasure ...
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Hiti
Hiti, or Hiti-rau-mea, is a small atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 19 km southwest of Makemo Atoll. Hiti Atoll is oval in shape. It measures 9 km in length with a maximum width of 6 km. There are some narrow islands on the northern side of its reef with a total land area of about 3 km2. The southern part of the reef is broader but has no islands. Hiti's lagoon is not connected to the ocean by a pass. The small group formed by Hiti, Tepoto Sud and Tuanake is also known as the "Raevski Atolls". The Tuamotu reed warbler and the Polynesian ground dove are found in this area. Hiti Atoll is permanently uninhabited. History The first recorded European to arrive to Hiti Atoll was Russian oceanic explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen in 1820. Administration Hiti belongs to the commune of Makemo, which consists of the atolls of Makemo, Haraiki, Marutea Nord, Katiu, Tuanake, Hiti, Tepoto Sud, Raroia, Takume, Taenga and Nihiru. ...
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Tuanake
Tuanake or Mata-rua-puna is a small atoll located in the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. He made up the Raevski Islands subgroup with Tepoto Sud and Hiti. It is administratively attached to the municipality of Makemo. Geography Tuanake is located west of Hiti, the nearest island, and 545 km east of Tahiti. It is a small semi-circular atoll in length and in maximum width for an emerged area of . Its lagoon is accessible by a very shallow pass located to the south. Tuanake has long been permanently uninhabited, but the 2017 census counts six inhabitants. History The first recorded European to sight Tuanake was Russian explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen on July 15, 1820, who named it “Raevski Island”. During his expedition, the American navigator Charles Wilkes approached him on December 20, 1840, notified the name of "Tunaki" and named him Reid Island. In the nineteenth century, Tuanake became a French territory then populated by a few indigenous inha ...
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Katiu
Katiu, or Taungataki, is an atoll of the central Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located west of Makemo Atoll's westernmost point. It measures in length with a maximum width of . Its total area, including the lagoon is and a land area of approximately . There are many narrow islands on the north-eastern side of its long reef with a total land area of about . Its lagoon is connected to the ocean. Katiu has a population of 250 inhabitants. The main occupations are fishing, copra harvesting and pearl farming. The most important village is called Toini; it is located on one of the long islands of the northeastern reef. History The first recorded European to arrive to Katiu was Russian oceanic explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen in 1820 on the ships ''Vostok'' and ''Mirni''. He named this atoll "Osten-Saken" or "Saken". Administration Katiu belongs to the commune of Makemo, which consists of the atolls of Makemo, Haraiki, Marutea Nord, Katiu, Tuanake, H ...
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Haraiki
Haraiki is a small atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 42 km southwest of Marutea Nord. Haraiki Atoll is roughly triangular in shape. It measures 7 km in length with a maximum width of 5 km. There are three islets on its reef with a total land area of about 4 km2. Its lagoon has a pass facing south. Haraiki is purportedly uninhabited. However, Google Maps reveals there is a small collection of buildings on the north shore (-17.446343,-143.455739) and that the bulk of the land on all three islets has been heavily planted with a grid-like patchwork of trees or large shrubs. History The first recorded European to sight Haraiki Atoll was Spanish navigator Domingo de Boenechea on October 31, 1772, on ship ''Aguila''. He named this atoll "San Quintín".Robson, R.W. ''The Pacific Islands Handbook'' New York, 1946, p.94 Administration Haraiki belongs to the commune of Makemo, which consists of the atolls of Makemo, Haraiki, Marutea ...
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Takume
Takume or Pukamaru is an atoll of the Tuamotus chain in French Polynesia, located 790 km northeast of Tahiti and 6 km northeast of Raroia and to the west of Fangatau. This elongated atoll measures . Its lagoon has an area of Takume has many small motus on its reef; most are located on its eastern fringes. The long and deep lagoon has one navigable pass to enter it. Takume Atoll has 116 inhabitants. The main village is Ohomo. History Takume and Raroia were called Napaite, "the Twins" (ite, two), by the ancient Paumotu people. The first recorded European who arrived to Amanu Atoll was Spanish navigator Pedro Fernández de Quirós on 15 February 1606, while sailing across the Pacific Ocean in search of Terra Australis. It was charted as ''La Fugitiva'' (The Fugitive in Spanish).Sharp, Andrew The discovery of the Pacific Islands, Oxford, 1960, p.65 In 1820 it was visited by the Russian Admiral oceanic explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen in 1820 on ships ' ...
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Tuamotus
The Tuamotu Archipelago or the Tuamotu Islands (french: Îles Tuamotu, officially ) are a French Polynesian chain of just under 80 islands and atolls in the southern Pacific Ocean. They constitute the largest chain of atolls in the world, extending (from northwest to southeast) over an area roughly the size of Western Europe. Their combined land area is . This archipelago's major islands are Anaa, Fakarava, Hao and Makemo. The Tuamotus have approximately 16,000 inhabitants. The islands were initially settled by Polynesians, and modern Tuamotuans have inherited from them a shared culture and the Tuamotuan language. The Tuamotus are a French overseas collectivity. History The early history of the Tuamotu islands is generally unknown. Archaeological findings suggest that the western Tuamotus were settled from the Society Islands as early as 900 CE or as late as 1200 CE. DNA evidence suggests that they were settled about 1110 CE. On the islands of Rangiroa, Manihi and Mat ...
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Tuamotu
The Tuamotu Archipelago or the Tuamotu Islands (french: Îles Tuamotu, officially ) are a French Polynesian chain of just under 80 islands and atolls in the southern Pacific Ocean. They constitute the largest chain of atolls in the world, extending (from northwest to southeast) over an area roughly the size of Western Europe. Their combined land area is . This archipelago's major islands are Anaa, Fakarava, Hao and Makemo. The Tuamotus have approximately 16,000 inhabitants. The islands were initially settled by Polynesians, and modern Tuamotuans have inherited from them a shared culture and the Tuamotuan language. The Tuamotus are a French overseas collectivity. History The early history of the Tuamotu islands is generally unknown. Archaeological findings suggest that the western Tuamotus were settled from the Society Islands as early as 900 CE or as late as 1200 CE. DNA evidence suggests that they were settled about 1110 CE. On the islands of Rangiroa, Manihi and Mat ...
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Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continents of Asia and Oceania in the west and the Americas in the east. At in area (as defined with a southern Antarctic border), this largest division of the World Ocean—and, in turn, the hydrosphere—covers about 46% of Earth's water surface and about 32% of its total surface area, larger than Earth's entire land area combined .Pacific Ocean
. '' Britannica Concise.'' 2008: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
The centers of both the