The Austral Islands (french: Îles Australes, officially ''Archipel des Australes;'' ty, Tuha'a Pae) are the southernmost group of islands in French Polynesia, an overseas country of the French Republic in the South Pacific. Geographically, they consist of two separate archipelagos, namely in the northwest the Tupua'i islands (french: Îles Tubuaï) consisting of the Îles Maria, Rimatara, Rūrutu, Tupua'i Island proper and Ra'ivāvae, and in the southeast the

Bass Islands The Bass Islands are three American islands in the western half of Lake Erie. They are north of Sandusky, Ohio, and south of Pelee Island, Ontario. South Bass Island () is the largest of the islands, followed closely by North Bass Island () ...

(french: Îles basses) composed of the main island of

Rapa Iti Rapa, also called Rapa Iti, or "Little Rapa", to distinguish it from Easter Island, whose Polynesian name is Rapa Nui, is the largest and only inhabited island of the Bass Islands in French Polynesia. An older name for the island is Oparo. The ...

and the small Marotiri (also known as Bass Rocks or Îlots de Bass). Inhabitants of the islands are known for their pandanus fiber weaving skills. The islands of Maria and Marotiri are not suitable for sustained habitation. Several of the islands have uninhabited islets or rocks off their coastlines. Austral Islands' population is 6,965 on almost . The capital of the Austral Islands administrative subdivision is

Tupua'i Tubuai or Tupuai is the main island of the Austral Islands#Geography, Austral Island group, located south of Tahiti. In addition to Tubuai, the group of islands include Rimatara, Rurutu, Raivavae, Rapa and the uninhabited Îles Maria. They are ...

History

Whaling Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industr ...

vessels were among the earliest and most consistent visitors to the islands in the 19th century. The first such vessel for which a record exists is the ''New Hazard'' in 1813. These ships came for fresh drinking water, firewood and food provisions. Sometimes they also took aboard islanders to serve as crewmen on their ships.

Prehistory

The prehistory of the Austral Islands is largely in the dark, as only a few archaeological excavations have been carried out so far.Patrick Vinton Kirch: ''On the Road of the Winds – An Archaeological History of the Pacific Islands before European Contact.'' University of California Press, Berkeley 2000, ISBN 0-520-23461-8 The date of the earliest settlement is unclear, as radiocarbon dates are scarcely available. However, due to their peripheral location in the Polynesian Triangle, scholars suspect that the Austral Islands were colonized relatively late, possibly by visitors from the Society Islands, Mangareva, or the Cook Islands. The Noble families of the Austral Islands and the clans of the Society Islands share kinship. For example, chief Tamatoa of Tubuai believed that he was descended from an ariki from the island of Raiatea. The American archaeologist Patrick Vinton Kirch has further suggested that the Austral Islands, the southern Cook Islands, and the Society Islands should be seen as one extended cultural family.

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

archaeologist Atholl John Anderson has argued similarly that the island of Rapa was settled around 1200 A.D. At Atiahara, on the north coast of

Tubuai Tubuai or Tupuai is the main island of the Austral Island group, located south of Tahiti. In addition to Tubuai, the group of islands include Rimatara, Rurutu, Raivavae, Rapa and the uninhabited Îles Maria. They are part of the Austral Isla ...

, a near-beach settlement was excavated beginning in 1995 under the direction of American archaeologist Mark Eddowes, probably from a very early settlement phase. Food remains from the waste pits suggest that the inhabitants fed mainly on shellfish (fish, mussels, crustaceans) from the

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') ...

. Other food animals included pigs, chickens and Pacific rat. The processing of mussel shells, probably also for the exchange of

goods In economics, goods are items that satisfy human wants and provide utility, for example, to a consumer making a purchase of a satisfying product. A common distinction is made between goods which are transferable, and services, which are not t ...

with other settlements, was an integral part of the economy. Dating of charcoal remains yielded dates of 1453 (±150 years) and 1113 (±50 years). According to the current state of research, an initial settlement of the Austral Islands can be assumed at the beginning of the second

millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...

AD. After initial settlement in caves and rock ledges near the

coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in ...

, a stratified tribal society developed rapidly in settlements near the beach. The structure of the settlements reflected the social order. There were strictly separate dwellings, built of perishable materials, for the aristocracy, the priests, the middle class (artisans, artists),

warrior A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have be ...

s, adolescents and pubescent girls. Due to increasing tribal warfare, the

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc sh ...

settlements were abandoned, probably in the seventeenth or eighteenth century. The inhabitants retreated to heavily fortified settlements in the inland

hills A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not as ...

, comparable to the Pā of New Zealand. On Rapa Island, for example, 15 such

castles A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified ...

have been recorded. The

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

archaeological expedition to

Easter Island Easter Island ( rap, Rapa Nui; es, Isla de Pascua) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is most famous for its ne ...

and the eastern Pacific in 1956, led by Thor Heyerdahl, determined an antiquity of between 200 and 300 years for a fortified settlement on Rapa's Morongo Uta hill and dated the Hatututi castle complex of Raivavae to 1700 AD. Numerous wars and probably also overexploitation of natural resources may have drastically reduced the population even before the arrival of Europeans.

European exploration and colonization

Rurutu was the first of the Austral Islands to be discovered by

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

in 1769. James Cook reached the island, which he named Ohetiroa, during his first voyage to the Pacific on August 14, 1769. After the Endeavour anchored off the island for the night, Cook launched the pinnace the next day under the command of Lieutenant Gore. Naturalist Joseph Banks was also on the ship. A large number of armed warriors were walking along the shore. As Cook had ordered to avoid any risk, the Pinasse returned to the

ship A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...

without having attempted a landing. The

Spaniard Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance ethnic group native to Spain. Within Spain, there are a number of national and regional ethnic identities that reflect the country's complex history, including a number of different languages, both i ...

Tomás de Gayangos was the first European to reach the island of

Raivavae Raivavae ( Tahitian: ''Ra‘ivāvae'' /ra.ʔi.va:va.e/) is one of the Austral Islands in French Polynesia. Its total land area including offshore islets is . At the 2017 census, it had a population of 903.

on February 5, 1775 with the ships Águila and Júpiter as part of an expedition to Tahiti initiated by Manuel de Amat y de Junyent.14 The next day Gayangos had a ship leave

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austra ...

with Lieutenant Benarcosi and two translators, but they were prevented from landing in Mahanatoa Bay by several war canoes.Jacques-Antoine Moerenhout: ''Voyages aux îles du Grand Océan.'' Bertrand, Paris 1837; englische Übersetzung: Arthur R. Borden: ''Travels to the Islands of the Pacific Ocean.'' University Press of America, Lanham (MD) 1993 James Cook discovered the island of

in March 1777 during his third voyage, but also failed to set foot on the island. His report was known to Fletcher Christian, the leader of the mutineers on the Bounty. After the mutiny of the Bounty on April 28, 1789 off Tofua, the ship first headed for Tubuai, but only stayed there for a week before sailing for Tahiti. Armed with provisions and several Tahitian women, the mutineers returned to Tubuai to settle. However, internal disputes and bloody clashes with the islanders, in which 66 Tubuans were killed, caused the Bounty to depart only three months later.

was discovered in 1791 by George Vancouver, Marotiri in 1800 by

George Bass George Bass (; 30 January 1771 – after 5 February 1803) was a British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia. Early years Bass was born on 30 January 1771 at Aswarby, a hamlet near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of a tenant farmer, George ...

, Rimatara in 1811 by British Tahitian sandalwood trader Samuel Pinder Henry, and Maria Atoll was finally discovered for the Western Hemisphere in 1824 by Nantucket whaling captain

George Washington Gardner The Gardner family were a group of whalers operating out of Nantucket, Massachusetts, from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. Some members of the family gained wider exposure due to their discovery of various islands in the Pacific Ocean. ...

. After the Pomaré dynasty consolidated its rule in Tahiti with

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

support and Pomaré II was crowned king in 1819, it decided to extend its sphere of influence to the Austral Islands. Captain Lewis' American brig brought the king, his court and several missionaries from the

London Missionary Society The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed in outlook, with Congregational m ...

(LMS) to the Austral Islands in October 1819. Lewis was rewarded with Raivavae sandalwood. The clans were engaged in one of their usual tribal wars. Pomaré managed to mediate between the warring parties and resolve the conflict diplomatically. He left as governor one of his Tahitian chiefs, who prepared the ground for the LMS Protestant missionaries who followed from Moorea a year later. The conversion to Christianity was peaceful, as the chiefs assimilated the new religion quickly and without resistance.

Christianization Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...

put an end to tribal warfare, but brought about decisive changes in the stratified tribal society. The

omnipotence Omnipotence is the quality of having unlimited power. Monotheistic religions generally attribute omnipotence only to the deity of their faith. In the monotheistic religious philosophy of Abrahamic religions, omnipotence is often listed as one ...

of the tribal leaders had been broken. The Austral Islands initially remained under Tahitian hegemony. In 1862, a two-year incursion of the so-called "Blackbirders" began, who took more than 3500 South Pacific islanders to

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

as slave labor. In December 1862, a fleet of five ships anchored in Rapa's Ahurei Bay. A strong group of armed men was put ashore to capture workers by force. But the inhabitants retreated to the mountain forts and the occupants had to leave without having achieved anything. A few days later, the Chilean schooner Cora arrived at Rapa. Thirteen chiefs met and decided to capture the ship and crew and hand them over to the French authorities in Tahiti. A group of warriors sneaked aboard the Cora and seized the captain. The crew surrendered without resistance. Five sailors decided to stay on the island as guests. A subsequent attempt by the barque Misti to capture the work was abandoned when the captain learned of the Cora's fate. Famille royale et chefs de Rurutu

Queen Pomaré IV of Tahiti ceded part of her

sovereignty Sovereignty is the defining authority within individual consciousness, social construct, or territory. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within the state, as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the perso ...

to France. As a result, France formally declared a

protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its int ...

over Tubuai in 1874 and Raivavae in 1876. With the end of the Pomaré dynasty-the last king of Tahiti was Pomaré V-the islands were annexed in 1880 and became a

French colony The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "First French Colonial Empire", that exist ...

. One exception was two small islands that the colonial powers of France and Britain had apparently overlooked. Rurutu, under King Teuruarii IV, and Rimatara, under Queen Tamaeva IV, initially remained independent kingdoms. After an exchange of diplomatic notes and after

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

expressed no interest in the islands, Rurutu came under French suzerainty on March 27, 1889 and Rimatara on March 29, 1889 The final annexation took place in 1900, Rimatara and Rurutu also became

French colonies From the 16th to the 17th centuries, the First French colonial empire stretched from a total area at its peak in 1680 to over , the second largest empire in the world at the time behind only the Spanish Empire. During the 19th and 20th centuri ...

Geography

The Tuha'a Pae or Austral Islands (french: Îles Australes or ') are the southernmost group of islands in French Polynesia, an

overseas collectivity The French overseas collectivities (''collectivité d'outre-mer'' or ''COM'') are first-order administrative divisions of France, like the French regions, but have a semi-autonomous status. The COMs include some former French overseas colonies ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

in the South Pacific. Geographically, the Austral Islands consist of two separate archipelagos. From northwest to southeast they are: *The Tupua'i Islands (french: Îles Tubuaï), named for one of the main islands. They consist of: ** Îles Maria () in the northwest, part of Rimatara municipality ** Rimatara (), ** Rūrutu (), **

(), ** Ra'ivāvae (), *The Bass Islands (french: Îles Bass) comprise: **the main island of

(),

**the small Marotiri island () in the southeast, part of Rapa municipality The islands of Maria and Marotiri are not suitable for sustained habitation. Several of the islands have uninhabited islets or rocks off their coastlines. The chain is associated with the Macdonald hotspot. The only active volcano is the Macdonald seamount (40m depth). In administrative terms, the Austral Islands (including the

) constitute an administrative subdivision, the Tuha'a Pae or Austral Islands (''subdivision administrative des (Îles) Australes''), one of French Polynesia's five administrative subdivisions (''subdivision administratives''). Geographically, the administrative subdivision of the Austral Islands is identical with the constituency of the Austral Islands (''circonscription des Îles Australes''), one of French Polynesia's six constituencies (''circonscriptions électorales'') for the Assembly of French Polynesia. The capital of the Austral Islands administrative subdivision is

Geology

The Austral Islands form a chain of seven islands extending from southeast to northwest. They are the product of a hot spot beneath the still active Macdonald seamount, which rises 338

kilometers The kilometre ( SI symbol: km; or ), spelt kilometer in American English, is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one thousand metres (kilo- being the SI prefix for ). It is now the measurement unit used for ex ...

east-southeast of Bass Rocks (Marotori) to about 40 meters below sea level. The geologically oldest, more eroded and fractured islands are in the northwest, the younger ones in the southeast of the chain. The geological age of the basaltic rocks ranges from 28.6 million years on Rimatara in the northwest to 3.3 million years on Marotiri in the southeast.Valérie Clouard & Alain Bonneville: ''Ages of seamounts, islands and plateaus on the Pacific plate.'' In: Foulger, G. R., Natland, J. H., Presnall, D. C., and Anderson, D.L., (eds.): ''Plates, plumes, and paradigms'', Geological Society of America Special Paper No. 388, pp. 71–90 Hibiscus rouge de Tubuai

Marotiri, the youngest island, is merely a group of rugged

volcanic A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...

rocks with no protective coral reef. Maria, on the other hand, the oldest, is an atoll whose volcanic central island sank into the sea long ago, leaving only four motus. The remaining islands are classic atolls with a central island, a coral reef and a fringe of coral islands in the various stages of development.

Climate

The northern Tupua'i islands have a

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate, humid tropical climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southea ...

(''Af'' according to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

, Arab according to the

Trewartha climate classification The Trewartha climate classification (TCC) or the Köppen–Trewartha climate classification (KTC) is a climate classification system first published by American geographer Glenn Thomas Trewartha in 1966. It is a modified version of the Köppen ...

), but relatively cool compared to the Polynesian islands further north, as the Tupua'i islands are around the

Tropic of Capricorn The Tropic of Capricorn (or the Southern Tropic) is the circle of latitude that contains the subsolar point at the December (or southern) solstice. It is thus the southernmost latitude where the Sun can be seen directly overhead. It also reac ...

. Summers are hot and muggy, with an abundance of precipitation caused by thunderstorms from easterly winds. In addition, the islands can be affected by cyclones in the austral summer (between November and April). Winters are warm and humid, with easterly winds still creating high precipitation amounts. Far from any landmasses, the Tupua'i islands have a low absolute temperature range – a record high of 32.7 ºC (90.9 ºF) in March and a record low of 9.2 ºC (48.6 ºF) in August. The southern Bass Islands have a have a

(''Af'' in the

, ''Arab'' in the

), bordering on a very-mild winter humid subtropical climate (''Cfa'' in the

, ''Cfal'' in the

). Despite being situated south of the Tropic of Capricorn, the remote location in the middle of a tropical ocean enables the climate to be moderated in all seasons. Summers and winters are slightly cooler than in the Tupua'i Islands, and cyclones are rarer, as the islands are located near the

Horse Latitudes The horse latitudes are the latitudes about 30 degrees north and south of the Equator. They are characterized by sunny skies, calm winds, and very little precipitation. They are also known as subtropical ridges, or highs. It is a high-pressure ...

at thirty degrees south. Precipitation is abundant in all seasons, and sunshine is uncommon every month of the year. The cool winters and strong winds prohibit ultra tropical fruits such as coconuts to thrive, as it has dropped to 8.5 ºC (47.3 ºF) in September.

Ecology

The Austral islands constitute the Tubuai tropical moist forests terrestrial ecoregion. The natural vegetation consisted of lowland and montane rain forests. Much of the original forest has been mostly cleared for pasture and agriculture. The islands are home to several endemic plants and animals, including the Rimatara reed warbler (''Acrocephalus rimatarae''), Rapa fruit-dove (''Ptilonopus huttoni''), and Kuhl's lorikeet (''Vini kuhli''). Most of the islands are surrounded by coral reefs. The islands constitute a distinct

marine ecoregion A marine ecoregion is an ecoregion, or ecological region, of the oceans and seas identified and defined based on biogeographic characteristics. Introduction A more complete definition describes them as “Areas of relatively homogeneous species ...

Vegetation

The

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...

of the Austral Islands has already been modified mainly by the Polynesian aborigines. On the uninhabited Maria Atoll, ancient, largely undestroyed native vegetation can be found. On Rapa, too, there are still small remnants of the original montane rainforest in inaccessible steep areas.Dieter Mueller-Dombois, F. Raymond Fosberg: ''Vegetation of the Tropical Pacific Islands'', Springer-Verlag, New York-Berlin 1998, ISBN 0-387-98313-9, p. 400 ff. On the four larger islands (Rapa,

, Tubuai and Rurutu) the vegetation is dominated by secondary growth. Beach vegetation differs little from that of other Pacific island groups, but is less species-rich. In the few areas undisturbed by man, ''

Pisonia grandis ''Pisonia grandis'', the grand devil's-claws, is a species of flowering tree in the ''Bougainvillea'' family, Nyctaginaceae. Description The tree has broad, thin leaves, smooth bark and bears clusters of green sweet-smelling flowers that matu ...

'' palm, heliotropes of the species '' Heliotropium arboreum'' (synonyms: ''Argusia argentea, Tournefortia argentea'') and ''

Pandanus tectorius ''Pandanus tectorius'' is a species of ''Pandanus'' (screwpine) that is native to Malesia, Papuasia, eastern Australia, and the Pacific Islands. It grows in the coastal lowlands typically near the edge of the ocean. Common names in English incl ...

'' predominate, with shrubby and creeping plants in the understory. At lower altitudes, outside of cultivated areas, there are thickets of ''

Hibiscus tiliaceus ''Hibiscus tiliaceus'', commonly known as the sea hibiscus or coast cottonwood, is a species of flowering tree in the mallow family, Malvaceae, with a pantropical distribution along coastlines. It has also been introduced to Florida and New Zea ...

''. Guava ('' Psidium guajava''), probably introduced by Europeans, has also spread widely and forms extensive tangled stands up to middle altitudes. However, large areas have been damaged by previous slash-and-burn and goat grazing, and open grasslands have formed with few low-growing trees. Dense stands of ferns have established in the narrow, moist crevices. The higher elevations in the lee of the mountains are arid in places.

Economy

The inhabitants of the Austral Islands live mainly from subsistence agriculture. The very fertile soils and the warm and humid climate make it possible to grow

vegetables Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems ...

, tubers (taro and yams) and tropical and subtropical fruits. The products are mainly consumed by the farmers themselves, and small surpluses are exported to Tahiti. In addition,

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

and livestock (chickens and pigs) are raised for local consumption. Some copra, coffee in small quantities (

and Rurutu) and vanilla (Rurutu) are grown for export. La mairie de Tubuai

Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...

has barely touched the islands so far, and the tourist infrastructure is still underdeveloped. The islands can be reached by regular supply boat from Tahiti and by light aircraft from Tahiti-Faa'a airport. There are airfields at Rurutu, Tubuai, Raivavae and Rimatara. The currency is (still) the

CFP franc The CFP franc (French: , called the ''franc'' in everyday use) is the currency used in the French overseas collectivities (, or COM) of French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna. The initials ''CFP'' originally stood for ('Frenc ...

, which is pegged to the

euro The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...

. The administrative budget of the Austral Islands is largely financed by France and the EU.

Politics and government

Politically, the Austral Islands today belong to French Polynesia (Pays d'outre-mer – POM) and are therefore affiliated with the EU. They are administered by a subdivision (''Subdivision administrative des Îles Australes'') of the High Commissariat of the Republic in French Polynesia (''Haut-commissariat de la République en Polynésie française'') in Papeete, on the island of Tahiti. The

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Arc ...

is politically divided into 5 municipalities (Communes des Îles Australes), which administer themselves. The official time zone is UTC −10.

Demographics

The 6,820 inhabitants (2012 census)Institut Statistique de Polynésie Française (ISPF): ''Recensement de la population 2012, Tableaux standards'', live mainly in small

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

s; there are no large cities in the Austral Islands. Unlike other regions of Polynesia, the population of the Austral Islands has declined since the mid-1990s. The reason is the high migration of young people from the isolated archipelago to other parts of

Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...

or to France for their better job prospects. Fort George propriété de Anna Tetauru

Religion

The majority of the population is Christian mostly belonging to various Protestant groups and the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. Catholics follow the

Latin rite Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church '' sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language once ...

and administer 4 churches under the Archdiocese of Papeete, 2 on Tubuai Island: the Church of Mary and the Church of Saint Joseph (Église de Maria no te Hau; Église de Saint-Joseph) one on Rurutu Island: the Church of Saint Francis Regis (Église de Saint-François-Régis), and one more on Raivavae Island: the Church of Saint Peter (Église de Saint-Pierre). According to 1991 data, Protestant Christian groups represent the majority on these islands.

Languages

The official language, as in the rest of France, is French. In everyday life, the

Austral language Austral (''Reo Tuha'a pae'') is an endangered Polynesian language or a dialect continuum that is spoken by approximately 8,000 people (1987). It is spoken only on the Austral Islands and the Society Islands of French Polynesia. The language is als ...

, which belongs to the

Polynesian languages The Polynesian languages form a genealogical group of languages, itself part of the Oceanic branch of the Austronesian family. There are 38 Polynesian languages, representing 7 percent of the 522 Oceanic languages, and 3 percent of the Austro ...

, is often spoken, but with a tendency to decline.

Culture

The traces of

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...

originating from the Austral Islands are quite numerous and the works of art produced there have often been judged as the most remarkable produced in

However, almost none of these works can be found on these islands but in renowned

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

s in Western countries. Indeed, passing ships received numerous offerings but also plundered some of the islands' sites, notably the missionaries of the London Missionary Society, anxious to eradicate all traces of ancient worship. The marae, Polynesian places of worship, were thus excavated and gradually disappeared. In

, for example, out of sixty-two marae present at the beginning of the 20th century, only twenty-three remain visible today. The best known work of art stolen from the Austral Islands is certainly the sculpture of the God A'a, discovered in Rurutu and currently exhibited at the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

in London. There is a reproduction on the island. It is composed of thirty small figures sculpted on its body; its back had a cavity that could accommodate twenty-four other small sculptures which were however destroyed in 1822. The Austral Islands are also known for their large vertical drums or "pahu" often decorated with

human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, cultu ...

figures that often welcomed Christian explorers or missionaries. Numerous other figures carved in wood or even in stone for the marae, carved wooden fly swatters generally with anthropomorphic figures, sometimes even with ivory handles, large decorated spoons as well as highly decorated bowls have been found in the

. Overall, these works are finely decorated with great complexity and often with anthropomorphic figures. Other objects used to dress the people or personalities of the

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

s have been discovered, such as elaborate hairstyles as well as large crowns and necklaces of hair or feathers with shell or ivory pendants.

References

External links

Official site

Archives, municipalities with maps
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