Papeete (
Tahitian: ''Papeete'', pronounced ) is the
capital city
A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses t ...
of
French Polynesia, an
overseas collectivity of the
French Republic
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in the
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 conti ...
. The
commune of Papeete is located on the island of
Tahiti, in the
administrative subdivision of the
Windward Islands
french: Îles du Vent
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, of which Papeete is the administrative capital.
[Décret n° 2005-1611 du 20 décembre 2005 pris pour l'application du statut d'autonomie de la Polynésie française]
, Légifrance Légifrance is the official website of the French government for the publication of legislation, regulations, and legal information. Access to the site is free.
Virtually complete, it presents or refers to all concerned institutions or administrat ...
The
French High Commissioner also resides in Papeete.
[Kay, p. 106]
It is the primary center of Tahitian and French Polynesian public and private governmental, commercial, industrial and financial services, the hub of French Polynesian tourism and a commonly used
port of call.
The Windward Islands are themselves part of the
Society Islands
The Society Islands (french: Îles de la Société, officially ''Archipel de la Société;'' ty, Tōtaiete mā) are an archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean. Politically, they are part of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the F ...
. The name Papeete, sometimes also spelled ''Papeete'' in languages other than
Tahitian,
[The use of the okina, which looks similar to an apostrophe, to represent the ]glottal stop
The glottal plosive or stop is a type of consonantal sound used in many spoken languages, produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract or, more precisely, the glottis. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents thi ...
, is promoted by the ''Académie Tahitienne'' and accepted by the territorial government (see http://www.farevanaa.pf/theme_detail.php?id=5). The okina, however, is often omitted. means "water from a basket".
[Kay, p. 102.] The
urban area
An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...
of Papeete had a total population of 136,771 inhabitants at the August 2017 census, 26,926 of whom lived in the
commune of Papeete proper.
Geography
The commune of Papeete is subdivided into eleven ''quartiers'' (wards):
Climate
Papeete features a
tropical monsoon climate
An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ...
(''Am'' 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, nota ...
) with a wet season and dry season, bordering a tropical rainforest climate, with high temperatures and humidity year round. However, precipitation is observed even during the city's dry season. The dry season is short, covering only the months of August and September. The rest of the year is wet, with the heaviest precipitation falling in the months of December and January. Sunshine is moderately high, as most precipitation comes as thunderstorms and cyclones, and doesn't last for long.
History of Papeete
In 1902, it became necessary to move the post office of Papeete to another location. Instead of demolishing it and rebuilding it at the new site, it was lifted from the subsoil and moved as a whole on a
Decauville railway.
Previously, during the construction of the Faaiere water tower with a capacity of 150,000 litres for the drinking water supply of the city of Papeete, a difference in altitude of was overcome with a light railway laid on a long inclined plane. A winch driven by a 12-horsepower
Fowler or
Decauville locomobile carried three narrow gauge railway trucks at a time, consuming up to of coal per day for about sixty journeys.
Paul Decauville
Paul Decauville (1846–1922) was a French engineer and businessman. He was also mayor of Evry-Petit Bourg and senator from Seine-et-Oise.
He is the founder of a manufacturing company that bears his name ( Decauville, established in 1875), pro ...
mentioned in a letter to Governor
Theodore Lacascade
Theodore may refer to:
Places
* Theodore, Alabama, United States
* Theodore, Australian Capital Territory
* Theodore, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Banana, Australia
* Theodore, Saskatchewan, Canada
* Theodore Reservoir, a lake in Saskatche ...
, dated 18 June 1891, an order for " of portable rail tracks and about 12,000 francs of rolling stock, payable in three years," presumably for a tramway from Papeete to
Punaauia
Punaauia is a commune in the suburbs of Papeete in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Punaauia is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of ...
operated by hand or animals.
At the outbreak of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
Papeete was
shelled by German vessels, causing loss of life and significant damage.
The growth of the city was boosted by the decision to move the French nuclear weapon test range from
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
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, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
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, relig ...
, which had become independent, to the atolls of
Moruroa
Moruroa (Mururoa, Mururura), also historically known as Aopuni, is an atoll which forms part of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is located about southeast of Tahiti. Administratively Moruroa Atoll i ...
and
Fangataufa
Fangataufa (or Fangatafoa) is an uninhabited coral atoll in the eastern part of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. The atoll has been fully-owned by the French state since 1964. From 1966 to 1996 it was used as a nuclear test site by t ...
, some to the east of Tahiti. This was motivated, in particular, by the construction of the
Faaā International Airport, the only international airport in French Polynesia, near Papeete. In 1983,
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
built the
Papeete Tahiti Temple here because of its large number of members in the region. On 5 September 1995 the government of
Jacques Chirac conducted the first of a series of nuclear test detonations off the shores of Moruroa. A resulting riot in Papeete lasted for two days and damaged the international airport, injured 40 people, and scared away tourism for some time.
Similar rioting had occurred after another French nuclear test in the same area in 1987.
Transportation
The streets of the town center are very busy, and traffic can be a problem since they are very narrow. The Tahiti freeway starts close to the town center as Pōmare Boulevard, named after the
Tahitian Royal Family of the 19th century. By air, passengers depart from the
Faaā International Airport. Domestic interisland service is operated by
Air Tahiti with international flights being operated by
Air Tahiti Nui,
Air France
Air France (; formally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global a ...
,
LATAM Chile,
United and other airlines. By sea, passengers can use a marine ferry service for travel to
Moorea
Moorea ( or ; Tahitian: ), also spelled Moorea, is a volcanic island in French Polynesia. It is one of the Windward Islands, a group that is part of the Society Islands, northwest of Tahiti. The name comes from the Tahitian word , meaning ...
or a Bora Bora cruise line service for travel to
Bora Bora.
Demographics
The urban area of Papeete had a total population of 136,771 inhabitants at the August 2017 census, 26,926 of whom lived in the
commune of Papeete proper.
The urban area of Papeete is made up of seven communes. They are listed from northeast to southwest:
*
Mahina
*
Arue
*
Pirae
* Papeete (historically the most populous commune in the urban area, and still the administrative capital)
*
Faaā (which became in 1988 the most populous commune in the urban area)
*
Punaauia
Punaauia is a commune in the suburbs of Papeete in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Punaauia is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of ...
*
Paea
Pā'ea is a commune in the suburbs of Pape'ete in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. Pā'ea is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves ...
Historical population
Average population growth of the Papeete urban area:
* 1956–1962: +1,107 people per year (+3.5% per year)
* 1962–1971: +3,597 people per year (+7.6% per year)
* 1971–1977: +2,025 people per year (+2.9% per year)
* 1977–1983: +2,400 people per year (+2.9% per year)
* 1983–1988: +2,158 people per year (+2.2% per year)
* 1988–1996: +1,489 people per year (+1.4% per year)
* 1996–2002: +1,873 people per year (+1.6% per year)
* 2002–2007: +913 people per year (+0.7% per year)
* 2007–2012: +386 people per year (+0.3% per year)
* 2012–2017: +631 people per year (+0.5% per year)
Migrations
The places of birth of the 136,771 residents in the Papeete urban area at the 2017 census were the following (2007 census in parenthesis):
* 72.5% were born in
Tahiti (up from 68.4% at the 2007 census)
* 11.3% in
Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France (french: France métropolitaine or ''la Métropole''), also known as European France (french: Territoire européen de la France) is the area of France which is geographically in Europe. This collective name for the European ...
(down from 12.8% at the 2007 census)
* 6.2% in the
Society Islands
The Society Islands (french: Îles de la Société, officially ''Archipel de la Société;'' ty, Tōtaiete mā) are an archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean. Politically, they are part of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the F ...
(other than Tahiti) (down from 6.8% at the 2007 census)
* 2.9% in the
Tuamotu-Gambier (down from 3.6% at the 2007 census)
* 1.9% in the
Marquesas Islands
The Marquesas Islands (; french: Îles Marquises or ' or '; Marquesan: ' (North Marquesan) and ' ( South Marquesan), both meaning "the land of men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in ...
(down from 2.1% at the 2007 census)
* 1.6% in the
Austral Islands
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, t ...
(down from 2.0% at the 2007 census)
* 1.3% in the
overseas departments and territories of France
Overseas France (french: France d'outre-mer) consists of 13 French-administered territories outside Europe, mostly the remains of the French colonial empire that chose to remain a part of the French state under various statuses after decolon ...
other than French Polynesia (0.9% in
New Caledonia
)
, anthem = ""
, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of New Caledonia
, map_caption = Location of New Caledonia
, mapsize = 290px
, subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
and
Wallis and Futuna; 0.4% in the other overseas departments and collectivities) (down from 1.6% at the 2007 census)
* 0.6% in
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
and
East Asia
East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea ...
(down from 0.7% at the 2007 census)
* 0.4% in
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
(most of them
Pieds-Noirs) (down from 0.5% at the 2007 census)
* 1.3% in other foreign countries (down from 1.5% at the 2007 census)
Languages
At the 2017 census, 98.4% of the population in the urban area of Papeete whose age was 15 years and older reported that they could speak
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
(up from 98.2% at the 2007 census). 96.7% reported that they could also read and write it (up from 96.5% at the 2007 census). Only 0.7% of the population whose age was 15 years and older had no knowledge of French (down from 1.2% at the 2007 census).
At the same census, 83.9% of the population in the urban area of Papeete whose age was 15 years and older reported that the language they spoke the most at home was French (up from 79.7% at the 2007 census). 13.5% reported that
Tahitian was the language they spoke the most at home (down from 16.5% at the 2007 census). 1.2% reported another
Polynesian language (down from 1.7% at the 2007 census), 0.9% reported a
Chinese dialect (down from 1.6% at the 2007 census), half of whom speak
Hakka
The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhej ...
, and 0.5% reported another language (same as in 2007).
19.8% of the population in the urban area of Papeete whose age was 15 years and older reported that they had no knowledge of any Polynesian language at the 2017 census (up from 19.5% at the 2007 census), whereas 80.2% reported that they had some form of knowledge of at least one Polynesian language (down from 80.5% at the 2007 census).
Travel and tourism
Traveling tourists arrive and depart Papeete via
cruise ship
Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on tours known as ...
at Papeete Harbor or domestic airline at Faaā International Airport, which was completed and opened in 1962.
Main sights
* The waterfront esplanade.
* Bougainville Park (once named Albert Park, in honour of a former Belgian king and World War One hero), is now named for
Louis Antoine de Bougainville, the first French explorer to circumnavigate the globe.
*
Cathedral of Notre Dame of Papeete.
* The Territorial Assembly is the heart of the Polynesian government and contains the Territorial Assembly building, the High Commissioner's residence and also a once popular clubhouse of Paul Gauguin. It was also once the site of the royal residence and palace of Queen
Pōmare IV of Tahiti, who ruled from 1827 to 1877.
* Presidential palace.
* The
Papeete Tahiti Temple of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
.
* The Monument to
Pouvanaa a Oopa
Pouvana'a a O'opa (May 10, 1895 – January 10, 1977) was a Tahitian politician and advocate for French Polynesian independence. He is viewed as the ''metua'' (father) of French Polynesia's independence movement.
Pouvanaa served as a Deputy i ...
(a decorated
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
hero, Tahitian
nationalist
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...
, and deputy to Paris for the Tahitian Territorial Assembly).
* The Mairie (town hall).
*
Papeete Market
Marché Papeete ("municipal market") or Papeete Market is an extensive market place in Papeete, the capital of Tahiti.
The market sells fruit, vegetables, fish, oils, handicrafts (including hats and handbags) and various souvenir
A souvenir ...
.
In popular culture
* The film ''
El pasajero clandestino'' deals with several persons trying to take control of the inheritance of a recently deceased English film magnate, who travel to Papeete to look for the heir.
* Papeete is mentioned in the songs "
Southern Cross
Crux () is a constellation of the southern sky that is centred on four bright stars in a cross-shaped asterism commonly known as the Southern Cross. It lies on the southern end of the Milky Way's visible band. The name ''Crux'' is Latin for ...
" by
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) were a folk rock supergroup made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young as a fourth memb ...
and "
Somewhere Over China" by
Jimmy Buffett.
* Papeete is mentioned in
Bruce Brown's surf film ''
The Endless Summer'' as one of the surf sites visited by the two longboarders chasing the summer season around the world. The beach at Papeete is dubbed "Ins and outs" because the steep shore causes waves to break in both directions—toward the beach and out to sea.
* The first chapter of
Robert A. Heinlein's 1984 novel ''
Job: A Comedy of Justice'' is set in Pape'ete.
* Papeete is where
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as '' Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...
's "The Ebb Tide" begins.
* Papeete is a setting in ''
Mutiny on the Bounty''
*
''Papeete'', a
schooner
A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoo ...
built by
Matthew Turner, who had extensive business interests in Tahiti, was known for a fast passage from San Francisco to Tahiti of 17 days.
[
]
Economy
Air Tahiti Nui has its head office in the ''Immeuble Dexter'' in Papeete.
["." Air Tahiti Nui. Retrieved on 7 November 2012. "Tahiti – Siège social Immeuble Dexter – Pont de L'Est – Papeete BP 1673 – 98713 Papeete – Tahiti."]
Education
The ''
Lycée Paul-Gauguin
The Lycée Paul-Gauguin (LPG) is a secondary school in Papeete, Tahiti.
The school originated from the École Centrale, which became the collège Paul Gauguin on 10 August 1953. At the time it had 478 students. It became the lycée Paul Gaugui ...
'' is located in the city.
Notable people
*
Chantal Galenon, politician and women's rights activist
*
Unutea Hirshon, politician and activist
Gallery
File:Présidence.Papeete.JPG, Présidence
File:Cathédrale.Papeete.JPG, Notre Dame Cathedral
File:Ppt-temple-paofai.jpg, Paofai Temple
See also
*
Windward Islands (Society Islands)
The Windward Islands (french: Îles du Vent) are the eastern group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. These islands were also previously named the Georgian Islands in ...
Notes
Explanatory footnotes
Citations
General and cited references
* Kay, Robert F. (2001). ''Hidden Tahiti''. Berkeley, California: Ulysses Press. .
External links
Papeete Official WebsitePapeete City Tour, over 30 tourist attractions to discoverPapeete City Tour for mobile
{{Authority control
1818 establishments in Tahiti
Capitals in Oceania
Communes of French Polynesia
Populated places established in 1818
Port cities in Oceania
Towns and villages in Tahiti