Paraoa, Tohora, or Hariri is a small atoll of the central

Tuamotu Archipelago The Tuamotu Archipelago or the Tuamotu Islands (, 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 ...

French Polynesia French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The t ...

. It is located 76 km south of

Hao Hao or HAO may refer to: People * Hao (surname) (Chinese: ) * Hao (given name) * Hao (video gamer), Chinese professional ''Dota 2'' player * Heather O'Reilly, Professional soccer player Places * Hao (city), or Haojing (), capital of the Wes ...

Atoll's westernmost point. The closest land is

Manuhangi Manuhangi (also known as Te Fara) is an atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 68 km southeast of Nengonengo, 52 km west of Paraoa and 845 km east of Tahiti. ''Oceandots.com'' Manuhangi Atoll is small ...

Atoll, 52 km to the west. Paraoa Atoll is ovular in shape. It measures in length with a maximum width of . Its lagoon is not connected to the ocean by a pass, which makes this small atoll quite inaccessible. Paraoa Atoll is uninhabited.

History

The first recorded European who arrived to Paraoa was Englishman

Samuel Wallis Post-captain, Captain Samuel Wallis (23 April 1728 – 21 January 1795) was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who made the first recorded visit by a European navigator to Tahiti. Biography Wallis was born at Fenteroon Farm, near Camelfo ...

in 1767. He named it "Gloucester".

Administration

Paraoa belongs to the commune of Hao (Main village: Otepa), which includes also

Ahunui Ahunui or Nga-taumanga is a small atoll of the eastern Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 55 km SSE of Paraoa Atoll and 120 km WSW of Vairaatea. Ahunui Atoll is roughly circular in shape and measures 6.5 km ...

(uninhabited),

Nengonengo Nengonengo is a small atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 53 km southeast of Ravahere, its closest neighbor, and 100 km southwest of Hao Atoll. Nengonengo Atoll is roughly bell-shaped. It measures 13&nb ...

, and

(uninhabited).

References

External links

Presidency of French Polynesia site
Atolls of the Tuamotus {{FrenchPolynesia-geo-stub