Rangiroa ( Tuamotuan for 'vast sky') or Te Kokōta (

Cook Islands Māori Cook Islands Māori is an Eastern Polynesian language that is the official language of the Cook Islands. Cook Islands Māori is closely related to, but distinct from, New Zealand Māori. Cook Islands Māori is called just Māori when there i ...

for 'the Hyades star cluster') is the largest atoll in the

Tuamotus 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 ...

and one of the largest in the world (smaller than Kwajalein in the

Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 c ...

and Huvadhu in the

Maldives The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...

). It is in

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 ...

and is part of the Palliser group. The nearest atoll is

Tikehau Tikehau (meaning ''Peaceful Landing'' in TuamotuanOfficial Tikehau Tourism Site< ...

, to the west. It is about northeast of

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian language, Tahitian , ; ) is the largest island of the Windward Islands (Society Islands), Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located in the central part of t ...

. Rangiroa is home to about 2,500 people on almost . The chief town is

Avatoru Avatoru is the chief town of Rangiroa, a coral atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago. It is located in the northwestern part of the atoll, and is home to the atoll's administration buildings, its post office and several churches. Rangiroa Airport is ...

, in the atoll's northwest.

Geography and environment

The

atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical parts of the oceans and seas where corals can develop. Most ...

consists of about 415 motus, islets and sandbars comprising a total land area of about . There are approximately one hundred narrow passages (

straits A strait is a water body connecting two seas or water basins. The surface water is, for the most part, at the same elevation on both sides and flows through the strait in both directions, even though the topography generally constricts the ...

or passes), called ''hoa'', in the

fringing reef A fringing reef is one of the three main types of coral reef. It is distinguished from the other main types, barrier reefs and atolls, in that it has either an entirely shallow backreef zone (lagoon) or none at all. If a fringing reef grows direc ...

. The atoll has a flattened elliptic shape, with in length and a width ranging from . The width of land reaches wide and its

circumference In geometry, the circumference () is the perimeter of a circle or ellipse. The circumference is the arc length of the circle, as if it were opened up and straightened out to a line segment. More generally, the perimeter is the curve length arou ...

totals up to . 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'') an ...

has a maximum depth of and its surface is . It is so large that it has its own horizon.Rangiroa
Publisher: Centre d'Océanologie de Marseille. Accessed 14 February 2010 Due to its shallow depth, the currents that come in and out through the passes, together with the winds, can sometimes create interior storms. Because of their large size, and the existence of only two passes, each

high tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ...

creates a strong incoming current, while each low tide creates a strong outgoing current within the two passes. While flowing inward through

Tiputa Pass Tiputa Pass is a strait in the northwest portion of Rangiroa lagoon in the Tuamotu Islands of French Polynesia, joining the lagoon to the open ocean. There are only two such passes in Rangiroa, the second one being Avatoru Pass. Tiputa Pass separa ...

, nearly 200 individual sharks will gather at the entrance to the pass, at a depth of . Led by the strong current, sharks can remain motionless. Divers are able to observe them without difficulty. Large

manta ray Manta rays are large Batoidea, rays belonging to the genus ''Mobula'' (formerly its own genus ''Manta''). The larger species, ''Giant oceanic manta ray, M. birostris'', reaches in width, while the smaller, ''Reef manta ray, M. alfredi'', reac ...

green sea turtle The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exte ...

, and humphead wrasse are also seen. During summer (December-March),

tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is a large Felidae, cat and a member of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Asia. It has a powerful, muscular body with a large head and paws, a long tail and orange fur with black, mostly vertical stripes. It is ...

and

hammerhead shark The hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks that form the family Sphyrnidae, named for the unusual and distinctive form of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a Hammerhead shark#Cephalofoil, cephalofoil (a T-shape or " ...

are present. In January, large numbers of

stingray Stingrays are a group of sea Batoidea, rays, a type of cartilaginous fish. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae (deepwate ...

gather in the Tiputa Pass, as do the hammerheads that feed on them.

Water and ecological problems

Like many atolls, Rangiroa has no permanent fresh

waterbodies A body of water or waterbody is any significant accumulation of water on the surface of Earth or another planet. The term most often refers to oceans, seas, and lakes, but it includes smaller pools of water such as ponds, wetlands, or more ra ...

, and therefore no central

water distribution system A water distribution system is a part of water supply network with components that carry potable water from a Water treatment, centralized treatment plant or wells to consumers to satisfy residential, commercial, industrial and fire fighting requi ...

. Each household must collect and store rainwater in

cistern A cistern (; , ; ) is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. To prevent leakage, the interior of the cistern is often lined with hydraulic plaster. Cisterns are disti ...

s. As a result of excessive pumping, the freshwater lenses that form on the

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in group ...

s are now mostly

brackish water Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuary ...

, leading to

saltwater intrusion Saltwater intrusion is the movement of saline water into freshwater aquifers, which can lead to groundwater quality degradation, including drinking water sources, and other consequences. Saltwater intrusion can naturally occur in coastal aquifers, ...

.The Ghyben-Herzberg Model
Accessed February 16, 2010 Some are additionally polluted by

landfill A landfill is a site for the disposal of waste materials. It is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of waste with daily, intermediate and final covers only began in the 1940s. In the past, waste was ...

. As atolls form on the surface of the ocean,

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include non-salty mi ...

supplies are contaminated by the burial of waste, often accumulated in unregulated dumps or buried only a few meters deep. Such problems of water supply and

waste management Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste, together with monitor ...

are common on atolls with the adoption of contemporary living conditions, and are therefore structural, as in the case of Rangiroa. In addition to this inherent problem, the progress of

global warming Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes ...

and the consequent rise in sea levels threaten the island. In common with other atolls, Rangiroa's

ecology Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their Natural environment, environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community (ecology), community, ecosystem, and biosphere lev ...

and its viability as a permanent habitation for

humans Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...

are based on a highly vulnerable ecosystem that is delicately balanced, so requiring careful resource management.

History

It is believed the first settlers arrived on Rangiroa around the 10th century AD. The first recorded Europeans to arrive on Rangiroa were Dutch explorers

Jacob le Maire Jacob Le Maire (c. 1585 – 22 December 1616) was a Dutch mariner who circumnavigated the Earth in 1615 and 1616. The strait between Tierra del Fuego and Isla de los Estados was named the Le Maire Strait in his honour, though not without contro ...

and

Willem Schouten Willem Cornelisz Schouten (1625) was a Dutch navigator for the Dutch East India Company. He was the first to sail the Cape Horn route to the Pacific Ocean. Biography Willem Cornelisz Schouten was born around 1567 in Hoorn, Holland, Seve ...

during their 1615-1616 Pacific journey. They called this atoll, , or 'Island of Flies', because their landing party returned to the ship covered in black flies. Rangiroa appears in some maps as ''Nairsa'' or as ''Dean's island''. John Byron, passing the atoll during his circumnavigation in 1765, named it for the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

. This atoll was visited by the

Charles Wilkes Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and List of explorers, explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842). During the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865 ...

expedition on 7 September 1839. During the 1950s, the economy of Rangiroa was driven by fishing and the production of

copra Copra (from ; ; ; ) is the dried, white flesh of the coconut from which coconut oil is extracted. Traditionally, the coconuts are sun-dried, especially for export, before the oil, also known as copra oil, is pressed out. The oil extracted ...

. The inauguration of the Rangiroa Airport in 1965 allowed rapid development of the tourism industry as underwater diving facilities and hotels were built. Rangiroa Church

Administration

The atoll of Rangiroa is the

chef-lieu An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...

of the commune of

Rangiroa Rangiroa ( Tuamotuan for 'vast sky') or Te Kokōta (Cook Islands Māori Cook Islands Māori is an Eastern Polynesian language that is the official language of the Cook Islands. Cook Islands Māori is closely related to, but distinct from ...

, which consists of two other atolls (

Tikehau Tikehau (meaning ''Peaceful Landing'' in TuamotuanOfficial Tikehau Tourism Site< ...

and

Mataiva Mataiva (meaning "Nine Eyes" in Tuamotuan language, Tuamotuan), Tepoetiriura ("Sparkling Pearl")

) and a separate non-atoll island (

Makatea Makatea, or Mangaia-te-vai-tamae, is a raised coral atoll in the northwestern part of the Tuamotus, which is a part of the French overseas collectivity of French Polynesia. It is located southwest from Rangiroa to the west of the Palliser Islan ...

Demography

Only two islands, at the northern end of the atoll, are permanently inhabited. , the total population on the atoll of Rangiroa was 2,473 inhabitants. The main villages are

(pop. 817),

Tiputa Tiputa is a village on the French Polynesian atoll of Rangiroa, in the Tuamotu archipelago. Geography It is located on the Northern edge of the atoll, approximately 7 km East-southeast of the village of Avatoru. The two villages are sepa ...

(pop. 971), Ohutu (pop. 546), Taeo'o, Fenuaroa, Otepipi and Tevaro. Both Avatoru and Tiputa were built on neighboring islands, in length respectively. They are separated by the major

. The other major pass of the atoll is

Avatoru Pass Avatoru Pass is located on the northwestern portion of the Rangiroa lagoon in the Tuamotu Islands of French Polynesia. It is located immediately to the West of the village of Avatoru. There are only two major passes on Rangiroa, the other being ...

, immediately to the west of the island of Avatoru.

Religion

As in the rest of the Tuamotu Islands, the majority of the inhabitants are

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

, as a consequence of missionary activity by both Catholic and

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

groups. The

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

administers 3 religious buildings on the atoll: the Church of St. Michael in Avatoru (''Église de Saint-Michel''), the Chapel of St. Anne in Otepipi (''Chapelle de Sainte-Anne''), and the Church of Our Lady of Peace in Tiputa (''Église de Notre-Dame-de-Paix''), all under the Archdiocese of Papeete based on the Island of

Economy

Pearls

The breeding of pearl oysters in the lagoon can produce black pearls. Black pearls (meaning the marine cultured pearls produced from the black lip

pearl oyster ''Pinctada'' is a genus of saltwater oysters, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Pteriidae. These pearl oysters have a strong inner shell layer composed of nacre, also known as "mother of pearl". Pearl oysters are not closely related to ...

shell, ''Pinctada margaritifera'') are abundant in the atolls of French Polynesia. These pearls, which have a wide range of natural colours, from white to dark and all shades of grey, are the only cultured pearls in the world with so many different natural colours as the famous green rose peacock. The technique to produce marine cultured pearls was developed in Japan and, except some minor details, is similar in French Polynesia. A mother of pearl bead is inserted in the animal together with a piece of tissue (mantle) taken from another pearl oyster. The piece of tissue, as a graft tissue, will develop quickly and will form a skin around the bead and then will deposit mother of pearl on the surface of the bead. Bead rejection is important and concern about 30 percent of the seeded shells, mainly because the graft tissue is not close enough to the bead. Even with perfectly round beads, only 20 percent of the pearls will be perfectly round at the harvest, about two years after the seeding. Pearl farming is done in more than 30 atolls of French Polynesia and is the main activity for numerous families in the

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 ...

. In Rangiroa, a few farms exploited about of water surface in the lagoon loaned by the Tahitian government. The biggest farm, Gauguin's PearlGauguin's Pearl
/ref> employed more than 50 local workers, with a strong impact on the economy of this 2,000 person atoll. A school dedicated to the pearl farming techniques and a research centre on pearl oysters are also implanted on the atoll of Rangiroa, which make it a kind of pearl centre for this industry.

Fishing

Essentially a part of food production, however, it is also exported to the island of Tahiti.

Viticulture

The atoll of Rangiroa is also known for its vineyards, which are unique in the world. The vines grow on the edge of a lagoon beside coconuts, and produce two harvests per year. The winery is in the heart of the village of Avatoru. The grapes are brought to the winery by boat. The creation of this vineyard came after much prior analysis, to find the best site capable of hosting the vines. The first vines were imported in 1992 and underwent tests for acclimatization and selection in the main islands of Polynesia, with the uncertainty of their adaptation to climate. Thirty varieties were imported from various parts of Europe. The vineyard is Domaine Dominique Auroy. The tests took place in: * The

Austral Islands The Austral Islands ( officially ''Archipel des Australes;'' ) are the southernmost group of islands in French Polynesia, an overseas country of France, overseas country of the France, French Republic in the Oceania, South Pacific. Geographicall ...

on the high Rurutu and

Tubuai 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 Islands ...

, *

Nuku Hiva Nuku Hiva (sometimes spelled Nukahiva or Nukuhiva) is the largest of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas country of France in the Pacific Ocean. It was formerly also known as ''Île Marchand'' and ''Madison Island''. Herman M ...

(

Marquesas The Marquesas Islands ( ; 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 the southern Pacific ...

archipelago), * Rangiroa (Tuamotu archipelago), * The plains and mountains of

. The atoll of Rangiroa was selected for the following reasons: absence of grapevine pest such as defoliating insects (e.g., Grape Phylloxera) and its proximity to Tahiti. The

varietal A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...

s grown on the atoll include

Carignan Carignan (; also known as Mazuelo, Bovale Grande, Cariñena, Carinyena, Samsó, Carignane, and Carignano) is a red grape variety of Spanish origin that is more commonly found in French wine but is widely planted throughout the western Medite ...

Italia Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and Black Muscat.

Tourism

Tourism is a major economic activity of the island: daily connections with Tahiti, an exceptional lagoon and passes which are good sites for scuba diving attract a steady number of tourists. These are accommodated in hotels and family-run guesthouses, a small number of which exist on the island.

Scuba diving

Rangiroa is a major

underwater diving Underwater diving, as a human activity, is the practice of descending below the water's surface to interact with the environment. It is also often referred to as diving (disambiguation), diving, an ambiguous term with several possible meani ...

destination because of the lagoon's clear waters and diverse marine

fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...

. There are several highly-regarded and popular diving sites, particularly in and around the

, which runs to the Avatoru Pass. Sedentary common bottlenose dolphins (''Tursiops truncatus'') are regularly seen at group play in the pass. Many forms of marine life are present in the atoll's waters, providing opportunities for observation to divers and snorkellers. Rangiroa-W

Popular diving sites are the Blue Lagoon, Avatoru Pass, Tiputa Pass, and ('the pink sands'). A notable site in the atoll is the Blue Lagoon, which is a smaller lagoon formed on the southwestern edge of Rangiroa. Its shallow waters accentuate the bright blue color of the water. are sandbars of pink sand located on the southeastern portion of Rangiroa.

Transportation

Air transportation is available from and to Rangiroa Airport, located on the Avatoru Island. There are flights to Tahiti and other atolls of the French Polynesia. A small road made of tarmac and coral chips circles the island of Avatoru.

Notes

References

External links

*
Island names

Official website of the Tourism Committee of Rangiroa

le Maire & Schouten

{{Authority control Atolls of the Tuamotus