Takume or Pukamaru is an

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 ...

of the Tuamotus chain 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 ...

, located 790 km 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 ...

and 6 km northeast of Raroia and to the west of Fangatau. This elongated atoll measures . Its

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 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 Tuamotuan, Paumotu or Paumotu (Tuamotuan: ' or ') is a Polynesian language spoken by 4,000 people in the Tuamotus, Tuamotu archipelago, with an additional 2,000 speakers in Tahiti. The Pa‘umotu people today refer to their islands as Tuamotu wh ...

people. The first recorded European who arrived to Amanu Atoll was Spanish navigator

Pedro Fernández de Quirós Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for '' Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter. The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meani ...

on 15 February 1606, while sailing across the Pacific Ocean in search of

Terra Australis (Latin for ) was a hypothetical continent first posited in antiquity and which appeared on maps between the 15th and 18th centuries. Its existence was not based on any survey or direct observation, but rather on the idea that continental l ...

. 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

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

oceanic explorer

Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen Faddey Faddeyevich Bellingshausen or Fabian Gottlieb Benjamin von Bellingshausen ( – ) was a Russian cartographer, explorer, and naval officer of Baltic German descent, who attained the rank of admiral. He participated in the first Russi ...

in 1820 on ships ''

Vostok Vostok () refers to east in Russian but may also refer to: Spaceflight * Vostok programme, Soviet human spaceflight project * Vostok (spacecraft), a type of spacecraft built by the Soviet Union * Vostok (rocket family), family of rockets derived ...

'' and '' Mirni''. He named this atoll Atoll Wolkonsky after Pyotr Volkonsky.''Les Atolls des Tuamotu''
par Jacques Bonvallot, Institut de recherche pour le développement, éditions de l'IRD, 1994, , pp.275-282. Takume Airport was inaugurated in 1996.

Administration

Administratively Takume is a part of the commune of

Makemo Makemo, Rangi-kemo or Te Paritua, is an inhabited 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 mer ...

. The commune of Makemo consists of the atolls of Makemo, Haraiki,

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 maxim ...

, Katiu,

Tuanake Tuanake or Mata-rua-puna is a small atoll located in the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically disp ...

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 ...

, Tepoto Sud, Raroia, Takume,

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&nbs ...

and Nihiru.

References

*
Takume AirportIsland names

External links

Atolls of the Tuamotus {{FrenchPolynesia-geo-stub