Ua Pou (, North Marquesan: ''’uapou'') is the third-largest of the Marquesas Islands, 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 ...

, an overseas territory of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

History

Pre-European history

Ua Pou is the only major island that was unified under a single

monarch A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...

prior to the arrival of

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an explorers. Prior to the island's unification, reportedly about 1585, there is evidence that the tribes of Ua Pou were sometimes united in war with the tribes of Te I'i on Nuku Hiva against those of Tai Pi Vai. Despite the fact that tribes from both the eastern and western halves of Ua Pou were often united in war against each other, however, it appears that such differences among them were not considered when members of tribes from either side of the island sought refuge among the tribes of Te I'i on Nuku Hiva. The early Polynesian settlers of Ua Pou lived under rock overhangs, as excavations from 1982 onwards at the Anapua rock shelter, not far from the village of Hakatao in the south of the island, have shown. Their main diet was fish. In the following centuries, independent tribal principalities arose in the

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

incisions, still recognizable today by the location of the

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

s. At first, only coastal regions with access to the important food source, the sea, were settled; with increasing

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

, settlements grew in the valleys. Little research has been done on the tribal society of Ua Pous; the German ethnologist Karl von den Steinen did pioneering work there in 1897/98. Important tribal principalities were located in the Hakamoui and Paumea valleys, whose architectural legacies are still visible today. The islanders built their houses and ritual structures on stone platforms (paepae) up to 3 m high. The actual

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

s were made of perishable materials and had a steep gabled roof made of palm fronds, the back panel of which reached the ground. The façade was open and the roof was supported by profusely decorated and beautifully carved poles.

Exploration and Colonization

In 1791, American Joseph Ingraham passed through the northwest group of the Marquesas on his way to China, but without setting foot there. He gave the island of Ua Pou, visible in the distance, the name "Adam" or "Adams Island" after

Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...

. It was also formerly known as Trevenen Island. The name Ua Pou means "two pillars" and perfectly reflects its orography. It has also been written as Ua Pu, Hua Pu and Ropo. It is considered that the real European explorer was the French circumnavigator Étienne Marchand (1755-1793), who arrived shortly after, on June 20, 1791, anchored with his ship Solide first in Vaiehu Bay, on the west

coast A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

, and then off Hakahau. He remained off the

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

for a total of three days, but contacts with the inhabitants during the brief excursions ashore were limited. Marchand named the island "''Île Marchand''," after his own surname. The arrival of the

U.S The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. whaling ship Tuscan from Nantucket on March 4, 1835, was a prelude to other encounters with whalers, adventurers, and shady traders in the following years, who brought firearms and alcohol to the tribes. The year of Ua Pou's final submission to French rule is considered to be 1880, when Rear Admiral Abel Bergasse Dupetit-Thouars (adopted son of Abel Aubert Du Petit-Thouars), forcibly removed the last resistance. The Marquesas then became a French colony.

Geography

It is located about 50 km (30 mi.) south of Nuku Hiva, in the northern Marquesas. The center of the island is characterized by four high

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

pillars that reach high above the surrounding mountains. The highest of these pillars, Mount Oave (Mont Oave), reaches to

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

and is the highest elevation in the Marquesas. The island covers an area of , and is located just northwest of the small island of Motu Oa. The largest settlement is Hakahau, on Hakahau Bay, on the northeast coast.

Demographics

With 2,200 inhabitants in the 2002 census, and 2,168 at the 2022 census, it is the most densely populated island of the archipelago. The main village is Hakahau located in the northwest of the island with the main port and close to the

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

. The population is known for the innate artistic qualities of artisans, sculptors and tattoo artists, as well as traditional singers and dancers. The Matava'a festival is held periodically and is an important center of Marquesan culture.

Geology

Geologically, Ua Pou is part of the Marquesas linear volcanic chain, which formed from a hot spot on the Pacific Plate and is moving WNW at a rate of 103–118 mm per year. The island's igneous rocks are between 2.54 and 4.86 million years old.

Climate

Ua Pou is located in the Earth's tropical belt. The

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteoro ...

varies from hot and humid in the coastal areas to cool and humid in the mountainous regions, with frequent and abundant rainfall.

Flora

The

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

of Ua Pou is relatively poor in species compared to the other large islands of the Marquesas (Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa). Only 90 native

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

- 2 of them endemic - and 71 exotic species have been recorded. However, this may be related to the insufficient number of specimens collected so far; the steep and inaccessible peaks have prevented any systematic botanical study for the time being.J. Florence und D. Lorence: ''Introduction to the Flora and Vegetation of the Marquesas Islands''. In: ''Albertonia''. Vol. 7, Februar 1997, S. 230 The formation of the flora is strongly influenced by the trade

wind Wind is the natural movement of atmosphere of Earth, air or other gases relative to a planetary surface, planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heatin ...

s, which contribute to lower

temperatures Temperature is a physical quantity that quantitatively expresses the attribute of hotness or coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. It reflects the average kinetic energy of the vibrating and colliding atoms making up a subst ...

and provide abundant rainfall. The coastal zones of the incised valleys have exuberant vegetation up to medium altitudes, although centuries of human settlement and intensive cultivation have considerably reduced the number of native plants, giving preponderance to anthropochorous plants. In the intermediate regions, arid or semi-arid native plant communities predominate. In the high summits, low-growing shrubs predominate, mostly

metrosideros ''Metrosideros'' is a genus of approximately 60 trees, shrubs, and vines in the family Myrtaceae, mostly found in the Pacific region. Most of the tree forms are small, but some are exceptionally large, the New Zealand species in particular. The ...

. In the north, shaded from the wind and rain of the mountains, there are larger arid zones.

Fauna

The

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 ...

of the Marquesas Islands is species-poor and is limited to land and sea birds,

insects Insects (from Latin ') are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed ...

, butterflies and spiders. The island is named after a genus of canopy spider ( Linyphiidae) that is endemic to Ua Pou. There are no animals that are dangerous to

human 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 ...

s. Nono flies, a type of black fly, which appear in the interior, are usually extremely unpleasant. Ua Pou - Cheval

In a bay separated from Hakahau by a

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

(Anahoa Beach), green sea turtles ( Chelonia mydas) lay their eggs. This area is not yet protected and it is the most attractive bathing beach on the island.

Administration

Administratively Ua Pou forms the commune (municipality) of Ua-Pou, part of the administrative subdivision of the Marquesas Islands.Décret n° 2005-1611 du 20 décembre 2005 pris pour l'application du statut d'autonomie de la Polynésie française
Légifrance This commune consists solely of the island of Ua PouDécret n°72-407 du 17 mai 1972 portant création de communes dans le territoire de la Polynésie française
Légifrance and its offshore rocks. Ua-Pou consists of the following associated communes: * Hakahau * Hakamaii The administrative center of the commune is the settlement of Hakahau, located within the associated commune of Hakahau, on the north-eastern shore of the island.

Infrastructure

In the main

of Hakahau there is a medical center, a national Gendarmerie station, the port authority, some small stores, a

bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...

, a post office (with satellite telephone), some private pensions, restaurants, a

Catholic 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 ...

and a

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 ...

church, a school with preschool (école maternelle et primaire) and a secondary school (collège). The villages are connected by roads that are only partially paved. Some settlements can only be reached by boat (since 2001). In the north of the island, between the villages of Hakahau and Hakahetau, there is an 830 m long paved airstrip (IATA airport code: UAP) in a narrow valley. The airfield is considered difficult because the runway starts right at the edge of the sea, ends in front of a mountain and has a considerable slope. Ua Pou is served by Air Tahiti shuttle planes (via Atuona on the island of Hiva Oa). The airfield is connected to the town of Hakahau by a steep and winding 10 km road. Hakahau Bay has a harbor protected by a breakwater, which also allows smaller cruise ships to call.

Economy

The inhabitants live mainly from subsistence

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

. The main foods are still fish and other marine animals, as well as yams, taro, breadfruit,

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

s, bananas and other tropical and subtropical fruits. Although there are some private guesthouses with modest amenities, tourism plays only a minor role from an economic point of view.

Tourism

In Hakahau, there is a small

museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

with a collection of art and objects of worship of the island. Next to it, a traditional Marquesan dwelling (tenai paepae) has been reconstructed on a habitable platform. Marquesashaus

In several valleys are the remains of Polynesian aboriginal settlements, recognizable by their densely covered paepae (house platforms). Little has been discovered or restored. The settlement of Chief Heato and his clan, revered as divine, is in the Hakamoui valley, covered with coconut and fan palms, mango chestnut trees, pandanus and huge banyan trees. The widely branched complex covers the entire valley, although the residential and ceremonial platforms hidden in the dense undergrowth are not easy to spot. Associated buildings made of short-lived materials are long gone. Karl von den Steinen believed he had identified the ceremonial platform (marae) where Chief Heato was buried. He photographed the skeletal remains of his grandson Teiki Teiuao, which had been deposited on the stone pedestal in a celestial (temporary)

burial Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

. An excellent example of the

's highly developed stonework is an expressive tiki head made of light-colored Ke'etu tufa stone on the façade of a residential platform in the "Young Women's Plaza" (mata'aute'a). Another place worth seeing is the Paaumea

Valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

in the west of the island. Interesting, but not easy to identify in the dense vegetation, are the remains of a , a kind of political and ritual center with chief's residence, meeting place and house (ha'e ko'o'ua or elders' house), warriors' house (ha'e toa), tattoo house (ha'e patu tiki) and cooking place (ha'e kuki). Worlddiscoverer

In Ua Pou you can find or buy so-called "

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

stones.” These are rare trachyte stones with decorative inclusions that look like flowers. Ua Pou is known for its excellent wood carvers. In Hakahau, there are several talented artists whose works can be purchased. Since the first Marquesas Art

Festival A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

was held on Ua Pou in 1987, it has become a regular activity, held every

year A year is a unit of time based on how long it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun. In scientific use, the tropical year (approximately 365 Synodic day, solar days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 45 seconds) and the sidereal year (about 20 minutes longer) ...

in different locations.

Religion

At present, the majority of the population professes

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

as a result of the activity of both

and Protestant missionaries. The French Catholic mission in the Marquesas from 1838 to 1839 under the auspices of Admiral Abel Aubert Dupetit-Thouars did not initially have any consequences for Ua Pou. In the Hakamoui valley lived the chief Heato (atua heato = God Heato),Karl von den Steinen, Band 2: S. 71 a follower of the ancient religion with human sacrifice and ritual cannibalism, who was revered as divine. He fiercely resisted

an occupiers and missionaries. He was said to have a preference for untattooed human flesh, a rumor that made a longer stay seem less desirable to Europeans. It was only after Heato's death in 1846 that the French missionaries were able to gain a foothold. Hakahetau has the first stone church in the Marquesas, built in 1859. It is dedicated to St. Joseph. Heato's daughter and successor, Teiki Teiuao, managed to unite all the tribes of the island under her hegemony in 1860 with the help of European

firearm A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions). The first firearms originate ...

s. However, a smallpox epidemic almost completely depopulated the island and put an end to her imperial aspirations. Hakahau's most notable building is the Eglise Saint Étienne, built in 1981 and dedicated to St. Stephen. The modern church is built in the traditional Polynesian style. The interior decoration shows the high level of the art of carving in the Marquesas. The unusual boat-shaped pulpit is carved from the stump of a huge tropical tree rooted in the ground.

References

{{authority control Islands of the Marquesas Islands Communes of French Polynesia Volcanoes of French Polynesia