Fakahina

Fakahina

NASA picture of Fakahina Atoll
Fakahina
Geography
Location Pacific Ocean
Coordinates 15°59′S 140°11′W / 15.983°S 140.183°W / -15.983; -140.183Coordinates: 15°59′S 140°11′W / 15.983°S 140.183°W / -15.983; -140.183
Archipelago Tuamotus
Area 20 km2 (7.7 sq mi)  (lagoon)
8 km2 (3 sq mi) (above water)
Length 9 km (5.6 mi)
Width 6.3 km (3.91 mi)
Administration
France
Overseas collectivity French Polynesia
Administrative subdivision Tuamotus
Commune Fangatau
Largest settlement Tarione
Demographics
Population 155[1] (2012)
Pop. density 19 /km2 (49 /sq mi)
NASA picture of Fakahina.

Fakahina, or Kaīna,[2] is a small atoll in the west of the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. The nearest land is Fangatau Atoll, located 72 km to the WNW.

Fakahina Atoll's length is 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) and its maximum width 6.3 kilometres (3.9 miles). It has a land area of 8 square kilometres (3 square miles) and a lagoon area of 20 square kilometres (8 square miles). There is no pass connecting the lagoon with the ocean.

Fakahina has 155 inhabitants. The main village is Tarione.

History

The ancient Ma'ohi people used this atoll as a site for sacrifices.

The first recorded European to arrive to Fakahina Atoll was Otto von Kotzebue, sailing in the service of the Russian tsars, in 1824. This atoll appears as "Predpriati" in some maps.

Part of the population of Fakahina was moved to Puka-Puka to work in the production of copra.

There is a territorial (domestic) airfield in Fakahina which was inaugurated in 1985.

Administration

Fakahina belongs to the commune of Fangatau, which consists of Fangatau Atoll, as well as the atoll and associated commune of Fakahina.

References

  1. ↑ "Population". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  2. ↑ Young, J.L. (1899). "Names of the Paumotu Islands, with the old names so far as they are known.". Journal of the Polynesian Society. 8 (4): 264–268. Retrieved 7 January 2015.

External links


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/17/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.