Faʻaʻā

For other uses, see FAAA (disambiguation).

Faaa
Location of the commune (in red) within the Windward Islands
Location of Faaa
Country	France
Overseas collectivity	French Polynesia
Subdivision	Windward Islands
Government
• Mayor	Oscar Temaru 1983 – present
Area 1	34.2 km2 (13.2 sq mi)
Population  (August 2007 census)	29,851
• Density	870/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	98715 /98704
Elevation	0–1,493 m (0–4,898 ft) (avg. 7 m or 23 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Faaa is a commune in the suburbs of Papeete in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Faaa is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands. Faaa has a population of 29,851, making it the largest commune in Tahiti and French Polynesia. Faaa has many mountains inland and can reach 5,000 feet. Mount Orohena is an extinct volcano in the inland limits. The volcanoe can be seen from nearby Moorea. Big swells form in nearby Teahupoo and the World Championship tour of surfing is held there about twice every decade. Some of the champions are Mike Stewart and Ben Severson. The area of Faaa is 30 feet above mean sea level on average.

The Faaa International Airport is a major airport serving French Polynesia. It is the only airport serving international flights in all of the territory. Air Tahiti serves inter-island flights going to other islands in French Polynesia, while the major Air Tahiti Nui flies to both Los Angeles and Paris. Faaa has a long history. Captain James Cook came to Tahiti on his expedition.

Faa'a International Airport

Demographics

In 1988 Faaa supplanted Papeete as the most populated commune in the urban area of Papeete and in French Polynesia. Despite having more inhabitants than Papeete, the urban area is named after Papeete and Faaa is considered a suburb of Papeete due to Papeete's historical importance and status as administrative capital of French Polynesia.

Politics

Faaa is the political stronghold of independence leader Oscar Temaru, who served three times as president of French Polynesia in 2004, 2005–2006, and 2007.

Transportation

The Faaa International Airport is located in Faaa. The Faaa International Airport is a major airport serving the commune and Tahiti. Most of the Public Beaches are located near the Faaa International Airport and brings about 300 people every day.

Faaa has a small transportation system. The Faaa International Airport is the main use of transportation in Faaa and Tahiti.

Air

Main article: Faaa International Airport

The Faa'a International Airport is a major airport located inside the commune, approximately 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest from the town center of Papeete. The airport is the only international airport in French Polynesia. It is located in northern Faaa. Islanders from other islands come to this airport to make an international flight. Some of the international flights from the airport go to Los Angeles, California; Tokyo, Japan; and Auckland, New Zealand. There is easy access from downtown Faaa to the airport. Some airport shuttles and Tahiti buses come to the parking lot. The airport has coconut trees and one Tiki in the parking lot. Many flowers are picked at farms and they are sent to the airport and given to visitors that have just arrived.

Sea

Ferries leave the Papeete Wharf about 4 times a day to the Vaiare Wharf on nearby Moorea. There are 3 main ferries that leave the Papeete Wharf daily. One of them is the Aremiti 5 which is the fastest of the 3 ferries. It sails to Moorea in half an hour. The Aremiti 7 is the largest of the three ships. It sails to Moorea in about 40 minutes. The Moorea Ferry is the slowest of the three ships. It sails to Moorea in about an hour. Both of the Aremiti ferries are white with red dots. The Moorea ferry is blue on the bottom and white on the top. Some go to to Bora Bora about once a week. The ferries can be seen from the Public Beach in Downtown Faaa going to Moorea.

Freeways and Roads

Tahiti's West Coast freeway runs through the commune. The freeway starts in Papeete and ends in Teahupoo. There are many other roads in Faaa. The Tahiti transportation bus runs around the Papeete Area. There isn't much traffic in the streets of Faaa. There are many bridges since there are many canals and small rivers flowing through Faaa. Most of the residents of Faaa have Ford or Toyota trucks. They get all their cars in the town center of Papeete. There are only some cars for sale places in Faaa. Residents that have their cars for sale usually have their cars parked on the street with a sign saying that the car is for sale. The sign would say how it is and the phone number.

Subway systems

Faaa has only one subway system that travels north toward Papeete and ends in Arue.

Location and geography

Faaa is located in northwestern Tahiti. Just 4 miles south of the Town Center of Papeete, the runway for the Faaa International Airport is built on coral reef since there is limited flat land. There is a slight bay south of the airport where the the roads and freeways move inland. Downtown Faaa is about 20 feet above mean sea level. Faaa is in nortwestern French Polynesia. The Papenoo River is not too far away. Faaa comes inland about 10 miles. Mount Orohena is in the mountains of Faaa. The mountain is the highest point in French Polynesia at 7,300 feet. Tahiti Iti is just to the southeast of the commune. Moorea, which is Tahiti's sister island, is located just 15 kilometres across the Pacific Ocean. Many people can see Mount Tohivea which is the tallest mountain on Moorea at nearly 4,000 feet. Los Angeles, California is located 4,111 miles northwest, Santiago, Chile is 2,100 miles east, and Sydney, Australia is located 2,000 miles west. Easter Island is not too far east of Faaa. There are some viewpoints in Faaa to see Moorea. Moorea appears as a gray mound with mountains across the Pacific Ocean. The Faaa Nature Park is a major park in the mountains. New Caledonia is located not too far to the west of Faaa.

Nearby Communes

Moorea-Maiao on Moorea is located just across the Pacific Ocean 15 kilometers away. Vaitape, Bora Bora is 218 kilometers away and is the largest commune of Bora Bora. Faaa is borderd by Papeete on the north. Uturoa is a closer commune on Raiatea.

Climate

Faaa expiriences a tropical climate. The temperatures in Faaa during the summer can range from 50 degrees to 100 degrees. The temperatures in Faaa during fall can range from 60 degrees to 80 degrees. Winter can be 40 degrees to 70 degrees and spring can range from 60 to 70 degrees. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 108 degrees during the late summer of 1997. The average temperature of Faaa is 74 degrees. The coldest temperature recorded was 30 degrees during the midwinter of 2003. Sometimes only a dust of snow brushes the mountains of Faaa. Cyclones have stuck Faaa before about 10 times causing major damage to the neighborhoods low and flat. Houses have fliped over and some flooding has took place in Downtown Faaa. The surges were about 29 feet tall.

Education

The Université de la Polynésie Française is located in central Faaa. Students from many other island's come to this University since it is the only one in the Territory. It is a relatively small university with around 2,000 students. There are Elementary, Middle and High Schools located inland in the neighborhoods. Most of the schools are in separate buildings, each of them being one class. There are about 5 classes per grade at elementary schools. Some families have their kids go to school in other countries like the United States or New Zealand. If they were to have their students go to California to educate, they would usually go to the University of California, Los Angeles in Los Angeles. The main subject at the schools in Faaa is Math.

History of Faaa

Early Settlers

The area of Faaa was first settled by travelers from Asia that arrived on canoes at the year of 700. At that time, the settlers from Asia had made small houses from grass and wood. Faaa had only 400 residents. They fished from the beach and from their canoes. The settlers made spears from the charcoal on the beach. Pretty soon, many more settlers came from Asia making the population to grow to 700 by the year 1220. Some of the people feed on breadfruit and bananas from banana trees. The settlers kept walking inland from the beach. They looked across the ocean and saw Moorea which has also been settled. Some of the settlers on Tahiti paddled on their canoes and visited Moorea. By 1300, Faaa had about 1,000 residents. Faaa had many grass houses along the beach which some were so close to each other. Some of the residents left open spaces to let their kids play. Some of the early Tahitians made small fires from leaves to stay warm during winter. 1,300 residents have settled in Faaa during the 1330's. Most of the settlers moved their houses inland from the coastal beaches since they were flooded during cyclones and High Tide. The Tahitian's had moved in the small valleys close to Mount Orohena.

European Contact

European settlers came during the 1500's. Captain James Cook was the first European settler. He first came to Moorea but then sailed to Tahiti. The Tahitians were all wondering who he was and why he was here. Then he left Tahiti and went exploring other islands in the Pacific Ocean. He later reached New Zealand and the eastern coast of Australia. Then Charles Darwin came on his expedition to Tahiti. During the late 1800's, Faaa had a population of 2,000 residents. Some of the residents went to early California to go to the California Gold Rush to search for a new life. Faaa was part of the Kingdom of Tahiti until the annexation of 1880. Many buildings made from wood were along the coast of Faaa. Some small markets selling bananas and other fruits were busy. Residents from Moorea came to get fruits from the markets. Farms could be found in the mountains of Faaa.

Modern Faaa

During the early 1900's, Faaa's population had grown to 5,000. Many markets had more choices and even some toys for kids. Some bigger boats were made for the new Faaa Port. The boats sailed from Faaa onward to other communes on Tahiti such as Arue and Teahupoo. Downtown Faaa was very busy and Public Beaches were formed on the waterfront of Faaa. There was a big field in the North of Faaa. The Faaa International Airport was formed from this big field in 1962. One of the first airplanes was Air Tahiti which first went to other islands in French Polynesia. The international airlines such as Air Tahiti Nuiwere incorporated in the late 1990's. Don the Beachcomber had lived here some of his life. The Air Moorea flight also took place and crashed close to Moorea. None of them survived the disaster. The Moorea ferry was also created after the flight and still sails to Moorea each day. Today, Faaa has a population of nearly 30,000.

Dates

700

The Faaa area gets settled by travelers from Asia

900

Faaa has many grass houses along the beach and inland

1600

Faaa's population grows to 1,500

1777

Captain James Cook is the first european settler to land on Tahiti

1855

Many Faaa residents leave for the California Gold Rush

1910

Faaa has more than 5,000 residents

1962

The Faaa International Airport opened

1998

Air Tahiti Nui is founded

2007

Air Moorea crashes while going to Moorea

Parks and recreation

There is one long coastal beach park with 5 playgrounds per mile and conecrete spaces where Tahitian dancers dance. Coconut trees dot the coastline and can be up to 40 feet tall. There are many more parks in the neighborhoods of Faaa. The usual park in Faaa has a playground, open grass spaces, and trees and only a few have Basketball courts. School parks have mainly open grass spaces and a few trees. There are about 170 parks in Faaa. Hiking trails can be found in the mountains of Tahiti. It is part of the Faaa Nature Park. There are viewing points viewing the Papeete Area. The harbor can also be seen with the Aremiti Ferry coming in and out of the harbor. Mape Trees grow in the park. The hiking trails are made of dirt and are 4 feet wide. Sometimes the Mape Trees' roots grow on the trail making the trails dangerous at some points. Many birds fly over the trails and some rivers run through the park. Birdwatching is very popular among the tourist. There is a visitor center which nearby starts the main hiking trail. Moorea can be seen across the Pacific Ocean from some of the viewing points. Souvinir shops are mainly found in the parks of the mountains. Postcards are very popular for the tourist coming to Faaa. Other souvinirs at the shop are towels, small tikis, and Tahitian card games. There are also hiking trails in nearby communes of Tahiti and Moorea.

Economy

Air Tahiti has its head office at the Faaa International Airport and the now defunct Air Moorea had its head office at the airport. There are many supermarkets in Faaa. One of the largest malls in all of French Polynesia is located in downtown Faaa. The largest one is in the town center of Papeete. The supermarkets of Faaa mainly sell bread, fruit, milk, and ice cream. There is also a major mall in Downtown Faaa that has a clothing store, a hardware store, and souvinir shops. Many other people that work in Papeete or Teahupoo live in Faaa. McDonald's is a popular restaurant in Faaa that is close to the beach, just off Tahiti's west coast freeway. The port of Papeete has many workers that live in Faaa.

Agriculture

Farms in Faaa are usually in the mountains. All most all of the farms in Faaa are in the far east. The farms are all more than 1,000 feet above mean sea level far from the coastline. The farms in the mountains have Tahitian flowers growing in the field. The flowers get picked and are usually sent to the Faaa International Airport to greet the passengers that have just arrived. There are many tractors on the fields that plow the dirt. Banana trees are plenatiful throughout Faaa and also a major export to other islands. The main islands that get imported from Faaa are Moorea, Huahine, and Raiatea. Many strawberries are also found in the farms. Potatoes, Apples, and Rasberries are all other major fruits grown at the farms of Faaa. School lunches usually has fruits from these farms. The Moorea juice factory is a major juice factory on Moorea that exports its juice to Faaa.

Hardware

Ace is a major hardware store in Faaa. It is made up of more than one building. There are 3 of these buildings.One of the buildings is for supplies and objects needed in houses. Another one of the 3 buildings is for Wood supplies and Wood Glue. The third building is for cement mixers and screws. Other major hardware stores are the Faaa Supply Store. It is made up of one building for mainly supplies and cement mixers and another for wood. Other hardware stores of Faaa are Polymat, Polywood, and Polybuild. Ace delivery trucks are found throughout the neighborhoods of Faaa.

Culture

Faaa has a French, Chinese, and Polynesian culture. Faaa is planning to create a small chinatown.

Airport Economy

Air Tahiti has its head office on the airport property in Faaa. There are many supermarkets in Faaa. The supermarkets mainly sell bread, milk, fruits, and ice cream. There is also one of the largest malls in French Polynesia in Downtown Faaa. It has a clothing store a market, and a souvinir shop. The now defunct Air Moorea had its head office in Faaa. Many people that work in other commnunes such as Papeete or Teahupoo live in Faaa. There are buisinesses like McDonald's that are close to the public beach. The port of Papeete has many workers that live in Faaa.

Sports

World Championship Tour

The surfing world champions of Teahupoo have been to Faaa. Teahupoo is a reef break, making big waves. The swells usually break to the left but sometimes break to the right. The big swells cause Teahupoo to become a major place for the World Championship Tour (WCT). People such as Mike Stewart and Ben Severson are the boogyboarding champions of Teahupoo. The first surfing champion of Teahupoo to win an award was in 1999.

Soccer

Soccer games (in Faaa, it's called football) is a major sport played at the school parks. The parks have chairs set in a field and people can easily see the game. The soccer fields are realitively small.

Other major sports are Tennis and Basketball.

Name

The name Faaa is sometimes spelled Faa’a in Tahitian, using the apostrophe to represent the glottal stop, as promoted by the Académie Tahitienne and accepted by the territorial government. Most people in the commune say it with 2 syllables when it's really 3 syllables. This apostrophe, however, is often omitted.

Art

There are art museums in the mountains of Faaa. The mountains of Tahiti and other islands have made ideas from Paul Guagin. Some paintings can be found in the museums which are a very popular tourist attraction. The Musee de la Perle is a major art museum in nearby Papeete. The Masion of James Norman Hall used to be a mansion in Arue. It is now a reowned museum that is a major tourist attraction. Art galleries are found throughout the island of Tahiti and there are 10 right in Papeete.

Image:TahitiMooreaMap .png|thumb|right|Map of Moorea and Tahiti

See Also

• Air Moorea
• Air Tahiti
• Air Tahiti Nui
• Arue
• Ben Severson
• Bora Bora
• Captain James Cook
• Charles Darwin
• Faaa International Airport
• France
• French Polynesia
• Kingdom of Tahiti
• Mike Stewart
• Moorea
• Mount Orohena
• Pacific Ocean
• Papeete
• Papenoo River
• Raiatea
• Tahiti
• University of French Polynesia
• Uturoa
• Vaitape