Leeward Islands (Society Islands)

This article is about the western islands of French Polynesia. For the Caribbean island group, see Leeward Islands.

Leeward Islands

Native name: Îles Sous-le-vent (French) Fenua Raro Mata’i (Tahitian)
Flag of the Leeward Islands
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates
Archipelago	Society Islands
Total islands	9
Major islands	Raiatea, Bora Bora, Huahine, Tahaa
Area	404 km2 (156 sq mi)
Highest elevation	1,017 m (3337 ft)
Highest point	Tefatua
Administration
France
Overseas collectivity	French Polynesia
Largest settlement	Uturoa (pop. 8,735 urban)
Demographics
Population	36,007 (Aug. 2022 census)
Pop. density	89/km2 (231/sq mi)

The Leeward Islands (French: Îles Sous-le-vent; Tahitian: Fenua Raro Mata’i, literally "Islands Under-the-Wind") are the western part of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France, in the South Pacific Ocean. They lie south of the Line Islands (part of Kiribati), east of the Cooks and north of the Austral Islands (also part of French Polynesia). Their area is 404 km² and their population is over 36,000.

The westernmost Leeward Islands comprise a three atoll group: Manuae (also known as Scilly Atoll); Motu One atoll (also known as Bellinghausen), the most northerly of the Leeward Islands; and Maupihaa atoll (also known as Mopelia) to the southeast.

The Leeward Islands that lie more to the east are a mainly volcanic island cluster:

Maupiti (Tahitian name: Maurua);

Tupai atoll;

Bora Bora (Tahitian name: Vava'u), which is the best known of the Leeward Islands in the western world because of its World War II-era United States naval base and its tourism industry;

Raiatea (Tahitian names: Hava'i, or Ioretea), the largest island in the group, with Uturoa (at the northern end of the island) as the administrative centre of the Leeward Islands;
the island also has the peak with the highest elevation in the Leeward Islands, Mount Tefatua (just over 1,000 m.);

Taha'a (Tahitian name: Uporu), which lies just north of Uturoa; and

Huahine (Tahitian name: Mata'irea),the easternmost island of the group, which at high tide is divided into two: Huahine Nui ("big Huahine") to the north and Huahine Iti ("small Huahine") to the south.

Administration

The archipelago comprises an administrative division (French: subdivision administrative) of French Polynesia. The capital of the Leeward Islands administrative subdivision is Uturoa. The Leeward Islands (subdivision administrative des Îles Sous-le-vent) are one of French Polynesia's five administrative subdivisions. The administrative subdivision is coextensive with the electoral district of the Leeward Islands, one of French Polynesia's six electoral districts for the Assembly of French Polynesia (see also Politics of French Polynesia).

Islands and communes of the Leeward Islands of French Polynesia

Name of Commune	Land area (km2)	Pop'n 2017 Census	Pop'n 2022 Census	Density (per km2) 2022	Notes
Maupiti	21.7	1,286	1,302	59.9	Primarily the island of Maupiti, but includes 3 atolls to the west of Maupiti (Maupihaa, Manuae and Motu One).
Bora-Bora	41.55	10,549	10,758	258.9	consists of the 3 associated communes of Nunue, Faanui and Anau; includes Tupai Atoll (11 km2) to the north with no permanent inhabitants
Tahaa	90.2	5,234	5,296	58.7	consists of the 8 associated communes of Faaaha, Haamene, Hipu, Iripau, Niua, Ruutia, Tapuamu and Vaitoare.
Uturoa	16.0	3,778	3,663	229.5	the administrative centre of the Leeward Islands; town is situated at the northern tip of Raiatea Island.
Tumaraa	71.9	3,721	3,718	51.7	consists of the 4 associated communes of Fetuna, Tevaitoa (the location of the commune administration), Tehurui and Vaiaau, forming the west side of Raiatea Island.
Taputapuatea	84.4	4,792	5,007	59.3	consists of the 3 associated communes of Avera (the location of the commune administration), Opoa and Puohine, forming the east side of Raiatea Island.
Huahine	74.8	6,075	6,258	83.7	consists of the 8 associated communes of Fare (the location of the commune administration), Faie, Fitii and Maeva, all on Huahine Nui; and Haapu, Maroe, Parea and Tefarerii on Huahine Iti.
TOTAL	'404.0	35,393	36,007	89.1

Notes: Uturoa. Tumaraa and Taputapuatea communes are all on Raiatea Island.

6 of the 7 communes (out of French Polynesia's 48 communes) have banded together in a "community of communes", (in French: communauté de communes Hava'i, or CCH), an indirectly elected intercommunal council formed in 2012 by all the communes in the administrative subdivision (circumscription) of the Leeward Islands, with the exception of Bora-Bora, which preferred to remain separate for financial reasons. Unlike in metropolitan France and its overseas regions, it is not mandatory for the communes in French Polynesia to join an intercommunal council. The three intercommunal councils in existence as of 2022 (including the CCH), all formed on a voluntary basis.

History

Further information: Annexation of the Leeward Islands

The first European to encounter the archipelago was British naval officer James Cook on 12 April 1769 during a British expedition the purpose of which was to observe the transit of Venus. He later revisited the islands twice more. It is a common misconception that he named the Leeward group of islands "Society" in honor of the Royal Society. However, Cook recorded in his journal that he named the islands “Society” because they lie close to each other.

In 1840, France declared a protectorate over Tahiti. In 1847, the British and French signed the Jarnac Convention, agreeing that the kingdoms of Raiatea, Huahine, and Bora Bora would remain independent from either of the two European nations, and that they would not allow any single chief to control the entire archipelago. France eventually broke the agreement and annexed the islands. They became a colony of France in 1888 (eight years after the Windward Islands did). There were many native resistance movements and conflicts in reaction to this annexation, known as the Leewards War, which continued until 1897.

Geography

The islands are mountainous, consisting of volcanic rock. They are formed of trachyte, dolerite and basalt. There are raised coral beds high up the mountains, and lava occurs in a variety of forms, even in solid flows. Volcanic activity ceased so long ago that the craters have been almost entirely obliterated by erosion.

View of Raiatea island from a plane.

Flora and fauna

Flora includes breadfruit, pandanus, and coconut palms. The limited terrestrial fauna includes feral pigs, rats, and small lizards. There are several species of freshwater fish inhabiting the small streams on the islands, and the fringing coral reefs around the islands contain a dazzling array of fish and other salt-water-dwelling species.

Tourism

Tourism is the mainstay of the economy. Agriculturally, the major products are copra, sugar, rum, mother-of-pearl, and vanilla.

Islands

Topographic map of the Leeward Islands

• Raiatea (largest island of the group); Tahitian names: Hava'i, Ioretea
• Huahine, which at high tide is divided into two islands: Huahine Nui ("big Huahine") to the north and Huahine Iti ("small Huahine") to the south; Tahitian name: Mata'irea
• Tahaa; Tahitian name: Uporu
• Bora Bora; Tahitian name: Vava'u
• Tupai; Tahitian name: Motu Iti
• Maupiti; Tahitian name: Maurua
• Manuae (also known as Scilly Atoll)
• Maupihaa (also known as Mopelia)
• Motu One (also known as Bellinghausen)

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Society Islands". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 320.

External links

• Satellite image