Makemo

Makemo
Makemo
	NASA picture of Makemo Atoll.
	Location of Makemo in the Tuamotu Archipelago
	Location of Makemo
Country	France
Overseas collectivity	French Polynesia
Subdivision	Îles Tuamotu-Gambier
Area 1	100 km2 (40 sq mi)
Population (2007)	1,555
• Density	16/km2 (40/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	98726 /98769
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Makemo
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	16°35′55″S 143°39′41″W / 16.59861°S 143.66139°W
Archipelago	Tuamotus
Area	603 km2 (233 sq mi)
Length	69 km (42.9 mi)
Width	16.5 km (10.25 mi)
Administration
	France
Demographics
Population	832

Makemo, Rangi-kemo or Te Paritua,^[2] is one of the larger of the Tuamotu atolls in French Polynesia.

Makemo Atoll measures 69 km in length and 16.5 km in width, giving it a land area of 56 km². It is the fourth largest atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in terms of lagoon surface, with a lagoon of 603 km² in area.^[3] Despite its size, Makemo's lagoon has only two navigable passes.

Makemo Atoll has 832 inhabitants; the main village is named Pouheva with a population of 600. The village has a wharf and a boarding school of 150 children from neighbouring islands. It also hosts Makemo Airport, located to the west of Pouheva.

History

Makemo is the home of legendary Polynesian hero Moeava.

The first recorded European to arrive to Makemo Atoll was English pearl merchant John Buyers on the brig Margaret. He arrived at Makemo on 10 March 1803 on the same day he discovered Taenga and named the Makemo Atoll "Phillips Island", after a late sheriff of London, Sir Richard Phillips. In some maps Makemo appears as "Kutusov".

Makemo territorial (domestic) airport was opened in 1976.

Administration

The commune of Makemo consists of the atolls of Makemo, Haraiki, Marutea Nord, Katiu, Tuanake, Hiti, Tepoto Sud, Raroia, Takume, Taenga and Nihiru.

Makemo lighthouse
Makemo church
Makemo mayor and police station
Makemo port
Flat reef on the east coast of Makemo

References

^ "Population". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
^ 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.
^ Archived 2010-12-23 at the Wayback Machine

History, [1] & [2]
Mormons in Makemo

External links

[1] "Population". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. Retrieved 5 October 2014.

[Alternative_Names-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.

[3] Archived 2010-12-23 at the Wayback Machine

[1]

[2]

[3]