Takaroa
NASA picture of Takaroa Atoll | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 14°27′S 144°59′W / 14.450°S 144.983°W |
| Archipelago | Tuamotus |
| Area | 93 km2 (36 sq mi) (lagoon) 20 km2 (8 sq mi) (above water) |
| Length | 24.7 km (15.35 mi) |
| Width | 7 km (4.3 mi) |
| Administration | |
France | |
| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Administrative subdivision | Tuamotus |
| Commune | Takaroa |
| Largest settlement | Teavaroa |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 882[1] (2012) |
| Takaroa | |
|---|---|
NASA satellite image of Takaroa atoll | |
| Coordinates: 14°27′00″S 144°58′59″W / 14.45°S 144.983°WCoordinates: 14°27′00″S 144°58′59″W / 14.45°S 144.983°W | |
| Country | France |
| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Area | 26 km2 (10 sq mi) |
| Population (2012)1 | 1,262 |
| • Density | 49/km2 (130/sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 98749 /98781 |
| 1 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Takaroa, Taka-roa or Takapua, is an atoll in the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. It has a length of 27.4 kilometres (17.0 miles) and a width of 7 km (4 mi); its land area is 20 square kilometres (8 square miles).
The nearest land is Takapoto Atoll, located 10 kilometres (6 miles) to the southwest.
Fine pearls, including black pearls, were obtained in the lagoon of Takaroa.[citation needed]
Geographically Takaroa is part of the King George Islands (Iles du Roi Georges) subgroup, which includes Ahe, Manihi, Takapoto, Takaroa and Tikei.
Takaroa Atoll has 882 inhabitants. The main village is Teavaroa.
History[edit]
The first recorded Europeans to arrive to Takaroa were Dutch explorers Jacob le Maire and Willem Schouten on 14 April 1616 during their Pacific journey. They called this atoll "Sondergrond Island".
Captain Cook visited the island in 1774.[2]
Takaroa territorial airport was inaugurated in 1986.
Administration[edit]
The commune of Takaroa consists of the atolls of Takaroa and Takapoto, as well as Tikei Island.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Population". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
- ^ Salmond, Anne (2010). Aphrodite's Island. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 299. ISBN 9780520261143.
External links[edit]
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