Fakahina
Encyclopedia
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
in the west of the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
. The nearest land is Fangatau
Fangatau
Fangatau, or Nakai-erua, is a small atoll in the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia.The nearest land is Fakahina Atoll, located 72 km to the ESE....
Atoll, located 72 km to the WNW.
Fakahina Atoll's length is 9 km and its maximum width 6.3 km. There is no pass connecting the lagoon with the ocean.
Fakahina has 140 inhabitants. The main village is Tarione.
History
The ancient Ma'ohi peopleMaohi
In the Polynesian mythology of Tahiti and other islands of French Polynesia, the Maohi are the ancestors of the Polynesian peoples....
used this atoll as a site for sacrifices.
The first recorded European to arrive to Fakahina Atoll was Otto von Kotzebue
Otto von Kotzebue
Otto von Kotzebue was a Baltic German navigator in Russian service....
, 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
Puka-Puka
Puka-Puka is a small coral atoll in the north-eastern Tuamotu Archipelago, sometimes included as a member of the Disappointment Islands. This atoll is quite isolated, the nearest land being Fakahina, located 182 km to the southwest....
to work in the production of copra
Copra
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock.-Production:...
.
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.External links
See also
- Fakahina Airport