Hao (French Polynesia)
Encyclopedia
Hao, or Haorangi, is a large coral
atoll
in the central part of the Tuamotu Archipelago
. Because of its shape, French
explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville
named it Harp Island.
Hao is located 920 km (575 mi.) to the east of Tahiti
and is 55 km (34.5 mi) in length. The lagoon
is one of the longest in French Polynesia and has only one navigable passage, at Kaki, on the north end of the atoll.
The chief town is the village of Otepa, where the main economic activity is the cultivation of pearl
s.
Because of its shape, French
explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville
named it Harp Island. In some maps it also appears as Bow Island.
Hao was the first atoll of the Tuamotus that Russian explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen
visited in 1820 on the ships Vostok and Mirni.
In the late 1980s, two French intelligence (DGSE) operatives were briefly confined to the military base on the island after France obtained their release from a New Zealand
prison for sinking the Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior
. Their earlier-than-agreed upon repatriation from the island by the French government became a diplomatic incident between New Zealand and France.
Hao's military airfield, now known as Hao Airport
, was transferred to the civilian authorities in the year 2000. This airport serves many of the smaller eastern Tuamotus, whose landing strips are too short to land aircraft large enough to make the flight to Tahiti.
The economic future of the atoll remains in question: the military base
, which was the support base for the nuclear testing
on nearby Mururoa atoll, was permanently shut down in 2002, along with its many support facilities, including the electrical
and desalinization plants and the hospital
. The livelihood of many of the atoll's inhabitants was directly tied to the military base activity.
(uninhabited), Nengonengo
, Manuhangi
(uninhabited) and Paraoa
(uninhabited). As of the 2002 census
, the atoll's total population was 1,613.
The commune of Hao is associated with the commune of Amanu
and the commune of Hereheretue
.
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
atoll
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 central part of the Tuamotu Archipelago
Tuamotus
The Tuamotus or the Tuamotu Archipelago are a chain of islands and atolls in French Polynesia. They form the largest chain of atolls in the world, spanning an area of the Pacific Ocean roughly the size of Western Europe...
. Because of its shape, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville
Louis Antoine de Bougainville
Louis-Antoine, Comte de Bougainville was a French admiral and explorer. A contemporary of James Cook, he took part in the French and Indian War and the unsuccessful French attempt to defend Canada from Britain...
named it Harp Island.
Hao is located 920 km (575 mi.) to the east of Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
and is 55 km (34.5 mi) in length. The lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
is one of the longest in French Polynesia and has only one navigable passage, at Kaki, on the north end of the atoll.
The chief town is the village of Otepa, where the main economic activity is the cultivation of pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
s.
History
The first recorded European arriving on Hao was Pedro Fernández de Quirós in 1606. He was followed by José Andía y Varela in 1774.Because of its shape, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville
Louis Antoine de Bougainville
Louis-Antoine, Comte de Bougainville was a French admiral and explorer. A contemporary of James Cook, he took part in the French and Indian War and the unsuccessful French attempt to defend Canada from Britain...
named it Harp Island. In some maps it also appears as Bow Island.
Hao was the first atoll of the Tuamotus that Russian explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen
Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen
Fabian Gottlieb Thaddeus von Bellingshausen was an officer in the Imperial Russian Navy, cartographer and explorer, who ultimately rose to the rank of Admiral...
visited in 1820 on the ships Vostok and Mirni.
In the late 1980s, two French intelligence (DGSE) operatives were briefly confined to the military base on the island after France obtained their release from a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
prison for sinking the Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior
Rainbow Warrior (1978)
The Rainbow Warrior was a former UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food trawler later purchased by the environmental organisation Greenpeace...
. Their earlier-than-agreed upon repatriation from the island by the French government became a diplomatic incident between New Zealand and France.
Hao's military airfield, now known as Hao Airport
Hao Airport
Hao Airport is an airport on Hao Island in French Polynesia . The airport is 8 km from the village of Otepa.Hao airport has been selected as an emergency landing site for the NASA Space Shuttle.-Airlines and destinations:...
, was transferred to the civilian authorities in the year 2000. This airport serves many of the smaller eastern Tuamotus, whose landing strips are too short to land aircraft large enough to make the flight to Tahiti.
The economic future of the atoll remains in question: the military base
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
, which was the support base for the nuclear testing
Nuclear testing
Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine the effectiveness, yield and explosive capability of nuclear weapons. Throughout the twentieth century, most nations that have developed nuclear weapons have tested them...
on nearby Mururoa atoll, was permanently shut down in 2002, along with its many support facilities, including the electrical
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
and desalinization plants and the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
. The livelihood of many of the atoll's inhabitants was directly tied to the military base activity.
Administration
Hao forms the commune of Hao (Main village: Otepa), which also includes AhunuiAhunui
Ahunui or Nga-taumanga is a small atoll of the eastern Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 55 km SSE of Paraoa Atoll and 120 km WSW of Vairaatea....
(uninhabited), Nengonengo
Nengonengo
Nengonengo is a small atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 53 km southeast of Ravahere, its closest neighbor, and 100 km southwest of Hao Atoll....
, Manuhangi
Manuhangi
Manuhangi is an atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. The atoll is situated 68 km southeast from Nengonengo and 52 km west from Paraoa....
(uninhabited) and Paraoa
Paraoa
Paraoa, Tohora, or Hariri is a small atoll of the central Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 76 km south of Hao Atoll's westernmost point. The closest land is Manuhangi Atoll, 52 km to the west....
(uninhabited). As of the 2002 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, the atoll's total population was 1,613.
The commune of Hao is associated with the commune of Amanu
Amanu
Amanu, Timanu, or Karere, is an atoll in the Tuamotu archipelago. Amanu lies at right angles to neighbouring Hao Atoll; this orientation is quite rare for the Tuamotu atolls.It is situated 900 km east of Tahiti and 15 km north of Hao...
and the commune of Hereheretue
Hereheretue
Hereheretue is an atoll in French Polynesia, Pacific Ocean. It is the northernmost island of the Duke of Gloucester Islands group, or Îles du Duc de Gloucester, a subgroup of the Tuamotu group. Hereheretue's nearest neighbor is Anuanuraro, which is located about 150 km away.Hereheretue Atoll...
.
Transport
Hao Airport is situated to the north of the island and is used as a base by Air Tahiti, the domestic airline of French PolynesiaExternal links
- History of Hao Atoll
- Classification of the French Polynesian atolls by Salvat (1985)
- Atoll list (in French)