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Leeward Islands (Society Islands)
Encyclopedia
The Leeward Islands are the western part of the Society Islands
in French Polynesia
, an overseas collectivity of France
in the South Pacific
. 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 395 km² with a population of over 33,000. The islands to the west comprise a three atoll group: Manuae
(aka Scilly Atoll), Motu One
atoll (aka Bellinghausen), lying most northerly of the Leeward Islands, and to the southeast Maupihaa
atoll (aka Mopelia). More to the east lies a mainly high island
cluster consisting of Maupiti
(Tahitian name: Maurua), Tupai
atoll, Bora Bora
(Tahitian name: Vava'u), the most known of the Leeward Islands in the western world
due to its World War II
USA naval base
and subsequent tourism
industry, Tahaa
(Tahitian name: Uporu), lying just north of the largest island of the group, Raiatea
(Tahitian names: Hava'i, Ioretea) which possesses the largest city and local capital of the Leeward Islands, namely Uturoa
, as well as the highest elevation, the just over 1,000 m mount Tefatua, and finally the easternmost island of the group, Huahine
(Tahitian name: Mata'irea) which at high tide
is divided into two: Huahine Nui ("big Huahine") to the north and Huahine Iti ("small Huahine") to the south.
comprises an administrative division
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 identical with the electoral district of the Leeward Islands, one of French Polynesia
's 6 electoral districts for the Assembly of French Polynesia
(see also Politics of French Polynesia
).
was James Cook
on 12 April 1769 during the British expedition to observe the transit of Venus
. On this first voyage (he subsequently revisited the islands twice), he named the Leeward group of islands Society in honor of the Royal Society
. After France
declared a protectorate over Tahiti in 1840, the British and French signed the Jarnac Convention, in 1847, declaring that the kingdoms of Raiatea, Huahine and Bora Bora were to remain independent from either powers and that no single chief was to be allowed to reign over the entire archipelago. France eventually broke the agreement, and the islands were annexed and became a colony
in 1888 (eight years after the Windward Islands
) after many native resistances and conflicts called the Leewards War, lasting until 1897.
, 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.
, pandanus
, and coconut
palms. The limited terrestrial fauna includes feral pig
s, rat
s, and small lizard
s. There are several species of freshwater fish
inhabiting the small streams on the islands, but the fringing coral reef
s around the islands exhibit a dazzling array of fish and other salt water-dwelling species.
is the mainstay of the economy. Agriculturally, the major products are copra
, sugar
, rum
, mother-of-pearl, and vanilla
.
_topographic_map-fr.svg.png)
Society Islands
The Society Islands are a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. They are politically part of French Polynesia. The archipelago is generally believed to have been named by Captain James Cook in honor of the Royal Society, the sponsor of the first British scientific survey of the islands;...
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...
, an overseas collectivity of France
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...
in the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
. They lie south of the Line Islands
Line Islands
The Line Islands, Teraina Islands or Equatorial Islands, is a chain of eleven atolls and low coral islands in the central Pacific Ocean, south of the Hawaiian Islands, that stretches for 2,350 km in a northwest-southeast direction, making it one of the longest islands chains of the world...
(part of Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
), east of the Cooks
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
and north of the Austral Islands
Austral Islands
The Austral Islands are the southernmost group of islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the South Pacific. Geographically, they consist of two separate archipelagos, namely in the northwest the Tubuai Islands consisting of the Îles Maria, Rimatara, Rurutu, Tubuai...
(also part of French Polynesia). Their area is 395 km² with a population of over 33,000. The islands to the west comprise a three atoll group: Manuae
Manuae (Society Islands)
The atoll of Manuae, also known as Scilly, is located approximately to the northwest of Maupihaa and to the west of Maupiti, at . It is the westernmost of the Society Islands' Leeward Islands, located 217 mi. west of Bora Bora and 342 mi...
(aka Scilly Atoll), Motu One
Motu One (Society Islands)
Motu One, also known as Bellinghausen, is an atoll in the Leeward group of the Society Islands. Motu One is located 550 km northwest from Tahiti and 72 km northeast of Manuae, its closest neighbor....
atoll (aka Bellinghausen), lying most northerly of the Leeward Islands, and to the southeast Maupihaa
Maupihaa
Maupihaa, also known as Mopelia, is an atoll in the Leeward group of the Society Islands. This atoll is located 72 km southeast of Manuae, its nearest neighbor.-Geography:...
atoll (aka Mopelia). More to the east lies a mainly high island
High island
In geology , a high island is an island of volcanic origin. The term can be used to distinguish such islands from low islands, whose origin is due to sedimentation or uplifting of coral reefs.-Definition and origin:...
cluster consisting of Maupiti
Maupiti
Maupiti is a small coral atoll with a volcanic island in its midst.-Geography:Maupiti is located to the west of the Leeward Islands in French Polynesia. It is the westernmost volcanic high island in the archipelago, 40 km west of Bora Bora. The central island of Maupiti has a high peak of 380...
(Tahitian name: Maurua), Tupai
Tupai
Tupai is a low-lying atoll in Society Islands, French Polynesia. It lies 19 km to the north of Bora Bora and belongs to the Leeward Islands . This small atoll is only 11 km² in area. Its broad coral reef encloses a shallow sandy lagoon. There are almost continuous long wooded motus on...
atoll, Bora Bora
Bora Bora
The commune of Bora-Bora is made up of the island of Bora Bora proper with its surrounding islets emerging from the coral reef, 29.3 km² in total, and of the atoll of Tupai , located north of Bora Bora...
(Tahitian name: Vava'u), the most known of the Leeward Islands in the western world
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
due to its World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
USA naval base
Naval base
A naval base is a military base, where warships and naval ships are deployed when they have no mission at sea or want to restock. Usually ships may also perform some minor repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usually stay on the ships but are undergoing maintenance while...
and subsequent tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
industry, Tahaa
Tahaa
Tahaa is an island located among the Society Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean...
(Tahitian name: Uporu), lying just north of the largest island of the group, Raiatea
Raiatea
Raiatea , is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti, in French Polynesia. The island is widely regarded as the 'center' of the eastern islands in ancient Polynesia and it is likely that the organised migrations to Hawaii, Aotearoa and other parts of East Polynesia started at...
(Tahitian names: Hava'i, Ioretea) which possesses the largest city and local capital of the Leeward Islands, namely Uturoa
Uturoa
Uturoa is a commune of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The commune of Uturoa is located on the island of Raiatea, in the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands of which Uturoa is the administrative capital. The Leeward Islands are themselves part...
, as well as the highest elevation, the just over 1,000 m mount Tefatua, and finally the easternmost island of the group, Huahine
Huahine
Huahine is an island located among the Society Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Leeward Islands group . The island has a population of about 6,000.-Geography:...
(Tahitian name: Mata'irea) which at high tide
High Tide
High Tide was a band formed in 1969 by Tony Hill , Simon House , Peter Pavli and Roger Hadden .-History:...
is divided into two: Huahine Nui ("big Huahine") to the north and Huahine Iti ("small Huahine") to the south.
Administration
The archipelagoArchipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
comprises an administrative division
Administrative divisions of French Polynesia
There are two levels of administrative divisions of French Polynesia, five administrative subdivisions each of which is further divided into a total of 48 communes. Many of the communes are further subdivided into communes associées...
of French Polynesia. The capital of the Leeward Islands administrative subdivision is Uturoa
Uturoa
Uturoa is a commune of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The commune of Uturoa is located on the island of Raiatea, in the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands of which Uturoa is the administrative capital. The Leeward Islands are themselves part...
. The Leeward Islands (subdivision administrative des Îles Sous-le-vent) are one of 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...
's five administrative subdivisions
Administrative divisions of French Polynesia
There are two levels of administrative divisions of French Polynesia, five administrative subdivisions each of which is further divided into a total of 48 communes. Many of the communes are further subdivided into communes associées...
. The administrative subdivision is identical with the electoral district of the Leeward Islands, one of 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...
's 6 electoral districts for the Assembly of French Polynesia
Assembly of French Polynesia
The Assembly of French Polynesia is the unicameral legislature of French Polynesia, located at the Place Tarahoi in Papeete, Tahiti. It consists of 57 members who are elected by popular vote and by proportional representation in 6 multi-seat constituencies. The only official language of the...
(see also Politics of French Polynesia
Politics of French Polynesia
Politics of French Polynesia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic French overseas collectivity, whereby the President of French Polynesia is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government...
).
History
The first European to encounter the archipelagoArchipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
was James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
on 12 April 1769 during the British expedition to observe the transit of Venus
Transit of Venus
A transit of Venus across the Sun takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and Earth, becoming visible against the solar disk. During a transit, Venus can be seen from Earth as a small black disk moving across the face of the Sun...
. On this first voyage (he subsequently revisited the islands twice), he named the Leeward group of islands Society in honor of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
. After France
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...
declared a protectorate over Tahiti in 1840, the British and French signed the Jarnac Convention, in 1847, declaring that the kingdoms of Raiatea, Huahine and Bora Bora were to remain independent from either powers and that no single chief was to be allowed to reign over the entire archipelago. France eventually broke the agreement, and the islands were annexed and became a colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
in 1888 (eight years after the Windward Islands
Windward Islands (Society Islands)
The Windward Islands are the eastern group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean.-Geography:...
) after many native resistances and conflicts called the Leewards War, lasting until 1897.
Geography
The islands are mountainous, consisting of volcanic rock. They are formed of trachyteTrachyte
Trachyte is an igneous volcanic rock with an aphanitic to porphyritic texture. The mineral assemblage consists of essential alkali feldspar; relatively minor plagioclase and quartz or a feldspathoid such as nepheline may also be present....
, dolerite and basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
. 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.
Flora and Fauna
Flora includes breadfruitBreadfruit
Breadfruit is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae, growing throughout Southeast Asia and most Pacific Ocean islands...
, pandanus
Pandanus
Pandanus is a genus of monocots with about 600 known species. They are numerous palmlike dioecious trees and shrubs native of the Old World tropics and subtropics. They are classified in the order Pandanales, family Pandanaceae.-Overview:...
, and coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
palms. The limited terrestrial fauna includes feral pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s, rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s, and small lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s. There are several species of freshwater fish
Freshwater fish
Freshwater fish are fish that spend some or all of their lives in freshwater, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 0.05%. These environments differ from marine conditions in many ways, the most obvious being the difference in levels of salinity...
inhabiting the small streams on the islands, but the fringing coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
s around the islands exhibit a dazzling array of fish and other salt water-dwelling species.
Tourism
TourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
is the mainstay of the economy. Agriculturally, the major products are 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:...
, sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
, mother-of-pearl, and vanilla
Vanilla
Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, Flat-leaved Vanilla . The word vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod...
.
The islands include
- RaiateaRaiateaRaiatea , is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti, in French Polynesia. The island is widely regarded as the 'center' of the eastern islands in ancient Polynesia and it is likely that the organised migrations to Hawaii, Aotearoa and other parts of East Polynesia started at...
(largest island of the group); Tahitian names: Hava'i, Ioretea - HuahineHuahineHuahine is an island located among the Society Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Leeward Islands group . The island has a population of about 6,000.-Geography:...
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 - TahaaTahaaTahaa is an island located among the Society Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean...
; Tahitian name: Uporu - Bora BoraBora BoraThe commune of Bora-Bora is made up of the island of Bora Bora proper with its surrounding islets emerging from the coral reef, 29.3 km² in total, and of the atoll of Tupai , located north of Bora Bora...
; Tahitian name: Vava'u - TupaiTupaiTupai is a low-lying atoll in Society Islands, French Polynesia. It lies 19 km to the north of Bora Bora and belongs to the Leeward Islands . This small atoll is only 11 km² in area. Its broad coral reef encloses a shallow sandy lagoon. There are almost continuous long wooded motus on...
- MaupitiMaupitiMaupiti is a small coral atoll with a volcanic island in its midst.-Geography:Maupiti is located to the west of the Leeward Islands in French Polynesia. It is the westernmost volcanic high island in the archipelago, 40 km west of Bora Bora. The central island of Maupiti has a high peak of 380...
; Tahitian name: Maurua - ManuaeManuae (Society Islands)The atoll of Manuae, also known as Scilly, is located approximately to the northwest of Maupihaa and to the west of Maupiti, at . It is the westernmost of the Society Islands' Leeward Islands, located 217 mi. west of Bora Bora and 342 mi...
(aka Scilly Atoll) - MaupihaaMaupihaaMaupihaa, also known as Mopelia, is an atoll in the Leeward group of the Society Islands. This atoll is located 72 km southeast of Manuae, its nearest neighbor.-Geography:...
(aka Mopelia) - Motu OneMotu One (Society Islands)Motu One, also known as Bellinghausen, is an atoll in the Leeward group of the Society Islands. Motu One is located 550 km northwest from Tahiti and 72 km northeast of Manuae, its closest neighbor....
(aka Bellinghausen)