Nengonengo
Encyclopedia
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...
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...
. It is located 53 km southeast of Ravahere
Ravahere
Ravahere is an atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 53 km northwest of Nengonengo Atoll and it is separated by a 2 km sound from Marokau Atoll, its closest neighbor to the north....
, its closest neighbor, and 100 km southwest of Hao Atoll
Hao (French Polynesia)
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....
.
Nengonengo Atoll is roughly bell-shaped. It measures 13 km in length with a maximum width of 8 km. It has a wide lagoon with a surface 67 km², but there is no pass to enter it.
Nengonengo has 54 inhabitants.
History
The first recorded European who arrived to Nengonengo was Englishman Samuel WallisSamuel Wallis
Samuel Wallis was a Cornish navigator who circumnavigated the world.Wallis was born near Camelford, Cornwall. In 1766 he was given the command of HMS Dolphin to circumnavigate the world, accompanied by the Swallow under the command of Philip Carteret...
in 1767. He named it "Prince William Henry".
The small private airport on Nengonengo was inaugurated in 1993. It is owned by the Wan
Robert Wan Pearl Museum
The Robert Wan Pearl Museum is the world's only museum dedicated to pearls. It is located in Papeete, Tahiti, the capital of French Polynesia.-Overview:...
pearl company.
Administration
Nengonengo Atoll belongs to the commune of Hao, which 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, 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).