Tahiti
Encyclopedia
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:...
group 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...
, located in the archipelago
Archipelago
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...
of the Society Islands
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 the southern Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
activity and is high and mountainous with surrounding 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. The population is 178,133 (2007 census), making it the most populous island of French Polynesia and accounting for 68.6% of the group's total population. Tahiti was formerly known as Otaheite.
The capital, Papeete
Papeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
, is located on the northwest coast with the only international airport in the region, Faa'a International Airport
Faa'a International Airport
- Overview :The Faaa International Airport is a relatively small airport. Air Tahiti has flights every day going to all the other islands in French Polynesia while international flights go to different countries such as the United States or New Zealand. The airport is on Tahiti which is an island...
, situated 5 km (3.1 mi) from the town centre. Tahiti was originally settled by Polynesians
Polynesians
The Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...
between CE 300 and 800. They comprise about 70% of the island's population with the rest made up of Europeans
European people
European people may refer to:*Ethnic groups in Europe*Demographics of Europe*people from Europe*people from the European Union*People outside of Europe of European descent** European African or White African**White American ***European American...
, Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
and those of mixed heritage. The island was proclaimed a colony of France
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
in 1880 although it was not until 1946 that the indigenous Tahitians
Tahitians
The Tahitians, or Maohis, are indigenous peoples of Tahiti and thirteen other Society Islands, as well as the modern population of these lands of mixed ancestry . The Tahitians are one of the most significant indigenous Polynesian peoples of Oceania....
were legally authorised to be French citizens. French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
is the only official language although the Tahitian language
Tahitian language
Tahitian is an indigenous language spoken mainly in the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is an Eastern Polynesian language closely related to the other indigenous languages spoken in French Polynesia: Marquesan, Tuamotuan, Mangarevan, and Austral Islands languages...
(Reo Tahiti) is widely spoken. It was part of the Kingdom of Tahiti until its annexation by France in 1880.
Geography
Tahiti is the highest and largest island in French Polynesia. It is located 4400 km (2,734 mi) south of HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, 7900 km (4,909 mi) from Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and 5700 km (3,542 mi) from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The island is 45 km (28 mi) across at its widest point and covers an area of 1045 km² (403.5 sq mi). The highest peak is Mont Orohena
Mont Orohena
Mont Orohena is a mountain of 2,241 m in central Tahiti in French Polynesia in the south Pacific. It is the highest point of French Polynesia. Mont Orohena is an extinct volcano.-References:...
(Mou'a 'Orohena) (2241 m (7,352.4 ft)). Mount Ronui (Mou'a Rōnui) in the southeast rises to 1332 m (4,370.1 ft). The island consists of two roughly round portions centred on volcanic mountains and connected by a short isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
named after the small town of Taravao, situated there.
The northwestern portion is known as Tahiti Nui ("big Tahiti"), while the much smaller southeastern portion is known as Tahiti Iti ("small Tahiti") or Tai'arapū. Tahiti Nui is heavily populated along the coast, especially around the capital, Papeete.
The interior of Tahiti Nui is almost entirely uninhabited. Tahiti Iti has remained isolated, as its southeastern half (Te Pari) is accessible only to those travelling by boat or on foot. The rest of the island is encircled by a main road which cuts between the mountains and the sea.
An interior road climbs past dairy farms and citrus groves with panoramic views. Tahiti's landscape features lush rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s and many streams, including the Papenoo River
Papenoo River
The Papenoo River is a river of French Polynesia. It is located on the island of Tahiti. Where the river fist becomes a river is in the mountains of Tahiti east of the town cener of Papeete. The river ends on the coast of Tahiti near Papeete. The river is about 20 miles long and is about 10 feet...
on the north side.
Climate
November to April is the wet season, the wettest month of which is January with 13.2 in (33.5 cm) of rain in Papeetē. August is the driest with 1.9 in (4.8 cm).The average temperature ranges between 21 °C (70 °F) and 31 °C (88 °F) with little seasonal variation. The lowest and highest temperatures recorded in Bibys are 16 °C (61 °F) and 34 °C (93 °F), respectively.
Tahitians
Tahiti is estimated to have been settled between CE 300 and 800 by Polynesians, although some estimates place the date earlier. These first settlers are believed to have travelled thousands of miles across open sea by Polynesian navigationPolynesian navigation
Polynesian navigation is a system of navigation used by Polynesians to make long voyages across thousands of miles of open ocean. Navigators travel to small inhabited islands using only their own senses and knowledge passed by oral tradition from navigator to apprentice, often in the form of song...
from the western archipelagoes of Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
or Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
. In 1770, 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...
observed in Tahiti, a great traditional ship (va'a) 33 m (108.3 ft) in length. Tahitian society was composed of chiefdoms and territories based on kinship
Kinship
Kinship is a relationship between any entities that share a genealogical origin, through either biological, cultural, or historical descent. And descent groups, lineages, etc. are treated in their own subsections....
and military power among various clans. A clan was led by a chief (Ali'i
Ali'i
Alii is a word in the Polynesian language denoting chiefly status in ancient Hawaii and the Samoa Islands. A similar word with the same concept is found in other Polynesian societies. In the Cook Islands, an ariki is a high chief and the House of Ariki is a parliamentary house...
rahi), nobles (Ari'i) and lesser chiefs. The Ari'i were believed to be descendants of Polynesian gods
Polynesian mythology
Polynesian mythology is the oral traditions of the people of Polynesia, a grouping of Central and South Pacific Ocean island archipelagos in the Polynesian triangle together with the scattered cultures known as the Polynesian outliers...
and invested with supernatural power (mana
Mana
Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian....
). A symbol of their status were belts made of red feathers.
Marae
A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...
was a sacred place of worship constructed of raised stone platforms in open ground, performing a cultural function similar to such structures in other Polynesian societies
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
. The marae were at the centre of the spiritual and social life of the clan. Here, gods were invoked and leaders enthroned. It was also a place for ceremonies such as preparation for war, birth celebrations as well as burial rituals. Types of marae ranged from simple family platforms to larger edifices for leaders of high status, although all were considered tapu. Early European contact saw the arrival of the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
in 1797 who introduced Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and documented the Tahitian language (Reo Tahiti).
1700s
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...
, an English sea captain, sighted Tahiti on 18 June 1767, received by Queen Purea
Purea
Purea was a Queen from the Landward Teva tribe and a self-proclaimed ruler of all Tahiti. In 1767-68 Purea and her mate Amo built Mahaiatea, a place intended to be the ritual center of Tahiti....
and is considered the first European visitor. (A later report of an earlier sighting of Tahiti by the Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós
Pedro Fernandes de Queirós
Pedro Fernandes de Queirós , was a Portuguese navigator best known for his involvement with Spanish voyages of discovery in the Pacific Ocean, in particular the 1595-1596 voyage of Alvaro de Mendaña de Neira, and for leading a 1605-1606 expedition which crossed the Pacific in search of Terra...
, serving the Spanish Crown, in 1606, is likely to have been mistaken with a sighting of La Sagitaria Island (Rekareka
Rekareka
Rekareka, Tehuata or Tu-henua, is an atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located in the Centre East of the group, 83 km southeast from Raroia .and lies 70 km NW of Tauere, its nearest neighbor...
), to the SE of Tahiti.)
The relaxed and contented nature of the people and the characterisation of the island as a paradise
Paradise
Paradise is a place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. It is conceptually a counter-image of the miseries of human civilization, and in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but it is not necessarily a land of luxury and...
impressed early Europeans, planting the seed for a romanticisation by the West
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...
that endures to this day.
Wallis was followed in April 1768 by the French 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...
, completing the first French circumnavigation. Bougainville made Tahiti famous in Europe when he published Voyage autour du monde. He described the island as an earthly paradise where men and women live happily in innocence, away from the corruption of civilization. His account illustrated the concept of the noble savage
Noble savage
The term noble savage , expresses the concept an idealized indigene, outsider , and refers to the literary stock character of the same...
, and influenced utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
n thoughts of philosophers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...
before the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
First voyage of James Cook
The first voyage of James Cook was a combined Royal Navy and Royal Society expedition to the south Pacific ocean aboard HMS Endeavour, from 1768 to 1771...
on orders from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and 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"...
to view the transit of Venus
1769 Transit of Venus observed from Tahiti
On June 3, 1769, British navigator, Captain James Cook, British astronomer Charles Green and Swedish naturalist Daniel Solander observed and recorded the transit of Venus on the island of Tahiti during Cook’s first voyage around the world. During a transit, Venus appears as a small black disc...
on 2 June. He, along with Charles Green
Charles Green (astronomer)
Charles Green was a British astronomer, noted for his assignment by the Royal Society in 1768 to the expedition sent to the Pacific Ocean in order to observe the transit of Venus and the transit of Mercury, aboard James Cook's Endeavour.A farmer's son, he became assistant to the Astronomer Royal...
and Daniel Solander
Daniel Solander
Daniel Carlsson Solander or Daniel Charles Solander was a Swedish naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus. Solander was the first university educated scientist to set foot on Australian soil.-Biography:...
, set up camp at Matavai Bay and stayed on until 9 August. Cook estimated the population to be 200,000 including all the nearby islands in the chain. This estimate was later lowered to 35,000 by anthropologist Douglas L. Oliver, the foremost modern authority on Tahiti, at the time of discovery in 1767. After Cook, European ships landed with greater frequency. The best-known was HMS Bounty
HMS Bounty
HMS Bounty , famous as the scene of the Mutiny on the Bounty on 28 April 1789, was originally a three-masted cargo ship, the Bethia, purchased by the British Admiralty, then modified and commissioned as His Majesty's Armed Vessel the...
, whose crew mutinied after leaving Tahiti
Mutiny on the Bounty
The mutiny on the Bounty was a mutiny that occurred aboard the British Royal Navy ship HMS Bounty on 28 April 1789, and has been commemorated by several books, films, and popular songs, many of which take considerable liberties with the facts. The mutiny was led by Fletcher Christian against the...
in 1789. On later visits Cook made harbour at Tautira Bay
Tautira Bay
Tautira Bay is located on the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia. It is part of the commune Taiarapu-Est. It is formed by Tautira Point and reef on the eastern side, and by the barrier reef on the western side...
which is sometimes known as Cooks Anchorage.
After European contact, the population fell rapidly and traditional society was disrupted by guns, prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, venereal disease
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
, alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
, and Christianity. Introduced diseases including typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
, influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
and smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
killed so many Tahitians that by 1797, the population was only 16,000. Later it was to drop as low as 6,000.
The London Missionary Society, founded in 1795, instructed its Tahitian missionaries to intervene in what they saw as wretched conditions and demonic influence.
The Viceroy of Peru
Viceroyalty of Peru
Created in 1542, the Viceroyalty of Peru was a Spanish colonial administrative district that originally contained most of Spanish-ruled South America, governed from the capital of Lima...
, Manuel de Amat y Juniet
Manuel de Amat y Juniet
Felipe Manuel Cayetano de Amat y de Juniet was a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator. He was the Royal Governor of the Captaincy General of Chile from December 28, 1755 to September 9, 1761, and Viceroy of Peru from October 12, 1761 to July 17, 1776.-Origins and military...
, following the instructions of the Spanish Crown, decided to take possession of the island in 1772, largely to control the expansion of other countries and also to evangelize. So, he sent four expeditions within the period 1772-1775, but Charles III of Spain
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
finally cancelled the mission as a consequence of his secular policy. Most notable of these expeditions was the drafting of a diary by a soldier of the Marine named Maximo Rodriguez, covering a period of 12 months, revealing many ethnological details about the Tahitians of the 18th century.
Pōmare I
Pomare I
Pōmare I, King of Tahiti , fully in old orthography: Tu-nui-ea-i-te-atua-i-Tarahoi Vairaatoa Taina Pōmare I , was the unifier and first king of Tahiti and founder of the Pōmare dynasty and the Kingdom of Tahiti between 1788? and 1791.Outu is the phonetic English rendering of...
founded the Pōmare Dynasty
Pōmare Dynasty
The Pōmare Dynasty was the reigning family of the Kingdom of Tahiti between the unification of the island by Pōmare I in 1788 and Pōmare V's cession of the kingdom to France in 1880...
and his lineage was the first to unify Tahiti from 1788-1791. He and his descendants founded and expanded Tahitian influence to all of the lands that now constitute modern French Polynesia.
1800s
Pomare II
Pōmare II, King of Tahiti , fully Tu Tunuieaiteatua Pōmare II or in modern orthography Tū Tū-nui-ēa-i-te-atua Pōmare II , was the second king of Tahiti between 1782 and 1821. He was installed by his father Pōmare I at Tarahoi, February 13, 1791...
. In 1821 Pōmare II died and the throne went to his son Pōmare III
Pomare III
Pōmare III, King of Tahiti , more properly Teriʻitariʻa Pōmare III, was the king of Tahiti between 1821 and 1827. He was the second son of King Pōmare II and his wife Queen Teriʻtoʻoterai Teremoemoe....
who was 18 months old. He was to die at the age of six in 1827 and was succeeded by his sister, Pōmare IV
Pomare IV
Pōmare IV, Queen of Tahiti , more properly Aimata Pōmare IV Vahine-o-Punuateraitua , was the queen of Tahiti between 1827 and 1877...
.
In November 1835 Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
visited Tahiti aboard the HMS Beagle
HMS Beagle
HMS Beagle was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 11 May 1820 from the Woolwich Dockyard on the River Thames, at a cost of £7,803. In July of that year she took part in a fleet review celebrating the coronation of King George IV of the United Kingdom in which...
on her circumnavigation, captained by Robert FitzRoy
Robert FitzRoy
Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy RN achieved lasting fame as the captain of HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin's famous voyage, and as a pioneering meteorologist who made accurate weather forecasting a reality...
. He was impressed by what he perceived to be the positive influence the missionaries had had on the sobriety and moral character of the population. Darwin praised the scenery, but was not flattering towards Tahiti's Queen Pōmare IV. Captain Fitzroy negotiated payment of compensation for an attack on an English ship by Tahitians, which had taken place in 1833.
In 1839 the island was visited by the United States Exploring Expedition
United States Exploring Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States from 1838 to 1842. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. The voyage was authorized by Congress in...
; one of its members, Alfred Thomas Agate, produced a number of sketches of Tahitian life, some of which were later published in the United States.
In 1842, a European crisis involving Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
escalated between France and Great Britain when Admiral Dupetit Thouars
Abel Aubert Dupetit Thouars
Abel Aubert Dupetit Thouars was a French naval officer important in France's anexation of French Polynesia.He was born at the castle of La Fessardière, near Saumur. His uncle Aristide Aubert Dupetit-Thouars was of the heroes of the Battle of the Nile...
, acting independently of the French government, convinced Tahiti's Queen Pōmare IV to accept a French protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
. George Pritchard
George Pritchard (missionary)
George Pritchard was a British Christian missionary and diplomatist.Pritchard was born in Birmingham and studied at the mission seminary at Gosport. In 1824 he travelled to the Society Islands to undertake work for the London Missionary Society. In 1837 he was appointed British consul at Tahiti,...
, a Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
-born missionary and acting British Consul
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
, had been away at the time. However he returned to work towards indoctrinating the locals against the Roman Catholic French. In June 1843, Dupetit-Thouars (again on his own initiative) landed sailors on the island, annexing it to France. He then threw Pritchard into prison, subsequently sending him back to Britain.
News of Tahiti reached Europe in early 1844. The French statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
François Guizot
François Guizot
François Pierre Guillaume Guizot was a French historian, orator, and statesman. Guizot was a dominant figure in French politics prior to the Revolution of 1848, a conservative liberal who opposed the attempt by King Charles X to usurp legislative power, and worked to sustain a constitutional...
, supported by King Louis-Philippe of France, had denounced annexation of the island. However, war between the French and the Tahitians continued until 1847. The island remained a French protectorate until June 29, 1880, when King Pōmare V
Pomare V
Pōmare V, King of Tahiti was the last monarch of Tahiti, reigning from 1877 until his forced abdication in 1880. He was the son of Queen Pōmare IV. He was born as Teri'i Tari'a Te-rā-tane and became Heir Apparent and Crown Prince upon the death of his elder brother on 13 May 1855...
(1842–1891) was forced to cede the sovereignty of Tahiti and its dependencies to France. He was given the titular position of Officer of the Orders of the Legion of Honour and Agricultural Merit of France
Mérite agricole
The Ordre National du Mérite Agricole is an order of merit established in France on 7 July 1883 by Minister of Agriculture Jules Méline to reward services to agriculture...
.
French painter Paul Gauguin
Paul Gauguin
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin was a leading French Post-Impressionist artist. He was an important figure in the Symbolist movement as a painter, sculptor, print-maker, ceramist, and writer...
lived on Tahiti in the 1890s and painted many Tahitian subjects. Papeari
Papeari
Papeari is a village on the south coast of Tahiti. It is located in Tahiti-nui district, around 32 miles from Papeete.-History:Papeari is attested in some accounts as Tahiti's oldest village....
has a small Gauguin museum.
In 1891 Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner (shipbuilder)
Matthew Turner was an American sea captain, shipbuilder and designer. He constructed 228 vessels, of which 154 were built in the Matthew Turner shipyard in Benicia...
, an American shipbuilder from San Francisco, who had been looking for a fast passage between the city and Tahiti built the Papeete
Papeete (schooner)
The Papeete was a schooner built in 1891 by Matthew Turner, a San Francisco Bay Area shipbuilder who had extensive business interests in Tahiti. The ship was known for a fast passage from San Francisco to Tahiti of 17 days....
. The Papeete, a two masted schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
, made the trip in seventeen days.
Twentieth century
In 1946, Tahiti and the whole of French Polynesia became an overseas territory (Territoire d'outre-mer). Tahitians were granted French citizenshipFrench nationality law
French nationality law is historically based on the principles of jus soli , according to Ernest Renan's definition, in opposition to the German's definition of nationality, Jus sanguinis , formalized by Fichte.The 1993 Méhaignerie Law required children born in France of foreign parents to request...
, a right that had been campaigned for by nationalist leader Pouvanaa a Oopa
Pouvanaa a Oopa
Pouvanaa a Oopa was a French Polynesia politician and Tahitian nationalist, who led a Tahitian separatist movement against French rule, before being exiled to France in the late 1950s....
for many years. In 2003, French Polynesia's status was changed to that of an overseas collectivity (Collectivité d'outre-mer) and in 2004 it was declared an overseas country (pays d'outre-mer or POM).
During the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Papeete region of the island was attacked
Bombardment of Papeete
The Bombardment of Papeete occurred in French Polynesia when German warships attacked on 22 September 1914, during World War I. The German armoured cruisers and entered the port of Papeete on the island of Tahiti and sank the French gunboat and freighter Walkure before bombarding the town's...
by two German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
warships. A French gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
as well as a captured German freighter were sunk in the harbour and the two German warships
Armored cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like other types of cruiser, the armored cruiser was a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship, and fast enough to outrun any battleships it encountered.The first...
bombarded the colony. Between 1966 and 1996 the French Government conducted 193 nuclear bomb tests above and below the atolls of Moruroa
Moruroa
Moruroa , also historically known as Aopuni, is an atoll which forms part of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia in the southern Pacific Ocean...
and Fangataufa
Fangataufa
Fangataufa is a small, low, narrow, coral atoll in the eastern side of the Tuamotu Archipelago. Along with its neighboring atoll, Moruroa, it has been the site of approximately 200 nuclear bomb tests....
. The last test was conducted on 27 January 1996.
Twenty-first century
In 2009, Tauatomo MairauTauatomo Mairau
Tuatomo Mairau is from the royal Tahitian family of Mairau. As of February 2009, Tauatomo Mairau claims to be the heir to the Tahitian throne, and has attempted to re-assert the status of the monarchy in court. His claims are not recognised by France....
claimed the Tahitian throne, and has attempted to re-assert the status of the monarchy in court.
Politics
Tahitians are French citizens with complete civil and political rights. French is the official language but Tahitian and French are both in use. However, there was a time during the 1960s and 1970s when children were forbidden to speak Tahitian in schools. Present day thinking has changed and Tahitian is now being taught in schools; it is sometimes even a requirement for employment.Tahiti is part of French Polynesia. French Polynesia is a semi-autonomous territory of France with its own assembly, president, budget and laws
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...
. France's influence is limited to subsidies, education and security. The former President of French Polynesia
President of French Polynesia
This is the list of Presidents of French Polynesia.-See also:*List of monarchs of Tahiti*Colonial and Departmental Heads of French Polynesia-External links:*...
, Oscar Temaru
Oscar Temaru
Oscar Manutahi Temaru is a French Polynesian politician. He has been President of French Polynesia , a French dependency with broad powers of self-rule, on five occasions: in 2004, from 2005 to 2006, from 2007 to 2008, in 2009, and again since 1 April 2011.-Career:He first served as the President...
, advocates full independence from France. However, only about 20% of the population is thought to be in favour.
During a press conference on 26 June 2006 during the second France-Oceania Summit, French President Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
said he did not think the majority of Tahitians wanted independence. He would keep an open door to a possible referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
in the future.
Elections 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...
, the Territorial Assembly of French Polynesia, were held on 23 May 2004
French Polynesian legislative election, 2004
Elections for the Assembly of French Polynesia, the Territorial Assembly of French Polynesia, were held on May 23, 2004.In a surprise result Oscar Temaru's pro-independence progressive coalition formed Government with a one seat majority in the 57 seat parliament, defeating the conservative party...
.
In a surprise result, Oscar Temaru's pro-independence progressive coalition, Union for Democracy, formed a government with a one-seat majority in the 57-seat parliament, defeating the conservative party, Tahoera'a Huiraatira
Tahoera'a Huiraatira
Tāhōʻēraʻa Huiraʻatira is a political party in French Polynesia.At the last legislative elections on May 23, 2004, and by-elections on February 13, 2005, the party won 27 out of 57 seats....
, led by Gaston Flosse
Gaston Flosse
Gaston Flosse is a French Polynesian politician who has been President of French Polynesia on four separate occasions. He is currently a member of the Senate of France.-Life and career:...
. On 8 October 2004, Flosse succeeded in passing a censure
Censure
A censure is an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism. Among the forms that it can take are a stern rebuke by a legislature, a spiritual penalty imposed by a church, and a negative judgment pronounced on a theological proposition.-Politics:...
motion against the government, provoking a crisis. A controversy is whether the national government of France should use its power to call for new elections in a local government in case of a political crisis.
Demographics
The indigenous Tahitians are of Polynesian ancestry comprising 70% of the population alongside Europeans, East Asians (essentially ChineseHan Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
) and people of mixed heritage sometimes referred to as Demis. They make up the largest population in French Polynesia. Most people from metropolitan France
Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France is the part of France located in Europe. It can also be described as mainland France or as the French mainland and the island of Corsica...
live in Papeete and its suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s, notably Punaauia
Punaauia
Punaauia is a commune in the suburbs of Papeete in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Punaauia is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands. In the late 1890s, the French...
where they make up almost 20% of the population.
Historical population
| 1767 | 1797 | 1848 | 1897 | 1911 | 1921 | 1926 | 1931 | 1936 | 1941 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50,000 to 200,000 |
16,000 | 8,600 | 10,750 | 11,800 | 11,700 | 14,200 | 16,800 | 19,000 | 23,100 | |||
| 1951 | 1956 | 1962 | 1971 | 1977 | 1983 | 1988 | 1996 | 2002 | 2007 | |||
| 30,500 | 38,100 | 45,400 | 79,494 | 95,604 | 115,820 | 131,309 | 150,721 | 169,674 | 178,133 | |||
| Official figures from past censuses. | ||||||||||||
Administrative divisions
The island consists of 12 communesCommunes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
, which, along with Moorea-Maiao
Moorea-Maiao
Moorea-Maiao is a commune of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The commune is in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands....
, make up the Windward Islands administrative subdivision
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 capital is Papeete and the largest commune by population is Faaa
Faaa
Faaa is a commune in the suburbs of Papeete in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Faaa is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands. Faaa has a population of 29,851, making...
while Taiarapu-Est
Taiarapu-Est
Taiarapu-Est is a commune of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The commune of Taiarapu-Est is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands.The commune extends over a part of...
has the largest area.
Communes of Tahiti
The following is a list of communes and their subdivisions sorted alphabetically:| Commune | Population | Area | Density | | Subdivisions | | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arue Arue, French Polynesia Arue is a commune in the suburbs of Papeete in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Arue is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands.... |
9,494 | 21.45 km² (8.3 sq mi) | 443 PD/sqkm | Tetiaroa Tetiaroa Tetiaroa is a private atoll in the Windward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean. Once the vacation spot for Tahitian royalty, the atoll is widely known for having been purchased by Marlon Brando... , an atoll north of Arue belongs to the commune. |
|
| Faaa Faaa Faaa is a commune in the suburbs of Papeete in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Faaa is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands. Faaa has a population of 29,851, making... |
29,781 | 34.2 km² (13.2 sq mi) | 871 PD/sqkm | Largest commune (by population) in Tahiti and French Polynesia. | |
| Hitiaa O Te Ra Hitiaa O Te Ra Hitiaa O Te Ra is a commune of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The commune of Hitiaa O Te Ra is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands.The administrative centre of the... |
8,691 | 218.2 km² (84.2 sq mi) | 40 PD/sqkm | Hitiaa, Mahaena, Papenoo, Tiarei | The administrative centre of the commune is the settlement of Hitiaa. |
| Mahina Mahina, French Polynesia Mahina is a commune in the suburbs of Papeete in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Mahina is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands. Mahina is the 3rd largest city in... |
14,356 | 51.6 km² (19.9 sq mi) | 278 PD/sqkm | Close to the Papenoo River Papenoo River The Papenoo River is a river of French Polynesia. It is located on the island of Tahiti. Where the river fist becomes a river is in the mountains of Tahiti east of the town cener of Papeete. The river ends on the coast of Tahiti near Papeete. The river is about 20 miles long and is about 10 feet... . |
|
| Paea Paea Paea is a commune in the suburbs of Papeete in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. Paea is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands.The Faaa International Airport... |
12,084 | 64.5 km² (24.9 sq mi) | 187 PD/sqkm | ||
| Papara Papara Papara is a commune of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Papara is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands.... |
10,634 | 92.5 km² (35.7 sq mi) | 115 PD/sqkm | ||
| Papeete Papeete -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront... |
26,050 | 17.4 km² (6.7 sq mi) | 1497 PD/sqkm | Capital of French Polynesia and 2nd largest city. | |
| Pirae Pirae Pirae is a commune in the suburbs of Papeete in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Pirae is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands. It borders Papeete in the west and... |
14,551 | 35.4 km² (13.7 sq mi) | 411 PD/sqkm | Located between Papeete and Arue. | |
| Punaauia Punaauia Punaauia is a commune in the suburbs of Papeete in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Punaauia is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands. In the late 1890s, the French... |
25,399 | 75.9 km² (29.3 sq mi) | 335 PD/sqkm | French painter Paul Gaugin lived in Punaauia in the 1890s. Punaauia is the 3rd largest city in French Polynesia. | |
| Taiarapu-Est Taiarapu-Est Taiarapu-Est is a commune of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The commune of Taiarapu-Est is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands.The commune extends over a part of... |
11,538 | 218.3 km² (84.3 sq mi) | 53 PD/sqkm | Afaahiti Afaahiti Afaahiti is a village and district in Tahiti. It is located on Tahiti-Iti close to the Plateau of Taravao, which connects Tahiti-Nui to Tahiti-Iti. The area is rural with an abundance of lush, natural beauty and many small villages. The official languages are French and Tahitian. The currency... , Faaone, Pueu Pueu Pueu is a village and district on the east coast of Tahiti, south east of Papeete. It lies northwest by road from Tautira. It lies on a lagoon and contains an old church.It hosts a Spiritual Festival on Christmas Day.The Spaniards named the harbour within the Pueu reef "Puerto de la Virgen".Pueu... , Tautira Tautira Tautira is a Polynesian beach village, valley, and point on the south-east coast of the island of Tahiti in the Pacific. It is part of the commune Taiarapu-Est. With a population of 2338 , it is located 49 kilometres southeast of the Tahitian capital of Papeete on the coast of Tautira Bay, at the... |
An offshore island called Mehetia Mehetia Mehetia or Meetia is a volcanic island in the Windward Islands, in the east of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. This island is a very young active stratovolcano east of Taiarapu Peninsula of Tahiti. It belongs to the Teahitia-Mehetia hotspot.... belongs to the commune. |
| Taiarapu-Ouest Taiarapu-Ouest Taiarapu-Ouest is a commune of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The commune of Taiarapu-Ouest is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands.The commune extends over half... |
7,007 | 104.3 km² (40.3 sq mi) | 67 PD/sqkm | Teahupo'o Teahupo'o Teahupoo is a village on the south-west coast of the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia, southern Pacific Ocean.It is known for the surf break and heavy, glassy waves offshore, often reaching 2 to 3 m and up to 70 feet... , Taohotu, Vairao Vairao Vairao, also Port Vairaoand Matiti, is a small port town and district on the southwest coast of Tahiti, just to the northwest of Teahupo'o.... |
Extends over half of the peninsula of Tahiti Iti. |
| Teva I Uta Teva I Uta Teva I Uta is a commune of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The commune of Teva I Uta is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands.... |
8,591 | 119.5 km² (46.1 sq mi) | 72 PD/sqkm | Mataiea, Papeari Papeari Papeari is a village on the south coast of Tahiti. It is located in Tahiti-nui district, around 32 miles from Papeete.-History:Papeari is attested in some accounts as Tahiti's oldest village.... |
The administrative centre of the commune is the settlement of Mataiea. |
Economy
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 a significant industry.
In July, the Heivā festival in Papeete celebrates Polynesian culture
Polynesian culture
Polynesian culture refers to the indigenous peoples' culture of Polynesia who share common traits in language, customs and society. Chronologically, the development of Polynesian culture can be divided into four different historical eras:...
and the commemoration of the storming of the Bastille
Storming of the Bastille
The storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris on the morning of 14 July 1789. The medieval fortress and prison in Paris known as the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. While the prison only contained seven inmates at the time of its storming, its fall was the flashpoint...
in Paris.
Foreign direct investment
Foreign direct investment or foreign investment refers to the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor.. It is the sum of equity capital,other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in...
), the economy is reliant on imports. At the cessation of CEP activities, France signed the Progress Pact with Tahiti to compensate the loss of financial resources and assist in education and tourism with an investment of about US$150 million a year from the beginning of 2006.
The main trading partners are France for about 40% of imports and about 25% of exports, the other main trading partners are the US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Tahitian pearl (Black pearl) farming is also a substantial source of revenues, most of the pearls being exported to Japan, Europe and the US. Tahiti also exports 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...
, fruits, flowers, monoi
Monoi oil
Monoi oil is infused oil made from soaking the petals of Tahitian gardenias in a semi-wax coconut oil. Monoi is an ancient Tahitian word meaning "scented oil" in the Reo-Maohi language. Monoi is widely used among French Polynesians as a skin and hair softener...
, fish, copra oil
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm . Throughout the tropical world, it has provided the primary source of fat in the diets of millions of people for generations. It has various applications in food, medicine, and industry...
, and noni.
Unemployment affects about 13% of the active population, especially women and unqualified young people.
Tahiti’s currency, the French Pacific Franc
CFP franc
The CFP franc is the currency used in the French overseas collectivities of French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna. The initials CFP originally stood for Colonies Françaises du Pacifique...
(CFP, also known as XPF), is pegged to the Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
at 1 CFP = EUR .00838 (approx. 81 CFP to the US Dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
in January 2008). Hotels and financial institutions offer exchange services.
Sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
in Tahiti is called Taxe sur la Valeur Ajoutée (TVA or value added tax
Value added tax
A value added tax or value-added tax is a form of consumption tax. From the perspective of the buyer, it is a tax on the purchase price. From that of the seller, it is a tax only on the "value added" to a product, material or service, from an accounting point of view, by this stage of its...
(V.A.T.) in English). V.A.T. 2009 on tourist services is 10% and V.A.T. 2009 on hotels, small boarding houses, food and beverages is 6%. V.A.T. on the purchase of goods and products is 16%.
Culture
Tahitian cultures included an oral tradition that involved the mythology of various gods, such as 'Oro'Oro
Oro is a god of the Polynesian pantheon. The veneration of Oro, although practiced in varying intensity among the islands, was a major cult of the Society Islands in the 17th and 18th centuries, especially Tahiti and Raiatea. On Tahiti 'Oro was the main deity and the god of war. The secret society...
and beliefs, as well as ancient traditions such as tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
ing and navigation. The annual Heivā Festival in July is a celebration of traditional culture, dance, music and sports including a long distance race between the islands of French Polynesia, in modern outrigger canoe
Outrigger canoe
The outrigger canoe is a type of canoe featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull...
s (va'a
Va'a
Va'a is a word in Samoan, Hawaiian and Tahitian which means 'boat', 'canoe' or 'ship'. A larger traditional seagoing vessel for long distance voyages is referred to as vaa tele . The term alia is also used for larger vessels in Samoa. The smaller vaa used for fishing typically have a float, or...
).
Situated in Tahiti is the Paul Gauguin Museum
Paul Gauguin Museum (Tahiti)
The Paul Gauguin Museum is a Japanese-styled art museum dedicated to the life and works of Paul Gauguin in Tahiti, French Polynesia. It is located at PK 51, 2 Papeari, Tahiti, directly across from the Botanical Gardens...
, dedicated to the life and works of French artist Paul Gauguin (1848–1903) who painted famous works such as Two Tahitian Women
Two Tahitian Women
-Description:The painting depicts two topless women, one holding mango blossoms, on the Pacific Island of Tahiti. Currently, the painting is housed at the National Gallery of Art, on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York....
, Tahitian Women on the Beach
Tahitian Women on the Beach
Tahitian Women on the Beach is a 1891 painting by Paul Gauguin. The painting depicts two women on the Pacific island of Tahiti on the beach.The painting is currently in the collection of the Musée d'Orsay, located in Paris, France....
and Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?
Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?
Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? is one of Paul Gauguin's most famous paintings. Gauguin inscribed the original French title in the upper left corner: D'où Venons Nous / Que Sommes Nous / Où Allons Nous. The inscription the artist wrote on his canvas has no question mark, no...
.
Located at Punaauia is the Musée de Tahiti et des Îles
Musée de Tahiti et des Îles
The Musée de Tahiti et des Îles , Tahitian Te Fare Manaha , is a Polynesian ethnographic museum in the village of Punaauia on Tahiti....
(Museum of Tahiti and the Island). It is an ethnographic
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
museum that was founded in 1974 to conserve and restore Polynesian artifacts and cultural practices.
The Robert Wan Pearl Museum
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:...
is the world's only museum dedicated to 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. The Papeete Market
Papeete Market
Marché Papeete or Papeete Market is an extensive market place in Papeete the capital of Tahiti.The market sells fruit, vegetables, fish, oils, handicrafts, including hats and handbags and various souvenir items. Vendors also sell local textiles and hand crafts items such as shell necklaces....
also sells local arts and crafts.
Dance
thumbOne of the most widely recognized images of the islands is the world famous Tahitian dance. The 'ote'a
'ote'a
The ōtea is a traditional dance from Tahiti characterized by a rapid hip-shaking motion to percussion accompaniment. The dancers, standing in several rows, may be further choreographed to execute different figures while maintaining the hip-shaking...
, sometimes written as otea, is a traditional dance from Tahiti, where the dancers, standing in several rows, execute different figures. This dance, easily recognized by its fast hip-shaking, and grass skirts is often confused with the Hawaiian hula
Hula
Hula is a dance form accompanied by chant or song . It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance form....
, a generally slower more graceful dance which focuses more on the hands and story telling than the hips.
The ʻōteʻa is one of the few dances which already existed in pre-European times as a male dance. On the other hand, the hura (Tahitian vernacular for hula), a dance for women, has disappeared, and the couple's dance 'upa'upa
'upa'upa
The upaupa is a traditional dance from Tahiti. It is already mentioned by the European discoverers, who described it as very indecent. It is not quite clear how close the gestures at that time were with the now immensely popular tāmūrē...
is likewise gone but may have reemerged as the tamure
Tamure
The tāmūrē, or Tamouré as popularized in many 1960s recordings, is a dance from Tahiti and the Cook Islands and although denied by the local purists, for the rest of the world it is the most popular dance and the mark of Tahiti...
. Nowadays, however, the ʻōteʻa can be danced by men (ʻōteʻa tāne), by women (ʻōteʻa vahine), or by both genders (ʻōteʻa ʻāmui = united ʻō.). The dance is with music only, drums, but no singing. The drum can be one of the different types of the tōʻere, a laying log of wood with a longitudinal slit, which is struck by one or two sticks. Or it can be the pahu, the ancient Tahitian standing drum covered with a shark skin and struck by the hands or with sticks. The rhythm from the tōʻere is fast, from the pahu
Pahu
The pahu or pa'u is a traditional musical instrument found in Polynesia: Hawaii, Tahiti, Cook Islands, Samoa, and Tokelau. Carved from a single log and covered on the playing end with a stretched sharkskin, the pahu is played with the palms and fingers of the hand...
it is slower. A smaller drum, the faʻatete, can also be used.
The dancers make gestures, reenacting daily occupations of life. For the men the themes can be chosen from warfare or sailing, and then they may use spears or paddles.
For women the themes are closer to home or from nature, combing their hair, or the flight of a butterfly for example. But also more elaborate themes can be chosen, for example one where the dancers end up in a map of Tahiti, highlighting important places. In a proper ʻōteʻa the story of the theme should pervade the whole dance.
'aparima
The aparima or Kaparima is a dance from Tahiti and the Cook Islands where the mimicks with the hands are central, and as such it is close to the hula or Tongan tauolunga...
is often performed with the dancers dressed in pareo
Pareo
The pāreu or pareo is the Cook Islands and Tahitian word for a wraparound skirt. Originally it was used only to refer to women's skirts, as men wore a loincloth, called a maro. Nowadays the term is applied to any piece of cloth worn wrapped around the body, worn by males or females...
and maro. There are two types of ʻaparima: the ʻaparima hīmene
Himene
Himene are formal choral Tahitian songs, often of religious nature. Himene is a Tahitian term derived from the English word hymn. The first Western explorer to visit the Society Islands / Tahiti was Wallace, who claimed them for England. The first colonisers and missionaries to the native people...
(sung handdance) and the ʻaparima vāvā (silent handdance), the latter being performed with music only, and no singing.
Newer dances include the hivinau
Hivinau
The hivinau is a dance from Tahiti where the dancers turn in pairs around the orchestra. It is often either the first or the last dance of a dance festival, or used as a transition between two dances....
and the pa'o'a
Pa'o'a
The pāōā , is a modern dance from Tahiti where the dancers sit on their knees in a circle on the ground, sing and tap with their hands on their thighs on the rhythm of the music, which is a quite repetitive scanning refrain. Selected members, one boy, one girl, actually dance inside the circle...
.
Navigation
The indigenous Tahitians are Polynesians, part of the greater family of Oceanic peoplesOceania
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...
, noted in their history and culture for their navigation skills, essential for trade and communications in their maritime environs
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
.
In Polynesian navigation, the star found directly above Tahiti's night sky, Sirius
Sirius
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, it is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star. The name "Sirius" is derived from the Ancient Greek: Seirios . The star has the Bayer designation Alpha Canis Majoris...
, has served as a location beacon in traditional wayfinding
Wayfinding
Wayfinding encompasses all of the ways in which people and animals orient themselves in physical space and navigate from place to place.-Historical:...
during open ocean travels.
Education
Tahiti is home to the University of French PolynesiaUniversity of French Polynesia
The Université de la Polynésie Française is a French university and the only one in French Polynesia. Located in Tahiti, it is a small university counting around 2,000 students...
(Université de la Polynésie Française). It is a growing university, with 3,200 students and 62 researchers. Many courses are available such as law, commerce, science, and literature. There is also the Collège La Mennais located in Papeete.
Air
Faa'a International Airport
- Overview :The Faaa International Airport is a relatively small airport. Air Tahiti has flights every day going to all the other islands in French Polynesia while international flights go to different countries such as the United States or New Zealand. The airport is on Tahiti which is an island...
is located 5 km (3.1 mi) from Papeete in the commune of Faaa and is the only international airport
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
in French Polynesia. Because of limited level terrain, rather than levelling large stretches of sloping agricultural land, the airport is built primarily on reclaimed land on the coral reef just off-shore.
International destinations such as Auckland, Hanga Roa
Mataveri International Airport
-See also:*Extreme points of Earth*Shuttle Down, a 1980 novel by American author G. Harry Stine , which gives a fictional account of the Space Shuttle Atlantis making an emergency landing.-External links:***...
, Honolulu
Honolulu International Airport
Honolulu International Airport is the principal aviation gateway of the City & County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii and is identified as one of the busiest airports in the United States, with traffic now exceeding 21 million passengers a year and rising.It is located in the Honolulu...
, Los Angeles
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
, Paris, Santiago de Chile
Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport
Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport , also known as Pudahuel Airport and Santiago International Airport, located in Pudahuel, north-west of downtown Santiago, is Chile's largest aviation facility and the busiest international air passenger gateway to the country...
, Sydney
Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada...
and Tokyo
Narita International Airport
is an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east-southeast of Narita Station in the city of Narita, and the adjacent town of Shibayama....
are served by Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
, Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
, Air Tahiti Nui
Air Tahiti Nui
Air Tahiti Nui is French Polynesia's flag carrier airline with its head office in the Immueble Dexter in Papeete, Tahiti. It operates international services for the low and high-end leisure travel markets. Its main base is Faa'a International Airport, Papeete.- History :Air Tahiti Nui was...
French Polynesia's flag carrier
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
, Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a major airline of the United States. It is the largest airline based in the State of Hawai'i, and is the 11th largest commercial airline in the country. Based in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, the airline operates its main hub at Honolulu International...
and LAN Airlines
LAN Airlines
LAN Airlines S.A. is an airline based in Santiago, Chile. LAN is currently positioned amongst the largest airlines in Latin America, serving Latin America, United States, the Caribbean, Oceania, and Europe. It is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance...
.
Flights within French Polynesia and to New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
are available from Aircalin
Aircalin
Société Aircalin, also known as Air Calédonie International, is the international airline of New Caledonia. It operates scheduled services to 10 regional destinations, including Japan. Its main base is La Tontouta International Airport...
, Air Moorea
Air Moorea
Air Moorea is an airline based on the grounds of Faa'a International Airport in Faaa, Tahiti, French Polynesia, near Papeete. It operates passenger services within the Polynesian islands...
and Air Tahiti
Air Tahiti
Société Air Tahiti Société Anonyme is a regional airline with its head office on the property of Faa'a International Airport, in Faaa, Tahiti, French Polynesia, near Papeete. Air Tahiti's network covers 46 islands within French Polynesia, plus the island of Rarotonga...
, the last two airlines have their headquarters at the airport.
Ferry
Moorea
Moʻorea is a high island in French Polynesia, part of the Society Islands, 17 km northwest of Tahiti. Its position is . Moʻorea means "yellow lizard" in Tahitian...
. Other ferries are the Aremiti 5 and the Aremiti 7 and these two ferries sail to Moorea in about half an hour. There are also several ferries that transport people and goods throughout the islands. The Bora Bora cruiseline sails to 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...
about once a week. The main hub for these ferries is the Papeete Wharf.
Streets
Tahiti has a freeway that runs across the west coast. This freeway starts in ArueArue, French Polynesia
Arue is a commune in the suburbs of Papeete in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Arue is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands....
and continues across the Papeete urban area. Then it continues along the west coast of Tahiti Nui through smaller villages. The freeway turns east toward Taravao where Tahiti Nui meets Tahiti Iti. Tahiti's west coast freeway keeps going until Teahupo'o
Teahupo'o
Teahupoo is a village on the south-west coast of the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia, southern Pacific Ocean.It is known for the surf break and heavy, glassy waves offshore, often reaching 2 to 3 m and up to 70 feet...
where the freeway becomes a thin paved road. Once the road runs out of Teahupoo, it is a small dirt road. Most of Tahiti's paved roads are in the Papeete urban area. Mahina
Mahina, French Polynesia
Mahina is a commune in the suburbs of Papeete in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Mahina is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands. Mahina is the 3rd largest city in...
has many dirt roads leading from the main paved road to the mountains of Tahiti.
Sport
Major sports in Tahiti include rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and football and the island has fielded a national basketball team
Tahiti national basketball team
The Tahiti national basketball team is the team that represents Tahiti in international basketball and is a member of FIBA Oceania.-Performance at Summer Olympics:-References:*...
, which is a member of FIBA Oceania
FIBA Oceania
FIBA Oceania is a zone within the International Basketball Federation which contains all 21 national basketball associations in Oceania.- Top two FIBA Oceania teams :C Current zone champion- Competitions :* FIBA Oceania Championship...
.
Rugby union in Tahiti
Rugby union in French Polynesia
Rugby union in French Polynesia, particularly in the main island of Tahiti, is a popular sport.Traditionally, matches tend to be held in the evening rather than the afternoon, due to the tropical climate. Because of this, Tahitian rugby organisers tend to put on entertainment during the day, to...
is governed by the Fédération Tahitienne de Rugby de Polynésie Française which was formed in 1989. The Tahiti national rugby union team
Tahiti national rugby union team
The Tahiti national rugby union team is a third tier rugby union team, representing the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. They first played in 1971 and have played just 12 games to date, four against the Cook Islands and three against Niue. Other games have...
has been active since 1971 but have only played 12 games since then.
Football in Tahiti
Football in French Polynesia
The sport of football in the country of Tahiti is run by the Fédération Tahitienne de Football. The association administers the national football team....
is administered by the Fédération Tahitienne de Football and was founded in 1938. The Tahiti Division Fédérale
Tahiti Division Fédérale
Tahiti Division Fédérale is the top division of the Fédération Tahitienne de Football in French Polynesia. The initial season involves ten teams playing each other twice...
is the top division on the island and the Tahiti Championnat Enterprise
Tahiti Championnat Enterprise
Tahiti Championnat Enterprise is the second tier of the Fédération Tahitienne de Football in French Polynesia. The league involves ten teams which play each other twice. The top five teams enter the 'Play-In' against the bottom teams from the Division Fédérale to try and win promotion. The bottom...
is the second tier. Some of the major clubs are AS Manu-Ura
AS Manu-Ura
AS Manu-Ura is a French Polynesian football team, currently playing in the Tahiti Division Fédérale, the top soccer league in Tahiti. Formed in 1953, AS Manu Ura has a strong history in domestic and regional football with five league titles and three Coupe de Polynesie crowns to their name.-Recent...
, who play in Stade Hamuta
Stade Hamuta
Stade Hamuta is a multi-use stadium in Papeete, Tahiti, in French Polynesia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home matches of AS Manu-Ura of the Tahiti Division Fédérale. The stadium holds 10,000 spectators.-External links:*...
, AS Pirae
AS Pirae
AS Pirae is a football team from Pirae in Tahiti. They are one of the most successful teams in Tahiti having won the Tahiti Division Fédérale seven times...
, who play in the Stade Pater Te Hono Nui and AS Tefana
AS Tefana
Association Sportive Tefana Football, is a football club from Faaa, Tahiti, French Polynesia.-Recent Seasons:In 2010 AS Tefana won the Tahitian Championship for the second time in their history. They finished 3rd in the initial league table but won the Championship Play-Off comfortably, finishing...
, who play in the Stade Louis Ganivet
Stade Louis Ganivet
Stade Louis Ganivet is a multi-use stadium in Faaa, Tahiti, in French Polynesia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home matches of AS Tefana of the Tahiti Division Fédérale. The stadium holds 5,000 spectators....
. Lesser clubs include Matavai
Matavai
Matavai is a Tahitian football team, currently playing in the Tahiti Division 2, two soccer league in Tahiti.-Current squad:...
and Tubuia
Tubuia
Tubuia ISland is a Tahitian football team, currently playing in the Tahiti Division 3, two soccer league in Tahiti.-Current squad:...
.
The Tahiti Cup
Tahiti Cup
The Tahiti Cup is the premier football knockout tournament in Tahiti. It was created in 1938.-Winners:*1938 : Marine*1939 : AS Fei Pi *1945 : CAICT*1946 : AS Fei Pi *1947 : AS Fei Pi...
is the islands premier football knockout tournament and has been played for since 1938. The winner of the Tahiti Cup goes on to play the winner of the Tahiti Division Fédérale in the Tahiti Coupe des Champions
Tahiti Coupe des Champions
The Coupe des Champions is a match between the winner of Tahiti Division Fédérale and the winner of Tahiti Cup.-Winners:*1995 : AS Vénus *1996 : AS Pirae *1997 : AS Dragon 2-0 AS Vénus *1998 : Unknown...
.
See also
- Cultural variations in adoption#Polynesia
- List of volcanoes in French Polynesia
- Nuclear-free zoneNuclear-free zoneA nuclear-free zone is an area where nuclear weapons and nuclear power are banned. The specific ramifications of these depend on the locale in question....
- Postage stamps and postal history of French PolynesiaPostage stamps and postal history of French PolynesiaThis is a survey of the postal history and postage stamps of French Polynesia, formerly known as the French Oceanic Settlements.- Tahiti :The use of Tahiti postage stamps on mail first became valid on 25 October 1862, using the general stamps of the French Colonies. In 1882 a shortage of 25c stamps...