Vahitahi
Encyclopedia
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
in the eastern area of the Tuamotu Archipelago, 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...
. Vahitahi's nearest neighbor is Akiaki
Akiaki
Akiaki is a low coral atoll in the eastern area of the Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia. Akiaki's nearest neighbor is Vahitahi, which is located 41 km to the southeast....
, which is located 41 km to the northwest.
Vahitahi is a small atoll with an elongated oval shape. It measures approximately 10 km in length and has a maximum width of 4.5 km. Its reef encloses completely the lagoon. The total land area of the islands on its reef is 2,5 km².
The main village is called Mohitu (formerly Temanufaara). There were 103 inhabitants according to the 2002 census.
History
Vahitahi Atoll was the first land that Louis Antoine de BougainvilleLouis 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...
found in the Pacific in 1768. He called the atoll Les Quatre Facardins, after a novel of the time. 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...
reached Vahitahi the following year and named it Lagoon Island.
Vahitahi has a territorial airport. It was inaugurated in 1986.
Administration
Administratively Vahitahi Atoll belongs to the commune of NukutavakeNukutavake
Nukutavake or Nukutuvake is an island in the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. It lies 1,125 km from Tahiti. The closest land is small Pinaki Atoll, located 15 km to the southeast. Vairaatea Atoll lies 38 km to the west of Nukutavake....
.