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Atiu, also known as Enuamanu (meaning land of the birds), is an island lying at 187 km to the northeast of Rarotonga
Rarotonga

Rarotonga is the most populous island in a group of islands known as the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 .Cook Islands' Parliament buildings, as well as the Rarotonga International Airport, are located on Rarotonga....
, in the Southern Islands group of the Cook Islands Archipelago
Cook Islands

The Cook Islands are a self-governing parliamentary democracy in Associated state with New Zealand. The fifteen small islands in this Pacific Ocean country have a total land area of 240 square kilometres , but the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone covers 1.8 million square kilometres of ocean....
.

is a raised volcanic island surrounded by a reef from which rises 6-m cliffs of fossilized coral
Coral

Corals are marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small sea anemone?like polyps, typically in colonies of many identical individuals....
 (makatea). This coral cliff forms a mile-wide ring round the island, forming a virtual plateau. Erosion
Erosion

For morphological image processing operations, see Erosion 'For use of in dermatopathology, see Erosion Erosion is the removal of solids in the natural environment....
 at the innerside of the ring has formed dip of about 30-m into fertile land, which gradually rises again to a central 70-m flat-topped hill.

Administratively, Takutea
Takutea

Takutea, in the Cook Islands, is a small uninhabited island 21 km northwest of Atiu in the southern Cook Islands. Because it is only 1.22 km? in size and has a very dangerous landing at the northwest corner of the reef, it has been designated a wildlife sanctuary, mainly for the red-tailed tropic birds and red-footed Booby....
 is considered part of Atiu.






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Atiu, also known as Enuamanu (meaning land of the birds), is an island lying at 187 km to the northeast of Rarotonga
Rarotonga

Rarotonga is the most populous island in a group of islands known as the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 .Cook Islands' Parliament buildings, as well as the Rarotonga International Airport, are located on Rarotonga....
, in the Southern Islands group of the Cook Islands Archipelago
Cook Islands

The Cook Islands are a self-governing parliamentary democracy in Associated state with New Zealand. The fifteen small islands in this Pacific Ocean country have a total land area of 240 square kilometres , but the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone covers 1.8 million square kilometres of ocean....
.

Geography

Atiu is a raised volcanic island surrounded by a reef from which rises 6-m cliffs of fossilized coral
Coral

Corals are marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small sea anemone?like polyps, typically in colonies of many identical individuals....
 (makatea). This coral cliff forms a mile-wide ring round the island, forming a virtual plateau. Erosion
Erosion

For morphological image processing operations, see Erosion 'For use of in dermatopathology, see Erosion Erosion is the removal of solids in the natural environment....
 at the innerside of the ring has formed dip of about 30-m into fertile land, which gradually rises again to a central 70-m flat-topped hill.

Administratively, Takutea
Takutea

Takutea, in the Cook Islands, is a small uninhabited island 21 km northwest of Atiu in the southern Cook Islands. Because it is only 1.22 km? in size and has a very dangerous landing at the northwest corner of the reef, it has been designated a wildlife sanctuary, mainly for the red-tailed tropic birds and red-footed Booby....
 is considered part of Atiu.

History

The first recorded European to arrive to Atiu was Captain Cook in 1777.

Human settlements

It is on the central hill that most human settlements are concentrated. On the 12 March 2003, the population of Atiu was 571. They live in 5 villages radiating out from the island center that give the appearance of a human figure. The villages have essentially grown together into one, since 1823. They represent the tapere
Tapere

A tapere or sub-district is a low level of traditional land subdivision on some of the Lower Cook Islands. It is a subdivision of a district or puna, which is headed by a district chiefs or pava....
 subdivisions prior to European contact. With their traditional names The villages are:

Teenui Village (Te-Kuru-Kava-Nui)

Mapumai Village (Mapumai-Nui-O-Ruavari) residence of the Mayor

Ngatiarua Village (Mokoero-Nui-O-Tautipa)

Areora Village (Areora-Nui-Te-Are-O-Tangaroa)

Tengatangi Village (Taturoa-I-Te-Puta-Marama)

Of special interest to tourists are the Kopeka caves situated deep in the makatea, the Atiuan 'jungle'. It is within Anatakitaki cave that the Atiu Swiftlet
Atiu Swiftlet

The Atiu Swiftlet is a species of bird in the swift family.It is Endemism to the Cook Islands.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist shrubland and arable land....
 makes its nests.

External links

  • Seacology
    Seacology

    Seacology is a non-profit, non-governmental organization with the sole mission of preserving the ecosystems and cultures of islands throughout the globe....


Literature

Atiu, an Island Community: An Island Community. By Ngatupuna Kautai. Published by editorips@usp.ac.fj, 1984. ISBN-10 9820201632, ISBN-13 9789820201637, 207 pages