Pinaki or Te Kiekie is a small atoll of the Tuamotu group 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...

. Geographically Pinaki Atoll is part of the East-central subgroup of the Tuamotus, which includes Ahunui

Ahunui

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....

, Amanu

Amanu

Amanu, Timanu, or Karere, is an atoll in the Tuamotu archipelago. Amanu lies at right angles to neighbouring Hao Atoll; this orientation is quite rare for the Tuamotu atolls.It is situated 900 km east of Tahiti and 15 km north of Hao...

, Fangatau

Fangatau

Fangatau, or Nakai-erua, is a small atoll in the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia.The nearest land is Fakahina Atoll, located 72 km to the ESE....

, Hao

Hao

Hao or HAO may refer to:* Hào, a form of Chinese pseudonym* Hao , a Chinese surname* Hao * Hao , Hao or HAO may refer to:* Hào, a form of Chinese pseudonym* Hao (Chinese surname) (郝), a Chinese surname* Hao (French Polynesia)* Hao (city), Hao or HAO may refer to:* Hào, a form of Chinese pseudonym*...

 and Nukutavake

Nukutavake

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....

.

The island on its reef forms a broken ring almost enclosing a lagoon which has a shallow tidal spillway facing west. Pinaki lies 14 km southeast of Nukutavake, which is the closest land. Vairaatea

Vairaatea

Vairaatea is a small atoll of the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. Geographically Vairaatea Atoll is part of the East-central subgroup of the Tuamotus, which includes Ahunui, Amanu, Fangatau, Hao and Nukutavake. Nukutavake, the closest land, lies 38 km to the east.Vairaatea Atoll measures...

 Atoll lies 51 km to the west of Pinaki.

Pinaki Atoll measures 3 km in length and its width is less than 2 km. Pinaki is uninhabited, but it is visited on occasions by villagers from neighboring Nukutavake.

History

The Englishman Samuel Wallis

Samuel 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...

 was the first recorded European to visit Pinaki Atoll on June 6, 1767 while searching for the "Southern Continent

Terra Australis

Terra Australis, Terra Australis Ignota or Terra Australis Incognita was a hypothesized continent appearing on European maps from the 15th to the 18th century...

". Wallis named the atoll "Whitsunday".

Frederick Beechey found Pinaki uninhabited in 1826, but he observed that there were huts on the island as well as small reservoirs for the collection and preservation of fresh water cut in the coral rock.

Administration

Pinaki belongs to the commune of Nukutavake, which includes three other uninhabited atolls apart from Pinaki.