Vairaatea
Encyclopedia
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 Vairaatea 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....
. Nukutavake, the closest land, lies 38 km to the east.
Vairaatea Atoll measures 8 km in length and its width is about 4 km. Its reef has a roughly triangular shape. There are two long islands on it. The reef completely encloses a 13 km² lagoon. Landing on this atoll is difficult on account of the surf and the lack of a safe anchorage.
In 1989 Vairaatea was inhabited by eight families living in a village at the northern end of Puka Runga, the only inhabited island. According to the 1996 census there were 70 people living in Vairaatea.
History
The first recorded European who arrived to Vairaatea was the Spanish explorer Pedro Fernández de Quirós in 1606. He named this atoll "San Miguel Arcángel".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...
visited Vairaatea in 1767. He named it "Lord Egmont". In some maps it also appears as "Industriel".