!!!French Polynesia
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Report by H. Maurer mainly based on pictures by [H. Horizonte|Infos_zum_AF/Editorial_Board/Horizonte,_Dr._Hanna_(Tourismus)] and added with a few personal experiences and information from books.
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French Polynesia is an overseas part of the French Republic. It is consists of almot 200 dispersed islands and atolls (only 67 are inhabited) in an area of some 2.000 km radius, with just a total land area of 4.200 square kilometres. Much of the water area inbetween is indeed international area outside the jurisdiction of France.
French Polynesia consists of five groups of islands: the Society Islands Archipelago, composed of the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands; the Tuamotu Archipelago; the Gambier Islands; the Marquesas Islands and the Austral Islands.
Tahiti is the most populous island. Its main town Papeete is the seat of the capital of the "collectivity of Tahiti".
Here is a summary of the most important islands.
> Note: Links shown in bold lead to substantial verfiedied entries. Other links lead to external information, that has not been verified in detail.
!!Society islands - the by far largest (population wise) group
!Winward islands
*__ [Tahiti|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_-_Overview/Tahiti]__
* __[Moorea|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_-_Overview/Morea]__
* __[Mehetia|AustriaWiki/Mehetia] (in German)__ [Mehetia in English|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehetia]
* [Tetiaroa|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetiaroa] (privatly owned, "Brando Island")
* __[Maiao|AustriaWiki/Maiao] (in German)__ [Maiao in English|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maiao]
!Leeward islands
* In the North: Manuae (or Scilly) atoll, with Motu One atoll as the most northerly __[part of the Cook Islands|AustriaWiki/Manuae_(Cookinseln)] (in German)__ [Manuae in English|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuae_(Cook_Islands)]
* In the Southeast: __[Maupihaa (or Mopeli) atoll|AustriaWiki/Maupihaa] (in German)__ [Maupihaa in English|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maupihaa]
* In the East is a high island cluster consisting of [Maupiti (or Maurua)|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maupiti], the __[Tupai atoll|AustriaWiki/Tūpai] (in German)__ and other well-known islands such as:
* __[Bora Bora|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_-_Overview/Bora-Bora_Bora]__
* __[Raiatea (Hava'i, Ioretea)|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_-_Overview/Raiatea]__ and [Tahaa (Uporu)|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taha%27a]
* __[Huahine (Mata'irea)|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_-_Overview/Huahine]__
!!Tuamotu Archipelago - a chain of almost 80 islands and atolls.
It is the largest chain of atolls anywhere but has only a total area of 850 square kilomeres. The main islands are:
* __[Anaa|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_-_Overview/Anaa]__
* __[Fakarava|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_-_Overview/Fakarava]__
* __[Hao|AustriaWiki/Hao_(Tuamotu-Inseln)]__ (in German) [Hao in English|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hao_(French_Polynesia)]
* __[Makatea|AustriaWiki/Makatea]__(eine der wenigen Inseln mit einer Trinkwasserquelle).
* __[Makemo|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_-_Overview/Makemo]__
*__ [Mataiva|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_-_Overview/Mataiva]__
* __[Takapoto|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_-_Overview/Takapoto]__
* __[Rangiroa|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_-_Overview/Rangiroa] __
!!Gambier Islands
A small (30 square kilometers) group of island, many of volcanic origin or small atolls. The most important island is
Mangarewa island already far to the East i.e. direction Pitcairn.
* __[Mangareva|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_-_Overview/Mangareva]__
!!Marquesas
A group of volcanic islands close to the equator (just 9° S). Some of them are:
* __[Nuku Hiva|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_-_Overview/Nuku_Hiva]__
* __[Hiva Oa with Atuona|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_-_Overview/Atuna_on_Hiva_Oa] __
* __[Fatu Hiva with Hanavave|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_-_Overview/Hanave_auf_Fatu_Hiva]__
* __[Tahuata with Hapatoni|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_-_Overview/Hapatoni]__
!Austral Islands
They are the southermost group of French Polynesia. In addition to some isolaed unihabitalbel rocks and volcanic phenoman the main grousp of islands are the
* [Tubuai Islands|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubuai]
* [Bass Islands|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_Islands_(French_Polynesia)]
> Also have a look at the many interactive panoramas from Airpano and stories leading to them.
__*[Part 1: 13 interactive 360° panoramas from Airpano|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Pictures/Panoramas_of_French_Polynesia] and the [story|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_(AP)] (Panoramas show Bora-Bora, Rangiroa and Huahine)__\\
__*[Part 2: 25 interactive 360° panoramas from Airpano|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Pictures/Panoramas_of_French_Polynesia_part2] and the [story |Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesia_2] (Panormas show Tahiti, Morea, Bora-Bora, Nuku Hiva, Rangiroa and Maupiti)__\\
__*[Part 3: Story and panoramas of Marlon Brando islands |Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/Story_and_Panoramas-_part_3]__\\
__*[Part 4: Story and panoramas of Rangiroa|Geography/Territories_Oceans_and_Islands/French_Polynesia/Special_Information/French_Polynesis._Part_IV._Rangiroa]__
[{Metadata Suchbegriff=' ' Kontrolle='Nein'}]