|
This
island, which was reputedly discovered by Quiros in 1606, was
mentioned in 1774 by the Spanish explorer Andia y Verela, and
mapped for the first time by Bellingshausen in 1820, under the
name "Moller Island".
|
The
discovery of the canons from a 16th. century shipwreck
means that the arrival of the first Europeans on this
island actually dates back farther than the historians
initially realised. The canons were discovered in 1929
by Captain François Hervé, who was the administrator
of the Tuamotu islands at the time, and they were
exhibited for a long time at the "Musée de la Découverte"
at Pointe Vénus in Tahiti; at the present moment, they
are in France, where they are being restored. |
-
This
atoll is situated 17°43' south and 140°39' west.
-
It
is an oval atoll measuring 29 km from its south-western to
its north-eastern corner. It is separated from Hao by a
channel 14.5 km wide, and has three passages linking the
lagoon to the open sea on its western coast.
-
Most
of the 209 inhabitants of this island (this figure is based
on the 1996 census) live in the village of Ikitake and earn
their living by working on the pearl farms. This island is
part of the same commune as
Hao.
from :
Ministère des
Archipels (1998), Les Tuamotu
Gambier : recueil de données essentielles, décembre 1998, Service
de l'administration et du développement des archipels, PAPEETE.
Norman&Ngaire,
Douglas (1994), Pacific
Islands Yearbook, 17° édition, Fiji Times Ltd, 767p. |
Atoll_site_