Bass Islands (French Polynesia)
The Bass Islands (
Marotiri (27°55′00″S 143°26′00″W / 27.91667°S 143.43333°W). They are usually considered to be the southernmost of the Austral Islands, although this classification is more one of geographic and political expediency than because of similarities between them and the rest of the Austral Islands. The Bass Islands, lying several degrees outside the tropics, are the southernmost islands in French Polynesia
.
Rapan
) appear to have diverged about the same time as well, indicating that they developed in relative isolation almost from the time of first settlement.
Geography
It has an area of approximately 40.6
square kilometers. Geologically, the Bass Islands are distinguished from the Austral Islands in that their vulcanism
appears to be much more recent.
Rapa, sometimes called Rapa Iti (Little Rapa, to distinguish it from "Rapa Nui" (Big Rapa), a name for Easter Island), is the largest and only inhabited island of the Bass Islands. An older name for the island is Oparo.[1] Its area is 38.5 km2 with a population of 530 and a max elevation of 650 m. Its main town is Ahuréi.
bird sanctuary.
Also nearby is the purported Neilson Reef or Lancaster Reef (27°01′00″S 146°02′00″W / 27.01667°S 146.03333°W), a crescent-shaped reef to the north-northwest of Rapa.[6]
References
- ^ Tahiti guide
- ^ According to the French hydrographic office (SHOM) nautical charts 6607 and 4232.
- ISBN 978-2-905630-03-2. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- ^ Pacific islands pilot. Sold by J.D. Potter. 1969. p. 61. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- ^ According to the French hydrographic office (SHOM) nautical charts 6607, there is a depth of 1,646 meters midway between Rapa and Marotiri.
- ^ Sailing Directions for the Pacific Islands, Volume III: Eastern Groups. Washington, D.C.: United States Hydrographic Office. 1952. p. 39.
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