Rangiroa
above water) | |
Length | 80 km (50 mi) |
---|---|
Width | 32 km (19.9 mi) |
Highest elevation | 12 m (39 ft) |
Highest point | (unnamed) |
Administration | |
Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
Administrative subdivision | Tuamotus |
Commune | Rangiroa |
Capital city | Avatoru |
Largest settlement | Tiputa (pop. 817) |
Demographics | |
Population | 2567[1] (2012) |
Rangiroa (
).It is in French Polynesia and is part of the Palliser group. The nearest atoll is Tikehau, 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) to the west. It is about 355 km (221 mi) northeast of Tahiti. Rangiroa is home to about 2,500 people on almost 80 km2 (31 sq mi). The chief town is Avatoru, in the atoll's northwest.
Geography and environment
The
Because of their large size, and the existence of only two passes, each
Water and ecological problems
Like many atolls,[3] Rangiroa has no permanent fresh waterbodies, and therefore no central water distribution system. Each household must collect and store rainwater in cisterns. As a result of excessive pumping, the freshwater lenses that form on the coral reefs are now mostly brackish water,[4] leading to saltwater intrusion.[5]
Some are additionally polluted by
In addition to this inherent problem, the progress of
History
It is believed the first settlers arrived on Rangiroa around the 10th century AD.
During the 1950s, the economy of Rangiroa was driven by fishing and the production of copra. The inauguration of the Rangiroa Airport in 1965 allowed rapid development of the tourism industry as underwater diving facilities and hotels were built.
Administration
The atoll of Rangiroa is the
Demography
Only two islands, at the northern end of the atoll, are permanently inhabited. As of 2007[update], the total population on the atoll of Rangiroa was 2,473 inhabitants. The main villages are Avatoru (pop. 817), Tiputa (pop. 971), Ohutu (pop. 546), Taeo'o, Fenuaroa, Otepipi and Tevaro. Both Avatoru and Tiputa were built on neighboring islands, 12.5 and 4 km (7.8–2.5 mi) in length respectively. They are separated by the major Tiputa Pass. The other major pass of the atoll is Avatoru Pass, immediately to the west of the island of Avatoru.
Religion
As in the rest of the Tuamotu Islands, the majority of the inhabitants are Christians, as a consequence of missionary activity by both Catholic and Protestant groups. The Catholic Church administers 3 religious buildings on the atoll: the Church of St. Michael in Avatoru (Église de Saint-Michel),[12] the Chapel of St. Anne in Otepipi (Chapelle de Sainte-Anne),[13] and the Church of Our Lady of Peace in Tiputa (Église de Notre-Dame-de-Paix),[14] all under the Archdiocese of Papeete based on the Island of Tahiti.
Economy
Pearls
The breeding of pearl oysters in the lagoon can produce
The technique to produce marine cultured pearls was developed in Japan and, except some minor details, is similar in French Polynesia. A mother of pearl bead is inserted in the animal together with a piece of tissue (mantle) taken from another pearl oyster. The piece of tissue, as a graft tissue, will develop quickly and will form a skin around the bead and then will deposit mother of pearl on the surface of the bead. Bead rejection is important and concern about 30 percent of the seeded shells, mainly because the graft tissue is not close enough to the bead. Even with perfectly round beads, only 20 percent of the pearls will be perfectly round at the harvest, about two years after the seeding.
Pearl farming is done in more than 30 atolls of French Polynesia and is the main activity for numerous families in the Tuamotu archipelago. In Rangiroa, a few farms exploited about 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) of water surface in the lagoon loaned by the Tahitian government. The biggest farm, Gauguin's Pearl[15] employed more than 50 local workers, with a strong impact on the economy of this 2,000 person atoll. A school dedicated to the pearl farming techniques and a research centre on pearl oysters are also implanted on the atoll of Rangiroa, which make it a kind of pearl centre for this industry.
Fishing
Essentially a part of food production, however, it is also exported to the island of Tahiti.
Viticulture
The atoll of Rangiroa is also known for its vineyards, which are unique in the world.[16] The vines grow on the edge of a lagoon beside coconuts, and produce two harvests per year. The winery is in the heart of the village of Avatoru. The grapes are brought to the winery by boat.
The creation of this vineyard came after much prior analysis, to find the best site capable of hosting the vines. The first vines were imported in 1992 and underwent tests for acclimatization and selection in the main islands of Polynesia, with the uncertainty of their adaptation to climate. Thirty varieties were imported from various parts of Europe. The vineyard is Domaine Dominique Auroy.[17]
The tests took place in:
- The Austral Islands on the high Rurutu and Tubuai,
- Marquesasarchipelago),
- Rangiroa (Tuamotu archipelago),
- The plains and mountains of Tahiti.
The atoll of Rangiroa was selected for the following reasons: absence of grapevine pest such as defoliating insects (e.g., Grape Phylloxera) and its proximity to Tahiti. The varietals grown on the atoll include Carignan, Italia and Black Muscat.
Tourism
Tourism is a major economic activity of the island: daily connections with Tahiti, an exceptional lagoon and passes which are good sites for scuba diving attract a steady number of tourists. These are accommodated in hotels and family-run guesthouses, a small number of which exist on the island.
Scuba diving
Rangiroa is a major
Popular diving sites are the Blue Lagoon, Avatoru Pass, Tiputa Pass, and Les Sables Roses ('the pink sands'). A notable site in the atoll is the Blue Lagoon, which is a smaller lagoon formed on the southwestern edge of Rangiroa. Its shallow waters accentuate the bright blue color of the water. Les Sables Roses are sandbars of pink sand located on the southeastern portion of Rangiroa.
Transportation
Air transportation is available from and to Rangiroa Airport, located on the Avatoru Island. There are flights to Tahiti and other atolls of the French Polynesia. A small road made of tarmac and coral chips circles the island of Avatoru.
Notes
- ^ All figures approximate
See also
- Effects of climate change on island nations
- Polynesian languages
- French Polynesia
- Tiputa Pass
References
- ^ "Population". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
- ^ a b c Rangiroa Archived 2012-05-26 at archive.today Publisher: Centre d'Océanologie de Marseille. Accessed 14 February 2010
- ^ E. Tang, E. Raapoto, T. Stampfler, « À peine plus de la moitié des Polynésiens ont de l'eau potable », Polynésie 1ère, 17 mars 2016
- ^ Mireille Loubet, « En Polynésie, l'eau potable ne coule pas de source », Tahiti-Infos, les informations de Tahiti, 20 août 2014
- ^ The Ghyben-Herzberg Model Accessed February 16, 2010
- ^ « Eau potable et traitement des déchets pour Jean Jacques Urvoas à Rangiroa », Polynésie 1re, 3 mars 2015
- .
- ISSN 1758-6798. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
- ISSN 1758-6798.
- ISBN 9781107415386. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
- S2CID 57373567. Correspondence.
- ^ "Église de Saint-Michel". GCatholic. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
- ^ "Chapelle de Sainte-Anne". GCatholic. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
- ^ "Église de Notre-Dame-de-Paix". GCatholic. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
- ^ Gauguin's Pearl
- ^ "Tahitian Wine". Wine-Searcher. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- ^ "Bienvenue au Domaine". Vin de Tahiti. Retrieved 17 July 2017.