Raivavae

Raivavae

NASA picture of Raivavae island
Geography
Location Pacific Ocean
Coordinates 23°52′09″S 147°39′49″W / 23.86917°S 147.66361°W / -23.86917; -147.66361
Archipelago Australes
Area 16 km2 (6.2 sq mi)
Highest elevation 437 m (1,434 ft)
Highest point Mount Hiro
Country
France
Overseas collectivity French Polynesia
Administrative subdivision Australes
Commune Raivavae
Demographics
Population 940[1] (as of 2012)
Density 59 /km2 (153 /sq mi)
Raivavae

Flag
Coordinates: 23°52′09″S 147°39′49″W / 23.869167°S 147.663611°W / -23.869167; -147.663611Coordinates: 23°52′09″S 147°39′49″W / 23.869167°S 147.663611°W / -23.869167; -147.663611
Country France
Overseas collectivity French Polynesia
Area1 16 km2 (6 sq mi)
Population (2012)2 940
 • Density 59/km2 (150/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 98739 / 98750

1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Raivavae is an island that is part of the Austral Islands in French Polynesia.

It covers an area of 16 km² and at the 2012 census had a population of 940. Its highest point is the top of an extinct volcano which is 437 meters high.

History

First sighting by Europeans was recorded by the Spanish naval officer Tomás Gayangos on board of the frigate "El Aguila" on 5 February 1775. Gayangos had taken over the command of the expedition of Domingo de Bonechea of 1774 after his death in Tahiti and was returning to the Viceroyalty of Peru. Main source describing this sighting is that of José Andía y Varela, pilot of the packet boat "Jupiter" that accompanied "El Aguila" in this return trip. On 6 February a boat was sent in, and made contact with the inhabitants at the shore edge, but landing was not made. Raivavae was charted as Santa Rosa by the Spaniards. The inhabitants said the name of their island was Oraibaba.[2][3][4]

It was annexed by France in 1880.

Administration

The island of Raivavae is administratively within the commune with the same name. Raivavae consists of the following associated communes:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Population". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française (in French). Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  2. ↑ Andía y Varela, José Relación del viaje hecho a la isla de Amat, por otro nombre Otahiti, y descubrimiento de las islas adyacentes en los años 1774 y 1775, Barcelona, 1947, p.83
  3. ↑ Sharp, Andrew The discovery of the Pacific Islands Oxford, 1960, p.126,127
  4. ↑ Corney, Bolton Granvill The quest and occupation of Tahiti by emissaries of Spain during the years 1772-1776, London, 1913, Vol I, p.XLVII
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