Fatu Hiva
| Fatu-Hiva | |
|---|---|
 Location of the commune (in red) within the Marquesas Islands |
|
| Coordinates: 10°29′00″S 138°38′00″W / 10.4833°S 138.6333°WCoordinates: 10°29′00″S 138°38′00″W / 10.4833°S 138.6333°W | |
| Country | France |
| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Henri Tuieinui |
| Area | 85 km2 (33 sq mi) |
| Population (August 2007 census)1 | 587 |
| • Density | 6.9/km2 (18/sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 98718 / 98740 |
| Elevation | 0–1,125 m (0–3,691 ft) |
| 1Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Fatu Hiva (the "H" is not pronounced, see name section below) is the southernmost island of the Marquesas Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. With Motu Nao as its closest neighbor, it is also the most isolated of the inhabited islands.
Fatu Hiva is also the title of a book by explorer and archaeologist Thor Heyerdahl, in which he describes his stay on the island in the 1930s.
The name of the island in Marquesan is Fatu Iva (without "h": [ˈfatu ˈiva]). However, the name was recorded by Europeans as Fatu Hiva, perhaps under the influence of other Marquesan islands containing the element Hiva (Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa) and also because in French the letter "h" is silent. The spelling Fatu Hiva has now become official.
The island was named Isla Magdalena ("Magdalene Island") by Spanish explorers in the 16th century, a name rarely used.
The eastern coastline of Fatu Hiva is characterized by a number of narrow valleys, carved by streams that lead to the interior. Between these valleys are headlands which terminate in cliffs that plunge directly into the sea, making travel between them possible only by travelling over the high mountain ridges between them, or by boat. The largest of these valleys is at Uia.
The western coastline has two significant bays, Hana Vave (also known as Bay of Virgins or Baie des Vierges) in the north, one of the most picturesque sites in the South Pacific, and the well protected harbor of Omoa near the south. There are several smaller valleys between these two.
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