Manihi
NASA picture of Manihi Atoll
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 Manihi
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 14°26′31″S 146°04′19″W / 14.44194°S 146.07194°W |
| Archipelago | Tuamotus |
| Area | 160 km2 (62 sq mi) (lagoon) 13 km2 (5 sq mi) (above water) |
| Length | 27 km (16.8 mi) |
| Width | 8 km (5 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Highest point | (unnamed) |
| Administration | |
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France
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| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Administrative subdivision | Tuamotus |
| Commune | Manihi |
| Largest settlement | Paeua |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 685 (2012) |
| Manihi | |
|---|---|
| Commune | |
NASA picture of Manihi Atoll.
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| Coordinates: 14°26′31″S 146°04′19″W / 14.442°S 146.072°WCoordinates: 14°26′31″S 146°04′19″W / 14.442°S 146.072°W | |
| Country | France |
| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2008–2014) | Jeannot Mataoa |
| Area | 25 km2 (10 sq mi) |
| Population (2012)1 | 1,237 |
| • Density | 49/km2 (130/sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 98727 /98771 |
| 1Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Manihi, or Paeua, is a coral atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago, part of French Polynesia. It is one of the northernmost of the Tuamotus, located in the King George subgroup. The closest land to Manihi is Ahe Atoll, located 14 km to the west. The total population is 685 inhabitants.
Manihi is a relatively large elongated atoll. Its oval-shaped lagoon measures 27 km in length and 8 km in width, and is ringed by innumerable islets. The lagoon is well-known among snorkelers for its beautiful and diverse marine fauna, including, among other species, the manta ray. There is only one pass to enter the lagoon, located close to the atoll's southern end. It is known as Passe de Tairapa. 14°27′31″S 146°03′40″W / 14.4585°S 146.0610°W
The chief village is Paeua. Another important village, Turipaoa, is located in the south-western part of the atoll, and is home to about 400 inhabitants. Several of the islands are inhabited, by populations ranging from single individuals to as many as 400.
Change in population of Manihi atoll.
There are two ancient Polynesian ceremonial platforms constructed of blocks of coral (marae in Tuamotuan) on Manihi. The first recorded Europeans to arrive to Manihi were Dutch explorers Jacob le Maire and Willem Schouten on their 1615–1616 Pacific journey. They called this atoll "Waterland Island". British explorer John Byron, who reached Manihi in June 1765, called the atoll "Prince of Wales Island".
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Wikipedia