Mataiva

Mataiva

NASA picture of Mataiva Atoll
Mataiva
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	14°53′S 148°43′W / 14.883°S 148.717°W / -14.883; -148.717Coordinates: 14°53′S 148°43′W / 14.883°S 148.717°W / -14.883; -148.717
Archipelago	Tuamotus
Area	16 km2 (6.2 sq mi)  (lagoon) 25 km2 (10 sq mi) (above water)
Length	10 km (6 mi)
Width	536 km (333.1 mi)
Highest elevation	14 m (46 ft)
Highest point	(unnamed)
Administration
France
Overseas collectivity	French Polynesia
Administrative subdivision	Tuamotus
Commune	Rangiroa
Largest settlement	Pahua
Demographics
Population	280 (2012)

Mataiva (meaning "Nine Eyes" in Tuamotuan), Tepoetiriura ("Sparkling Pearl") or Lazarev atoll is a coral atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago. It is located in the Palliser group, and is the westernmost of the Tuamotus. The nearest atoll, Tikehau, is located 35 km to the east. Rangiroa is located 79 km to the east, and Tahiti is 311 km to the south.

The atoll's oval-shaped lagoon is 5.3 km wide and 10 km long, and is almost completely surrounded by land. In the lagoon the decaying coral morphed into linear rocky structures 50 to 300 meters wide. Some of these coral structures top above the water, forming about 70 basins. The varying depths of these basins and the clear water gives the lagoon a blue and green tesselated appearance when viewed from above. This type of lagoon structure is unique in French Polynesia. Rich phosphate deposits have been discovered at the bottom of these basins, up to an estimated 10 to 15 million tonnes. Although similar deposits exist in Makatea and Nauru, Mataiva inhabitants and ecosystems protection activists have successfully prevented its exploitation for the time being.

The lagoon is open to the sea at a single pass in the Northwest, the site of Pahua, the only village on the atoll. The pass at Pahua is only a few feet deep and is not navigable; the 110 m (360 ft.) concrete levee, which connects the two halves of the village, is the longest bridge in French Polynesia. A number of narrow passages (known in Tuamotuan as hoa'a) along the south-central part of the reef are known as the "Nine Eyes", giving the name to the atoll. Aside from the rocky coral features, there are also several small islets located within the lagoon serving as a sanctuary and breeding ground for rare maritime birds.