Moorea

Mo'orea

Aerial view of Mo'orea
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	17°32′S 149°50′W / 17.533°S 149.833°W / -17.533; -149.833Coordinates: 17°32′S 149°50′W / 17.533°S 149.833°W / -17.533; -149.833
Archipelago	Society Islands
Area	134 km2 (52 sq mi)
Highest elevation	1,207 m (3,960 ft)
Highest point	Mont Tohive'a
Administration
France
Overseas collectivity	French Polynesia
Administrative subdivision	Windward Islands
Commune	Mo'orea-Mai'ao
Capital city	'Āfareaitu
Largest settlement	Pao Pao–Maharepa (4,244 inhabitants)
Demographics
Population	16,191 (Aug. 2007 census)
Pop. density	121 /km2 (313 /sq mi)

Mo'orea (Tahitian pronunciation: /mo.ʔo.re.ʔa/, /mo.ʔo.re.a/) is a high island in French Polynesia, one of the Windward Islands, part of the Society Islands, 17 kilometres (11 mi) northwest of Tahiti. The true spelling of Mo'orea is Mo'ore'a, which means "yellow lizard" in Tahitian: Mo'o = lizard ; Re'a = Yellow. An older name for the island is 'Aimeho, sometimes spelled 'Aimeo or 'Eimeo (among other spellings given by early visitors before Tahitian spelling was standardized). Early Western colonists and voyagers also referred to Mo'orea as York Island.

Several ferries go to the Vai'are wharf in Mo'orea daily from Pape'ete, the Tahitian capital. The Vai'are wharf is in the Vai'are bay. There are 3 ferries. One of them is the 'Aremiti 5. The largest one is the 'Aremiti Ferry and the other one is the Mo'orea ferry. The ferries have to pass through Mo'orea's coral pass, then toward Pape'ete across the ocean and into the Tahiti Lagoon. The Vai'are bay is in the east part of Mo'orea. Mo'orea's Tema'e Airport (IATA: MOZ) has connections to the international airport in Pape'ete and onward to other Society Islands such as Bora Bora. If the islanders want to make an international flight, they would take Air Tahiti to get to the Fa'a'ā International Airport on Tahiti. The Mo'orea airport is located north of the Vai'are bay. There is one road that goes around the island. Along the road are kilometre markers from 1 to 35. The first one is near the airport. The 35th one is in Ha'apiti. There are also white signs that tell the driver which commune they entered. Other signs have the communes name with a red slash through it, meaning that the driver is leaving the commune.