Papeete, Tahiti
| Papeete | |
|---|---|
Papeete
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 Location of the commune (in red) within the Windward Islands |
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| Coordinates: 17°32′06″S 149°34′11″W / 17.535°S 149.5696°WCoordinates: 17°32′06″S 149°34′11″W / 17.535°S 149.5696°W | |
| Country | France |
| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (1995–present) | Michel Buillard |
| Area | 17.4 km2 (6.7 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 299.5 km2 (115.6 sq mi) |
| Population (August 2012 census)1 | 25,769 |
| • Density | 1,500/km2 (3,800/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 133,627 |
| • Urban density | 450/km2 (1,200/sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 98735 / 98714 |
| Elevation | 0–621 m (0–2,037 ft) |
| 1Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Papeete (pronounced [pa.pe.ʔe.te]) is the capital of French Polynesia, an overseas country of France in the Pacific Ocean. The commune (municipality) of Papeete is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, of which Papeete is the administrative capital. The French High Commissioner also resides in Papeete. It is the primary center of Tahitian and French Polynesian public and private governmental, commercial, industrial and financial services, the hub of French Polynesian tourism and a commonly used port of call. The Windward Islands are themselves part of the Society Islands. The name Papeete means "water from a basket".
The urban area of Papeete had a total population of 133,627 inhabitants at the August 2012 census, 25,769 of whom lived in the commune of Papeete proper.
The commune of Papeete is subdivided into eleven quartiers (wards):
At the outbreak of World War I Papeete was shelled by German vessels, causing loss of life and significant damage.
The growth of the city was boosted by the decision to move the nuclear weapon test range from Algeria to the atolls of Mururoa and Fangataufa, some 1,500 km (930 mi) at the east of Tahiti; this originated in particular in the construction of the Faa'a airport next to Pape'ete, the only international airport in French Polynesia. In 1983, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built the Papeete Tahiti Temple here because of the large number of members in the region. On 5 September 1995 the government of Jacques Chirac conducted the first of the last series of nuclear test detonations off the shores of Moruroa. A resulting riot in Papeete lasted for two days and damaged the international airport, injured 40 people, and scared away tourism for some time. (Similar rioting occurred after another French nuclear test in the same area in 1987.)
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