Tuamotu Archipelago

Tuamotus

Native name: Tuamotu
Flag of the Tuamotu Islands
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Archipelago	Polynesia
Total islands	78
Major islands	Anaa, Fakarava, Hao, and Makemo
Area	850 km2 (330 sq mi)
Administration
France
Overseas collectivity	French Polynesia
Demographics
Population	15,862 (2002)
Pop. density	18 /km2 (47 /sq mi)

The Tuamotus or the Tuamotu Archipelago (French: Îles Tuamotu, officially Archipel des Tuamotu) are a French Polynesian chain of almost 80 islands and atolls, stretching from the northwest to the southeast over an area of the southern Pacific Ocean roughly the size of Western Europe, with a land area of 850 square kilometres (328 square miles) and 16,000 inhabitants, forming the largest chain of atolls in the world. Its major islands are Anaa, Fakarava, Hao and Makemo.

The Tuamotu islands were initially settled by Polynesians, so Tuamotuans share a common culture and language. The people of Tahiti originally referred to the islands as the Paumotus, which means the "Subservient Islands", until a delegation from the island convinced the French authorities to change it to Tuamotus, which means the "Distant Islands".

French Polynesia is a semi-autonomous island group designated as an overseas country of France. The Tuamotus combine with the Gambier Islands to form the Îles Tuamotu-Gambier which is one of the five administrative divisions of French Polynesia.

The Tuamotus are grouped into sixteen communes: Anaa; Arutua; Fakarava; Fangatau; Hao; Hikueru; Makemo; Manihi; Napuka; Nukutavake; Puka Puka; Rangiroa; Reao; Takaroa; Tatakoto; and Tureia.