Uturoa
| Uturoa | |
|---|---|
 Location of the commune (in red) within the Windward Islands |
|
| Coordinates: 16°43′52″S 151°26′35″W / 16.731°S 151.443°WCoordinates: 16°43′52″S 151°26′35″W / 16.731°S 151.443°W | |
| Country | France |
| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sylviane TEROOATEA |
| Area | 16 km2 (6 sq mi) |
| Population (August 2007 census)1 | 3,778 |
| • Density | 240/km2 (610/sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 98758 /98735 |
| Elevation | 0–479 m (0–1,572 ft) |
| 1Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Uturoa is a commune (municipality) of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The commune of Uturoa is located on the island of Raiatea, in the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands of which Uturoa is the administrative capital. The Leeward Islands are themselves part of the Society Islands. Uturoa is the main port of Raiatea Island. At the August 2007 census the urban area of Uturoa had 8,735 inhabitants, 3,778 of which lived in the commune of Uturoa proper. Uturoa is about 200 km (120 mi) northwest of Papeete, the Tahitian capital.
Raiatea Airport serves the island of Raiatea. The airport is located in eastern Uturoa and many of the islanders come here to travel to different islands. Raiatea Airport has one runway and Air Tahiti is the main airline at the airport. The runway is asphalt and stretches all the way to the eastern side of the island. If the residents want to make an international flight, they would take Air Tahiti to Faa'a International Airport in Faaa. Sometimes ferries leave Raiatea and sail northward toward nearby Tahaa. Other ferries sail to Vaitape/Bora Bora or Tahiti.
Uturoa was first settled by early Polynesians coming from Southeast Asia. When the settlers first arrived, they had built houses of branches and grass. Fish, bananas, and apples were the main food that the early Polynesians ate. They hunted fish by using spears and sticks. First European that recorded its sight was Pedro Fernandez de Quirós in 1606; it was charted as Fugitiva. During the 1700s, Captain James Cook had arrived in Tahiti and many more French Polynesian islands to map most of the Pacific Ocean. Later on, Charles Darwin had come on his expedition. He explored Moorea and other Society Islands. Don the Beachcomber had lived here some of his life. Uturoa had a major population growth during the 1940s.
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