Takapoto

Atoll in French Polynesia

14°37′39″S 145°12′18″W / 14.62750°S 145.20500°W / -14.62750; -145.20500ArchipelagoTuamotusArea85 km² (33 sq mi) (lagoon)
15 km² (6 sq mi) (above water)Length20 km (12 mi)Width6.7 km (4.16 mi)Administration

France

Overseas collectivityFrench PolynesiaAdministrative subdivisionTuamotusCommuneTakaroaLargest settlementFakatopatereDemographicsPopulation380^[1] (2012)

Takapoto, Tua-poto or Oura, is an atoll in the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. It has a length of 20 kilometres (12 miles) and a width of 6.7 kilometres (4.2 miles).

The nearest land is Takaroa Atoll, located 10 kilometres (6 miles) to the northeast.

Takapoto's lagoon has a high salinity and a strong phytoplankton biomass.

Geographically Takapoto is part of the King George Islands (Iles du Roi Georges) subgroup, which includes: Ahe, Manihi, Takapoto, Takaroa and Tikei.

Takapoto Atoll has 380 inhabitants. Fakatopatere, the main village on Takapoto, is located at the southern end of the atoll.

History

The first recorded European to sight Takapoto Atoll was Jacob Le Maire in 1616.^[2]

Takapoto Atoll was visited by the Charles Wilkes expedition in September 1839.

Takapoto Airport was inaugurated in 1973.

Administration

The commune of Takaroa-Takapoto consists of the atolls of Takaroa and Takapoto, and Tikei Island.

References

^ "Population". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
^ Sample Chapter(s) for Historical%2 Archived 2011-05-22 at the Wayback Machine