Society Islands

map courtesy CIA World Factbook

The Society Islands (French: Îles de la Société or officially Archipel de la Société) are a group of islands in the south Pacific, administratively part of French Polynesia.

The islands are divided geographically, politically and administratively into two groups:
*Windward Islands (Îles du Vent) (listed from east to west)
**Mehetia
**Tahiti
**Moorea
**Maiao
**Tetiaroa
*Leeward Islands (Îles Sous-le-Vent)
**Huahine which at high tide is divided into two islands, Huahine Nui to the north and Huahine Iti to the south
**Bora Bora
**Raiatea and Tahaa which are both enclosed by the same coral reef
**Maupiti
**Tupai
**Mopelia
**Scilly
**Bellinghausen/Motu One

The islands became a French protectorate in 1843 and a colony in 1880. They have a population of 214,445 inhabitants (as of 2002 census). They cover an area of 1,598 km² (617 sq. miles).

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