Tahiti
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View of Raiatea Mountain. The mummies of Tahitian rulers were formerly deposited on this mountain, traditionally considered holy. |
Tahiti is the largest
island of
French Polynesia, located in the
archipelago of
Society Islands in the southern
Pacific Ocean at . The island had a population of 169,674 inhabitants according to the
2002 census. (This makes it the most populated island of
French Polynesia holding 69% of the total population.) The capital is
Papeete, on the northwest coast. Tahiti has also been historically known as
Otaheite.
Tahiti is some 45 km (28 mi) long at the widest point and covers 1,048 km² (404 sq mi), with the highest elevation being at 2,241 m (7,352 ft) above
sea level (Mount Orohena). The island consists of two roughly round portions centered on
volcanic mountains, connected by a short
isthmus named after the small town of Taravao, which sits there. The northwestern part is known as
Tahiti Nui ("big Tahiti"), and the southeastern part, much smaller, is known as
Tahiti Iti ("small Tahiti") or
Taiarapu. Whereas
Tahiti Nui is quite heavily populated (especially around
Papeete) and benefits from rather good infrastructure such as roads and highways,
Tahiti Iti has remained quite isolated, its southeastern half (
Te Pari) being accessible only by boat or hiking.
The vegetation is lush
rain forest. The wet season is November through April.
The island is served by
Faa'a International Airport.
The native population is
Polynesian, and is estimated to have settled on the island sometime between AD
300 and
800, although some estimates place the date earlier.
The fertile island soil combined with
fishing provided ample food for the population with ease. The perceived relaxed and contented nature of the local people and the characterization of the island as a paradise much impressed early European visitors, planting the seed for a romanticization by
the West that endures to this day.
Although the islands were first spotted by a
Spanish ship in
1606, Spain made no effort to trade with or colonize the island.
Samuel Wallis, an
English sea captain, sighted Tahiti on
June 18,
1767, and is considered the first
European visitor to the island.
Wallis was followed in April
1768 by the French explorer
Louis-Antoine de Bougainville who was completing the first French circumnavigation. Bougainville made Tahiti famous in Europe when he published the account of his travel in
Voyage autour du Monde. He described the island as an earthly paradise where men and women live happily in innocence, away from the corruption of civilization. His account of the island powerfully illustrated the concept of the
noble savage, and influenced the
utopian thoughts of philosophers such as
Jean-Jacques Rousseau before the advent of the
French Revolution.
In
1774 Captain
James Cook visited the island, and estimated the population at that time to be some 200,000. This was probably too high; another estimate from the same period was 121,500. After Cook's visit, European ships landed on the island with ever greater frequency. The best-known of these ships was
HMS Bounty, whose crew mutinied shortly after leaving Tahiti in
1789. The European influence caused significant disruption to the traditional society, by bringing
prostitution,
venereal diseases, and
alcohol to the island. Introduced diseases including
typhus and
smallpox killed so many Tahitians that by
1797, the island's population was only about 16,000. Later it was to drop as low as 6,000.
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Vista with Fautaua Fall, a waterfall some 183 m (600 ft) high. 1920 photo |
In
1842, a European crisis involving
Morocco escalated between France and Great Britain when Admiral Dupetit-Thouars, acting independently of the French government, was able to convince Tahiti's Queen
Pomare IV to accept a French
protectorate. George Pritchard, a Birmingham-born missionary and acting British Consul, had been away at the time of the agreement. However he returned to work towards indoctrinating the locals against the
Roman Catholic French. In November
1843, Dupetit-Thouars (again completely on his own initiative) landed sailors on the island, formally annexing it to France. He then proceeded to throw Pritchard into prison, subsequently sending him unceremoniously back to Britain.
News of the events in Tahiti had reached Europe in early
1844. The French statesman
François Guizot, supported by King
Louis-Philippe of France, had strongly disclaimed the annexation of the island. However, war between the French and the Tahitians continued until
1847. The island remained a French protectorate until
June 29,
1880, when King
Pomare V (
1842–
1891) was forced to cede the sovereignty of Tahiti and its dependencies to France. He was given the titular position of Officer of the Orders of the
Legion of Honour and
Agricultural Merit of France. In
1946, Tahiti and the whole of French Polynesia became a
Territoire d'outre-mer (French overseas territory). In
2003, this status was changed to that of
Collectivité d'outre-mer (French overseas community).
French painter
Paul Gauguin lived on Tahiti in the
1890s and painted many Tahitian subjects. Papeari has a small Gauguin museum.
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Aerial view of Papeete area |
Tahitians are French citizens with full civil and political rights. The
Tahitian language and the
French language are both in use.
Tahiti is part of French Polynesia (Polynesie Française). Tahiti's main city, Papeete is the capital. French Polynesia is now a semi-autonomous territory of France with its own assembly, President, budget and laws. France's influence is limited to providing subsidies, education and security. The current President of French Polynesia, Oscar Temaru, is advocating full independence from France, however, only about 20% of the population is currently in favor of full independence.
During a press conference on
June 26,
2006 during the second France-Oceania Summit, French President
Jacques Chirac said he did not think the majority of Tahitians wanted independence. He said he would keep an open door to a possible
referendum in the future.
Tahiti hosts a French university,
Université de la Polynésie Française ("University of French Polynesia"). It is a small growing university, with around 2,000 students and about 60 researchers.
Tourism is a significant industry, mostly to the islands of Bora Bora and Moorea. In July, the
Heiva festival in Papeete celebrates the polynesian culture and the commemoration of the storming of the
Bastille in France.
Black pearl farming is also a substantial source of revenues, most of the pearls being exported to Japan, Europe and the US.
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Music of Tahiti*
Postage stamps and postal history of French Polynesia*
Tahitian language*
James Samuela's Moorea Tattoo, traditional Polynesian tattoo artist*
True Tahiti Vacation's Guide to Tahiti & Her Islands*
About Tahiti on tahitinuitravel.com, with island map*
Map of French Polynesia*
Finding French Polynesia* [https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/fp.html CIA Factbook entry]
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Picture gallery*
University of French Polynesia*
Satellite view of Tahiti and Moorea*
Tahiti Tourisme*
Tahiti Visitor Information
