Arutua

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Arutua
File:Arutua2.jpg
NASA picture of Arutua Atoll
Arutua is located in French Polynesia
Arutua
Geography
Location Pacific Ocean
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Archipelago Tuamotus
Area Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value).  (lagoon)
15 km2 (6 sq mi) (above water)
Length 31 km (19.3 mi)
Width 24 km (14.9 mi)
Country
France
Overseas collectivity French Polynesia
Administrative subdivision Tuamotus
Commune Arutua
Largest settlement Rautini
Demographics
Population 680[1] (as of 2012)
Arutua
Location of Arutua in the Tuamotu Archipelago
Location of Arutua in the Tuamotu Archipelago
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country France
Overseas collectivity French Polynesia
Area 46 km2 (18 sq mi)
Population (2012[1])1 1,505
 • Density 33/km2 (85/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 98713
1 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Arutua, or Ngaru-atua[2] is an atoll in the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. It is located 40 km SW of Rangiroa. The closest land is Apataki Atoll, only 16 km to the East.

Arutua Atoll has a roughly pentagonal shape. Length 31 km (19 mi) , width 24 km (15 mi) . The lagoon area is 484 km2 (187 sq mi) and the land area is 15 km2 (6 sq mi). Its lagoon is wide and deep with one navigable passage. As of 2012, Arutua had a population of 680 inhabitants. The main village is Rautini. There is a small airport at Arutua which was opened in 1984.

Geographically Arutua belongs to the Palliser Islands (Îles Palliser) subgroup of the Tuamotus.

History

The first recorded European to visit Arutua Atoll was Jakob Roggeveen (who also first sighted Easter Island) in 1722. British mariner Frederick Beechey touched at Arutua in 1826. He named this atoll "Cockburn Island".

Administration

This atoll is the capital of the commune of Arutua, which consists of Arutua, as well as the atolls of Apataki and Kaukura.

Demographics

Island Population (2012 census) Area (km²) Area of lagoon (km²) Postcode
Apataki 350 20 706 -
Arutua 680 15 484 -
Kaukura 475 11 434 -
TOTAL 1505 46 1624 -

Table 1. Current population.

Island 2007 2012
Apataki 495 350
Arutua 725 680
Kaukura 541 475
TOTAL 1761 1505

Table 2. Population over time.

Images and maps

Image Source: Landsat S-06-15_2008 
Map Source: EVS Precision Map (1:170,000) 

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links