Reitoru

Reitoru, or Te Pirehi, is a small atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located in center of the archipelago, 50 km southwest of Hikueru.

Reitoru
NASA picture of Reitoru Atoll
Reitoru
Geography
LocationPacific Ocean
Coordinates17°52′S 143°5′W
ArchipelagoTuamotus
Area6 km2 (2.3 sq mi)  (lagoon)
1.4 km2 (1 sq mi) (above water)
Length5 km (3.1 mi)
Width3 km (1.9 mi)
Administration
France
Overseas collectivityFrench Polynesia
Administrative subdivisionTuamotus
CommuneHikueru
Demographics
PopulationUninhabited[1] (2012)

The inner lagoon is closed and is inaccessible from the ocean. The total surface area is 1.39 km². The island is inhabited by a small number of people who live by farming pearls and gathering copra.

History

The first recorded European who arrived to Reitoru Atoll was French Louis Antoine de Bougainville in 1768. The following year, James Cook called the island "Bird Island", because the birds were the only inhabitants found.

During the 19th and 20th century, Reitoru was an important center for pearl divers. In 1903 the atoll was devastated by a cyclone causing the death of approximately one hundred people.[2]

Administration

Administratively Reitoru belongs to the commune of Hikueru, which consists of the atolls of Hikueru, Marokau, Ravahere, Reitoru and Tekokota.

References
  1. "Population". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  2. "Reitoru, Bird Island - South Seas Companion Place". nla.gov.au. 2004-02-01.


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