Manuae (Cook Islands)
| Manuae | ||
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| Waters | Pacific Ocean | |
| archipelago | Cook Islands | |
| Geographical location | 19 ° 15 ′ S , 158 ° 56 ′ W | |
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| Number of islands | 2 | |
| Main island | Manuae | |
| length | 6.2 km | |
| width | 3.8 km | |
| Land area | 6 km² | |
| Lagoon area | 13 km² | |
| Residents | uninhabited | |
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Manuae is an atoll about 28 km² in the southern group of the Cook Islands ; it is located 300 km northeast of the main island of Rarotonga .
geography
The atoll consists of two flat, uninhabited islands , Manuae , the namesake of the atoll, and Te Au O Tu , together with a land area of about 6 km², which are only separated from each other by a lagoon enclosed by a coral reef . The western island, Manuae, measures 2.1 km² and the larger island of Te Au O Tu measures 3.9 km². The lagoon is 13 km² and shallow. Strictly speaking, the two islets are the only parts of a huge submarine volcanic cone that can be seen on the ocean surface , which rises from a depth of around 4,000 m and is 56 km from east to west and 24 km from north to south.
The atoll belongs to the residents of Aitutaki , which is 87 km northwest. In the past few decades, residents of Aitutaki have regularly visited the atoll to harvest copra from the coconut plantations. Today, however, the atoll is part of a marine reserve and has become an important habitat for sea turtles and many species of sea birds .
population
The population recently reached its highest level in the 1956 census with 32 inhabitants. Already 20 years later the atoll was uninhabited:
- 1926: 23
- 1936: 8
- 1956: 32
- 1961: 18
- 1966: 16
- 1971: 2
- 1976: -
history
Manuae was discovered by the English navigator James Cook on September 23, 1773 , making it one of the first islands that Cook sighted on his voyages of discovery in this area. He originally named the atoll Sandwich Island after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich . Cook later changed this name after the then Lord of the Admiralty in Hervey Island , the island group was consequently renamed Hervey Islands , as he transferred the name Sandwich Islands to the island group of Hawaii .
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Russian researcher Krusenstern called the Hervey Islands - in honor of James Cook - "Cook Islands". The atoll was then given its current name.
Others
Manuae is now a protected nature reserve and an important breeding area for seabirds and sea turtles native to the Pacific . Only researchers and professional nature filmmakers are allowed a short visit; Tourists are not allowed to enter .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Lonely Planet: Aitutaki ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Manuae: page 111)
- ↑ http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=EP19360528.2.80&cl=CL2.1936.05.28&e=-------10--1----0 -
Web links
- Information about Manuae (English)
- For more information about Manuae (English)
