Reitoru

Reitoru
NASA image by Reitoru
Waters	Pacific Ocean
archipelago	Tuamotu Archipelago
Geographical location	17 ° 52 ′  S , 143 ° 4 ′  W Coordinates: 17 ° 52 ′  S , 143 ° 4 ′  W
Number of islands	-
Main island	-
Land area	1.4 km²
Lagoon area	60 ha
Residents	uninhabited
Map of Reitoru

Reitoru or Te Pirehi is an uninhabited atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia . The nearest atoll, Hikueru, is 50 km southwest. The atoll's lagoon has no access to the sea. Reitoru is part of the Hikueru community .

Reitoru was discovered by Louis Antoine de Bougainville in 1768. James Cook also visited this island and named it "Bird Island" because the only inhabitants were birds.

In 1903 the island, like the neighboring atolls, was devastated by a tropical cyclone.

In the 19th and 20th centuries Reitoru was an important atoll for Polynesian pearl farming.

It is only used occasionally by fishermen and for harvesting and processing coconuts into copra .

Web links

• Picture and short description ( memento from December 23, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
• Information about the island (English)