Rimatara

Rimatara
	Rimatara photographed from space
Waters	Pacific Ocean
Archipelago	Austral Islands
Geographical location	22 ° 39 ′ 0 ″ S , 152 ° 48 ′ 0 ″ W Coordinates: 22 ° 39 ′ 0 ″ S , 152 ° 48 ′ 0 ″ W
surface	9 km²
Highest elevation	Mont Uahu ; 83 m
Residents	797 (2007) ; 89 inhabitants / km²
main place	Amaru

Rimatara nautical chart

Girls from Rimatara around 1887

Rimatara is the westernmost inhabited island of the Austral Islands and is part of the French Polynesia overseas territory . Only the uninhabited atoll Maria lies further to the west. The island with an approximately circular plan has a land area of 8.6 km² and is surrounded by a coral reef . The area of the lagoon measures two square kilometers. The island is relatively flat: the highest point, Mount Uhau , rises only 106 meters. Rimatara is fertile and covered by forest and grasslands.

The population in 2007 was 797 people living in the three villages of Amaru (in the east), Anapoto (in the west) and Mutuaura (in the south).

The Rimatara airport ( IATA code: RMT) is located on the north side of the island. Air Tahiti flies among others to Tahiti .

history

Rimatara was only discovered in 1811 by the Tahitian-born captain Samuel Pinder Henry (* February 8, 1800, † June 9, 1852). In 1821 Pastor William Henry landed here and founded a Protestant mission station . France established the protectorate over the island in 1889 and annexed it in 1900.

Individual evidence

↑ Bernard Salvat, Tamatoa Bambridge, Donatien Tanret, Jerôme Petit (eds.): Environnement Marin des Îles Australes, Polynésie Française, Tahiti 2015 , p. 205
↑ Jaques-Antoine Moerenhout: Travels to the Islands of the Pacific Ocean , Lanham 1993, p. 459 (translation of “Voyages aux îles du Grand Océan” Paris 1837) According to Dunmore (Who's who in Pacific navigation), however, the discovery cannot be made in 1811 took place because SP Henry would have been only eleven at the time. "This discovery was probably made during Henry's 1821 voyage." (ibid., p. 130)

Web links

Commons : Rimatara - collection of images, videos and audio files

[1] Bernard Salvat, Tamatoa Bambridge, Donatien Tanret, Jerôme Petit (eds.): Environnement Marin des Îles Australes, Polynésie Française, Tahiti 2015 , p. 205

[2] Jaques-Antoine Moerenhout: Travels to the Islands of the Pacific Ocean , Lanham 1993, p. 459 (translation of “Voyages aux îles du Grand Océan” Paris 1837) According to Dunmore (Who's who in Pacific navigation), however, the discovery cannot be made in 1811 took place because SP Henry would have been only eleven at the time. "This discovery was probably made during Henry's 1821 voyage." (ibid., p. 130)