Tikehau
Tikehau | ||
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LANDSAT image of the atoll (2000) | ||
Waters | Pacific Ocean | |
archipelago | Tuamotu Archipelago | |
Geographical location | 14 ° 59 ′ S , 148 ° 10 ′ W | |
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Number of islands | - | |
Main island | Tuherahera | |
length | 26 km | |
width | 23 km | |
Land area | 2.5 km² | |
Lagoon area | 461 km² | |
Residents | 507 (2007) | |
Map of Tikehau |
Tikehau is an atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago in the Pacific Ocean . It is a " Commune associée " (sub-municipality) of the municipality of Rangiroa and politically belongs to French Polynesia .
Tikehau is located about 320 km north of Tahiti in the northwest of the archipelago. It has an area of about 26 by 23 km. The lagoon measures 461 km². Smaller supply ships can get to the port within the lagoon through the 150 m wide and maximum 4 m deep Passe Tuheiava on the west side .
The atoll was discovered for Europe on April 25, 1816 by Otto von Kotzebue as part of a Russian expedition. The atoll was named "Kruzenstern" after the German-Baltic Admiral Adam Johann von Krusenstern . This name is still quite familiar to today's residents.
The main island and town are called Tuherahera , located on the southern tip of the atoll. In 2007 about 507 people lived on Tikehau. The main sources of income are the state-subsidized production of copra , commercial fishing and a little tourism. There is a bakery, two small shops and a tiny snack bar. In 2001 a tiny sawmill was built with government support, in which around three to five locals find work. The breeding of black pearls, which began with a lot of enthusiasm in the 1990s, has come to a standstill. There is also a diving center , a luxury hotel and an airport with the IATA airport code TIH.
Picture gallery
A row of small motu on the Tikehau atoll. In the background the inner lagoon
Tikehau in 1816 (drawn by Ludwig Choris )
See also
Web links
- Article with a map of the atoll (page 17)