Akiaki

Akiaki[2] is a low coral atoll in the eastern area of the Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia. Akiaki's nearest neighbor is Vahitahi, which is located 41 km to the southeast.

Akiaki
Map of Akiaki Atoll
Akiaki
Geography
LocationPacific Ocean
Coordinates18°33′S 139°13′W
ArchipelagoTuamotus
Area1.3 km2 (0.50 sq mi)
Length2 km (1.2 mi)
Width0.9 km (0.56 mi)
Administration
France
Overseas collectivityFrench Polynesia
Administrative subdivisionTuamotus
CommuneNukutavake
Demographics
PopulationUninhabited[1] (2012)

Akiaki is a small atoll rising barely above sea level. The total land surface is only 1.3 km². Its reef is occupied by a single flat island covered with coconut trees and other vegetation. There is no lagoon and it has only a difficult landing located on its northwestern side.

Akiaki is uninhabited, but is visited occasionally for its coconut plantations.

History
The first map of Akiaki (île des Lanciers) published in 1768 by Bougainville during his voyage on March 22, 1768. "Les 4 Facardins" refer to Vahitahi.

The first recorded European that arrived to Akiaki Atoll was Louis Antoine de Bougainville on 22 March 1768.[3] He called this atoll Ile des Lanciers. James Cook reached Akiaki the following year, during his first voyage, and named it Thrum Island.

Geology

Akiaki lies on top of a small seamount which is part of the Tuamotu Seamount Trail on the Pacific Plate. Akiaki's seamount is 3420 m high.

Administration

Administratively Akiaki Atoll belongs to the commune of Nukutavake, which includes Nukutavake, as well as the atolls of Vahitahi, Vairaatea, Pinaki and Akiaki.

See also

References
  1. "Population". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  2. Young, J.L. (1899). "Names of the Paumotu Islands, with the old names so far as they are known". Journal of the Polynesian Society. 8 (4): 264–268. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  3. Salmond, Anne (2010). Aphrodite's Island. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 93. ISBN 9780520261143.


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