Paraoa

Paraoa, Tohora, or Hariri[2] is a small atoll of the central Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 76 km south of Hao Atoll's westernmost point. The closest land is Manuhangi Atoll, 52 km to the west.[3]

Paraoa
NASA picture of Paraoa Atoll
Paraoa
Geography
LocationPacific Ocean
Coordinates19°08′S 140°43′W
ArchipelagoTuamotus
Area14 km2 (5.4 sq mi) (lagoon)
4 km2 (1.5 sq mi) (above water)
Length8.5 km (5.28 mi)
Width5.5 km (3.42 mi)
Administration
Overseas collectivityFrench Polynesia
Administrative subdivisionTuamotus
CommuneHao
Demographics
PopulationUninhabited[1] (2012)

Paraoa Atoll is oval in shape. It measures 8.5 kilometres (5.3 miles) in length with a maximum width of 5.5 kilometres (3.4 miles). Its lagoon is not connected to the ocean by a pass, which makes this small atoll quite inaccessible. Paraoa Atoll is uninhabited.

History

The first recorded European who arrived to Paraoa was Englishman Samuel Wallis in 1767. He named it "Gloucester".[4]

Administration

Paraoa belongs to the commune of Hao (Main village: Otepa), which includes also Ahunui (uninhabited), Nengonengo, and Manuhangi (uninhabited).

References

  1. "Population". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  2. Atoll names
  3. "Oceandots". Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved 2009-03-14.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  4. Samuel Wallis (in German)



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