Fangatau Knowpia

Fangatau
Fangatau
Commune
	Location of Fangatau
	Coordinates: 15°49′12″S 140°53′14″W / 15.8199°S 140.8871°W
Country	France
Overseas collectivity	French Polynesia
Subdivision	Îles Tuamotu-Gambier
Area 1	14.3 km2 (5.5 sq mi)
Population (2017)	296
• Density	21/km2 (54/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−10:00
INSEE/Postal code	98717 /
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Fangatau
	NASA picture of Fangatau Atoll
	Fangatau
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	15°49′12″S 140°53′14″W / 15.82000°S 140.88722°W
Archipelago	Tuamotus
Area	22.2 km2 (8.6 sq mi) (lagoon); 9.4 km2 (4 sq mi) (above water)
Length	8 km (5 mi)
Width	3.5 km (2.17 mi)
Administration
	France
Overseas collectivity	French Polynesia
Administrative subdivision	Îles Tuamotu-Gambier
Commune	Fangatau
Largest settlement	Teana
Demographics
Population	135 (2017)
Pop. density	24/km2 (62/sq mi)

Fangatau, or Nakai-erua,^[2] is a small atoll in the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. The nearest land is Fakahina Atoll, located 72 km to the ESE. This small atoll has an elongated shape. Its length is 8 kilometres (5.0 miles), maximum width 3.5 kilometres (2.2 miles). It has a total area of 22.2 square kilometres (8.6 square miles),^[3] land area 5.9 km². Its reef encloses its lagoon completely. Anchorage is difficult. Fangatau Atoll has 135 inhabitants (2017 census).^[4] Teana is the main village.

History edit

The first recorded European to arrive at Fangatau was Russian explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen on the 10 July 1820 on ships Vostok and Mirni. He named this atoll "Arakcheev". Fangatau was the home of Kamake an Iturangi, regarded by anthropologist Kenneth Emory as "the greatest Tuamotuan sage" he ever met.^[5]

Administration edit

The commune of Fangatau consists of Fangatau Atoll, as well as the atoll and associated commune of Fakahina.^[6] The seat of the commune is the village Teana.^[6]

Atoll	Main village	Population 2017^[4]	Land area (km²)^[7]	Lagoon (km²)	Coordinates
Fangatau	Teana	135	5.9	11	15°49′S 140°52′W / 15.817°S 140.867°W / -15.817; -140.867
Fakahina	Tarione	161	8.3	20	15°59′S 140°08′W / 15.983°S 140.133°W / -15.983; -140.133
Commune of Fangatau	Teana	296	14.3	31

Atoll	Main village	Population 2007	Population 2012	Population 2017
Fangatau	Teana	121	145	135
Fakahina	Tarione	131	155	161
Commune of Fangatau	Teana	252	300	296

Transport edit

The atoll is served by the Fangatau Airport (IATA: FGU, ICAO: NTGB).

References edit

^ "Population". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. Archived from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
^ 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. Archived from the original on 10 February 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
^ ICES Journal of Marine Science
^ ^a ^b Répartition de la population en Polynésie française en 2017 Archived 2021-11-21 at the Wayback Machine, Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française
^ Emory, Kenneth P. (1940). "Tuamotuan concepts of creation". Journal of the Polynesian Society. 49 (193): 117. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
^ ^a ^b Décret n°72-407 du 17 mai 1972 portant création de communes dans le territoire de la Polynésie française, Légifrance
^ "R1- Population sans doubles comptes, des subdivisions, communes et communes associées de Polynésie française, de 1971 à 1996". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. Archived from the original on 2012-11-14. Retrieved 2019-03-14.