Paraoa
Encyclopedia
Tuamotus
The Tuamotus or the Tuamotu Archipelago are a chain of islands and atolls in French Polynesia. They form the largest chain of atolls in the world, spanning an area of the Pacific Ocean roughly the size of Western Europe...
in French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
. It is located 76 km south of Hao
Hao (French Polynesia)
Hao, or Haorangi, is a large coral atoll in the central part of the Tuamotu Archipelago. Because of its shape, French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville named it Harp Island....
Atoll's westernmost point. The closest land is Manuhangi
Manuhangi
Manuhangi is an atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. The atoll is situated 68 km southeast from Nengonengo and 52 km west from Paraoa....
Atoll, 52 km to the west.
Paraoa Atoll is oval in shape. It measures 8.5 km in length with a maximum width of 5.5 km. 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 WallisSamuel Wallis
Samuel Wallis was a Cornish navigator who circumnavigated the world.Wallis was born near Camelford, Cornwall. In 1766 he was given the command of HMS Dolphin to circumnavigate the world, accompanied by the Swallow under the command of Philip Carteret...
in 1767. He named it "Gloucester".
Administration
Paraoa belongs to the commune of Hao (Main village: Otepa), which includes AhunuiAhunui
Ahunui or Nga-taumanga is a small atoll of the eastern Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 55 km SSE of Paraoa Atoll and 120 km WSW of Vairaatea....
(uninhabited), Nengonengo
Nengonengo
Nengonengo is a small atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 53 km southeast of Ravahere, its closest neighbor, and 100 km southwest of Hao Atoll....
, Manuhangi
Manuhangi
Manuhangi is an atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. The atoll is situated 68 km southeast from Nengonengo and 52 km west from Paraoa....
(uninhabited) and Paraoa (uninhabited).