Ahe, Ahemaru or Omaru,[2] is a coral atoll in the northern Tuamotu Archipelago, 14 km to the west of Manihi, in French Polynesia. Its ring shape is broken by only a single small passage into the lagoon. It has a land area of approximately 12 km2 and a lagoon area of 138 km2. As of 2012[update], Ahe Atoll had 553 inhabitants. The only village in Ahe is Tenukupara with approximately 100 inhabitants. It is located on an island in the south side of the Atoll.[3]
 NASA picture of Ahe Atoll | |
  Ahe | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 14°29′S 146°19′W / 14.483°S 146.317°W |
| Archipelago | Tuamotus |
| Area | 138 km2 (53 sq mi)(lagoon) 12 km2 (5 sq mi) (above water) |
| Length | 23.5 km (14.6 mi) |
| Width | 12.2 km (7.58 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 10 m (30 ft) |
| Highest point | (unnamed) |
| Administration | |
France | |
| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Administrative subdivision | Tuamotus |
| Commune | Manihi |
| Largest settlement | Tenukupara (pop. 100) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 552[1] (2012) |
| Pop. density | 47/km2 (122/sq mi) |
The Atoll is part of the King George Islands (Iles du Roi Georges) subgroup, which includes Ahe, Manihi, Takapoto, Takaroa and Tikei. There are several pearl farms in Ahe's lagoon.
History
editThe first recorded Europeans to arrive to Ahe Atoll were Dutch mariners Willem Schouten and Jacob Le Maire in 1616. Ahe was later visited by the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838–1842.[4] Charles Wilkes called the atoll "Peacock Island" after one of the ships of the expedition.[5] This atoll has sometimes suffered damage caused by cyclones.[6]
In the late 1970s, sailor Bernard Moitessier lived on Ahe for two years.[7]
Demographics
editPopulation of Ahe:
| 1977 | 1983 | 1988 | 1996 | 2002 | 2007 | 2012 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 109 | 142 | 162 | 377 | 441 | 566 | 552 | ||
| Sources ISPF,[8] Mairie de Ahe[9] * : estimation | ||||||||
Administration
editAhe Atoll belongs to the commune of Manihi, which consists of the atolls of Manihi and Ahe.[10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Population". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. Archived from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 23 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. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
- ^ "Oceandots - Ahe, Tuamotu Archipelago". Archived from the original on 2010-12-23. Retrieved 2009-03-14.
- ^ United States Exploring Expedition
- ^ "[American Voyages, 1800 to 1842]". nzetc.org.
- ^ Dupon, Jean-Francois (1984). "Where the exception confirms the rule: The cyclones of 1982–1983 in French Polynesia". Disasters. 8 (1): 34–47. doi:10.1111/j.1467-7717.1984.tb00851.x. PMID 20958557.
- ^ Bernard Moitessier, Tamata and the Alliance (Sheridan Publishing, 1995)
- ^ ISPF, Démographie Archived 2014-12-16 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Mairie de Ahe,
- ^ Tahiti Tourisme Archived October 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine (in French)
External links
edit
- Ahe Atoll FP (EVS Islands)
- Shuttle Image ISS008-E-17141 (Astronaut Photography)
- Shuttle Image ISS007-E-16671 (Astronaut Photography)
- Ahe Atoll FP (Oceandots.com) at the Wayback Machine (archived December 23, 2010)
- Tuamotu Atolls List (Pacific Image)
- TX5EG Amateur Radio DX Expedition to Ahe Atoll
 | This French Polynesia-related geography article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |