It is the primary center of Tahitian and French Polynesian public and private governmental, commercial, industrial, and financial services, the hub of French Polynesian tourism and a commonly usedport of call.[6] The Windward Islands are themselves part of theSociety Islands. The name Papeʻete,[Note 1] means "water from a basket"[7]— this was an effect of anaming taboo duringPōmare I's reign where the Tahitian contemporary word for watervai was substituted withpape,[8] the old nameVaiʻete is still recognised in some areas such asthe Marquesas.[4] Theurban area of Papeʻete had a total population of 124,724 inhabitants at the 2022 census, 26,654 of whom lived in thecommune of Papeʻete proper.[3]
Papeʻete features atropical monsoon climate (Am according to theKöppen climate classification) with a wet season and dry season, bordering a tropical rainforest climate, with high temperatures and humidity year round. However, precipitation is observed even during the city's dry season. The dry season is short, covering only the months of August and September. The rest of the year is wet, with the heaviest precipitation falling in the months of December and January. Sunshine is moderately high, as most precipitation comes as thunderstorms and cyclones, and does not last for long.
Climate data for Papeʻete (1981–2010 averages, extremes 1976−present)
Relocation of the post office using aDecauville railway in 1902
In 1902, it became necessary to move the post office of Papeʻete to another location. Instead of demolishing it and rebuilding it at the new site, it was lifted from the subsoil and moved as a whole on aDecauville railway.
Previously, during the construction of the Faʻaiere water tower with a capacity of 150,000 litres for the drinking water supply of the city of Papeʻete, a difference in altitude of 37 metres (121 ft) was overcome with a light railway laid on a 220 metres (720 ft) long inclined plane. A winch driven by a 12-horsepowerFowler orDecauville locomobile carried three narrow gauge railway trucks at a time, consuming up to 200 kilograms (440 lb) of coal per day for about sixty journeys.[14]Paul Decauville mentioned in a letter to GovernorTheodore Lacascade, dated 18 June 1891, an order for "15 kilometres (9.3 mi) of600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) portable rail tracks and about 12,000 francs of rolling stock, payable in three years", presumably for a tramway from Papeʻete toPunaʻauia operated by hand or animals.[15][16]
Papeʻete Town Hall, a replica of the Royal Palace of Papeʻete razed in the 1960s
Following the outbreak ofWorld War I, Papeʻete wasshelled by German vessels, causing loss of life and significant damage.
The growth of the city was boosted by the decision to move the French nuclear weapon test range fromAlgeria, which had become independent, to the atolls ofMoruroa andFangataufa, some 1,500 km (930 mi) to the east of Tahiti. This was motivated, in particular, by the construction of theFaʻaʻā International Airport, the only international airport in French Polynesia, near Papeʻete. In 1983,The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built thePapeʻete Tahiti Temple here because of its large number of members in the region. On 5 September 1995 the government ofJacques Chirac conducted the first of a series of nuclear test detonations off the shores of Moruroa. A resulting riot in Papeʻete lasted for two days and damaged the international airport, injured 40 people, and scared away tourism for some time.[17][18] Similar rioting had occurred after another French nuclear test in the same area in 1987.
The streets of the town center are very busy, and traffic can be a problem since they are very narrow. The Tahiti freeway starts close to the town center as Pōmare Boulevard, named after theTahitian Royal Family of the 19th century. By air, passengers depart from theFaʻaʻā International Airport. Domestic interisland service is operated byAir Tahiti with international flights being operated byAir Tahiti Nui,Air France,LATAM Chile,United and other airlines. By sea, passengers can use a marine ferry service for travel toMoorea or a Bora Bora cruise line service for travel toBora Bora.
The urban area of Papeʻete had a total population of 124,724 inhabitants at the 2022 census, 26,654 of whom lived in thecommune of Papeʻete proper.[3] The urban area of Papeʻete is made up of six communes. They are listed from northeast to southwest:
At the 2017 census, 98.4% of the population in the urban area of Papeʻete whose age was 15 years and older reported that they could speakFrench (up from 98.2% at the 2007 census). 96.7% reported that they could also read and write it (up from 96.5% at the 2007 census). Only 0.7% of the population whose age was 15 years and older had no knowledge of French (down from 1.2% at the 2007 census).[26][27]
At the same census, 83.9% of the population in the urban area of Papeʻete whose age was 15 years and older reported that the language they spoke the most at home was French (up from 79.7% at the 2007 census). 13.5% reported thatTahitian was the language they spoke the most at home (down from 16.5% at the 2007 census). 1.2% reported anotherPolynesian language (down from 1.7% at the 2007 census), 0.9% reported aChinese dialect (down from 1.6% at the 2007 census), half of whom speakHakka, and 0.5% reported another language (same as in 2007).[26][27]
19.8% of the population in the urban area of Papeʻete whose age was 15 years and older reported that they had no knowledge of any Polynesian language at the 2017 census (up from 19.5% at the 2007 census), whereas 80.2% reported that they had some form of knowledge of at least one Polynesian language (down from 80.5% at the 2007 census).[26][27]
Travelling tourists arrive and depart Papeʻete by private yacht or viacruise ship at Papeʻete Harbor, or by air atFaʻaʻā International Airport, which was completed and opened in 1962.
Bougainville Park (once named Albert Park, in honour of a former Belgian king and World War One hero), is now named forLouis Antoine de Bougainville, the first French explorer to circumnavigate the globe.
The Territorial Assembly is the heart of the Polynesian government and contains the Territorial Assembly building, the High Commissioner's residence and also a once popular clubhouse of Paul Gauguin. It was also once the site of the royal residence and palace of QueenPōmare IV of Tahiti, who ruled from 1827 to 1877.
The filmEl pasajero clandestino deals with several persons trying to take control of the inheritance of a recently deceased English film magnate, who traveled to Papeʻete to look for the heir.
Papeʻete is mentioned inBruce Brown's surf filmThe Endless Summer as one of the surf sites visited by the two longboarders chasing the summer season around the world. The beach at Papeʻete is dubbed "Ins and outs" because the steep shore causes waves to break in both directions—toward the beach and out to sea.
Papeʻete, aschooner built byMatthew Turner, who had extensive business interests in Tahiti, was known for a fast passage from San Francisco to Tahiti of 17 days.[28]
Papeʻete is mentioned inPaul Thomas Anderson's crime-drama filmInherent Vice as a possible destination (never reached) of Burke Stodger in a getaway on his boat after being blacklisted by Hollywood.
^abPersonal communication with Michael Koch inSchütz, Albert J. (2020).Hawaiian language: past, present, and future: what every teacher and student of Hawaiian might like to know about the history and future of the language. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i. p. 5.ISBN9780824869830.
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