Puka Puka | |
|---|---|
 NASA picture of Puka-Puka Atoll | |
 Location (in red) within the Tuamotu Archipelago | |
Location of Puka Puka  | |
| Coordinates:14°49′S138°49′W / 14.82°S 138.82°W /-14.82; -138.82 | |
| Country | France |
| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Subdivision | Îles Tuamotu-Gambier |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Raphaël Villant[1] |
Area 1 | 5 km2 (2 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 137 |
| • Density | 27/km2 (71/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−10:00 |
| INSEE/Postal code | 98737 / |
| Elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
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Puka-Puka is a small inhabitedcoralatoll in the north-easternTuamotu Archipelago, sometimes included as a member of theDisappointment Islands. This atoll is quite isolated, the nearest land beingFakahina, 182 km to the southwest.
Puka-Puka Atoll has an elliptical shape. Its length is 6 km and its maximum width 3.3 km. Its land area is about 5 km2. The lagoon is filled with silt and has become very small.
The lowcoral islands are dry and sparsely populated. According to the 2022census, the total population was 137.[2] The chief town is Te One Mahina, with about 110 inhabitants.
Unlike the rest of the Tuamotus, the language of the islands,Pukapukan, isMarquesic.
Puka-Puka was the first of the Tuamotus sighted by the Spanish expedition ofFerdinand Magellan on 21 January 1521, and charted asSan Pablo because it was discovered on the day on whichPaul of Tarsus is traditionally said to have become a Christian. Together withFlint Island (namedTiburones) they were namedIslas Infortunadas (Unfortunate Islands in Spanish).[3]
Dutch explorersJacob le Maire andWillem Schouten arrived at Puka-Puka on April 10, 1616, during their Pacific journey. They called this atoll "Honden Eiland" ("Dog Island").
On 30 July 1947,Thor Heyerdahl and his six-man expedition aboard the raftKon Tiki made their first sighting of land since departingCallao,Peru when they passed by Puka-Puka.
The islands were devastated by atyphoon in 1996. However, withFrench assistance, Te One Mahina has been rebuilt.
Puka-Puka Airport was inaugurated in 1979.
Puka-Puka is the name of the administrativecommune in which it lies, of which it is the sole atoll. The seat of the commune is the village Teone-Mahina.[4]
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