 NASA picture of Rapa | |
  Rapa Iti Rapa Iti is located in French Polynesia | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 27°36′S144°20′W / 27.600°S 144.333°W /-27.600; -144.333 |
| Archipelago | Australes |
| Area | 40.5 km2 (15.6 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 650 m (2130 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Perahu |
| Administration | |
France | |
| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Commune | Rapa Iti |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 451[1] (2022) |
Rapa | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location of Rapa | |
| Coordinates:27°36′S144°20′W / 27.60°S 144.33°W /-27.60; -144.33 | |
| Country | France |
| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Subdivision | Austral Islands |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Tuanainai Narii[2] |
Area 1 | 40.54 km2 (15.65 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[1] | 451 |
| • Density | 11.1/km2 (28.8/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−10:00 |
| INSEE/Postal code | 98741 /98751 |
| Elevation | 0–650 m (0–2,133 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Rapa, also calledRapa Iti, or "Little Rapa", to distinguish it fromEaster Island, whose Polynesian name is Rapa Nui, is the largest and only inhabited island of theBass Islands inFrench Polynesia. An older name for the island isOparo.[3] The total land area including offshore islets is 40.5 km2 (15.6 sq mi).[4]: 205 As of the 2022 census, Rapa had a population of 451.[1] The island's highest point is at 650 metres (2,130 ft) elevation at Mont Perahu.[4]: 243 Its main town isAhuréi. The inhabitants of Rapa Iti speak their own Polynesian language called theRapa language.
Rapa Iti is located at27°35′00″S144°20′00″W / 27.58333°S 144.33333°W /-27.58333; -144.33333. It is shaped roughly like aGreek finalsigma (ς), with a well-protected central bay, surrounded by a ring of relatively high mountains. The whole island appears to be the peak of a sinkingvolcano, with the bay as well as thecaldera. The area of the main island is 38.5 km2. Little Rapa Tauturau is an offshore island.
Its main town, Ahuréi (or Ha'uréi), lies on the southern shore of that bay, which is called the Baie d'Ahuréi. A smaller village, 'Area, is located on the northern shore of the bay. The people are Polynesian. Former times' warfare is indicated by 28 extant ridgetop forts. Today Rapa is home to theTahitian Choir, in which a third of the island's population sing traditional songs.
Although sometimes considered part of theAustral Islands, Rapa Iti and the Bass Islands have a different geological, linguistic and cultural history.[5]
Rapa Iti was first settled byPolynesians, most likely in the 12th century.[6] Their Polynesian dialect developed into what is today theRapa language over the centuries.[7] It is believed that the depletion of natural resources on the island resulted in warfare, and the inhabitants lived in up to 14 fortified settlements (pa orpare, a type of fort; compare theMāoripā) on peaks and clifftops.[8] It is considered that the oldest of these is Morongo Uta, which was developedc. 1450–1550 AD.
The first European to visit Rapa Iti wasGeorge Vancouver on 22 December 1791;[9] he named the island Oparo. Contact with Europeans brought liquor and disease, and between 1824 and 1830 over three quarters of the natives died.[9] Peruvian slavers raided the island as well.[10] When a handful of their victims were returned to the island, they brought with themsmallpox, which caused an epidemic.[10] In 1826, there were almost 2000 inhabitants; forty years later, there were fewer than 120.[11]
The independent island kingdom was declared a French protectorate in 1867. The British established a coaling station on the island, which prompted France to formally annex it on 6 March 1881. Subsequently, the native monarchy was abolished and the last queen, theDaughter of Parima, was deposed on 18 June 1887.[12]
Thor Heyerdahl, notably, made excavations in Morongo Uta, seeking links between Rapa Iti andRapa Nui (Easter Island).
Rapa Iti hastropical rainforest climate (Af in theKöppen climate classification,Arab in theTrewartha climate classification), bordering on a very-mild winterhumid subtropical climate (Cfa in theKöppen climate classification,Cfal in theTrewartha climate classification). Despite being situated south of the Tropic of Capricorn, the remote location in the middle of a tropical ocean enables the climate to be moderated in all seasons. Summers are hot and muggy, and cyclones are rarer, as the islands are located near theHorse Latitudes at thirty degrees south, despite the exposed location makes the island very windy, tempering the summer weather. Very hot weather is very rare, with the highest temperature recorded was 31.6 °C (88.9 °F) in March. Winters are mild and very stormy, due to the isolated and exposed location of Rapa Iti. Precipitation is abundant in all seasons, and sunshine is uncommon every month of the year. The cool winters and strong winds prohibit ultra tropical fruits such as coconuts to thrive, as it has dropped to 8.5 °C (47.3 °F) in September. In addition, the lack of continental influence promotes the vast seasonal lag, as March is the second-warmest month of the year, while September is the second-coldest.
| Climate data for Rapa, French Polynesia (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1951-present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 31.0 (87.8) | 30.9 (87.6) | 31.6 (88.9) | 30.3 (86.5) | 28.1 (82.6) | 26.3 (79.3) | 25.5 (77.9) | 25.0 (77.0) | 26.4 (79.5) | 26.4 (79.5) | 28.9 (84.0) | 30.1 (86.2) | 31.6 (88.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.7 (78.3) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.2 (79.2) | 24.5 (76.1) | 23.0 (73.4) | 21.6 (70.9) | 20.8 (69.4) | 20.5 (68.9) | 20.7 (69.3) | 21.5 (70.7) | 23.0 (73.4) | 24.2 (75.6) | 23.2 (73.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 23.7 (74.7) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.0 (75.2) | 22.4 (72.3) | 20.8 (69.4) | 19.3 (66.7) | 18.5 (65.3) | 18.2 (64.8) | 18.4 (65.1) | 19.3 (66.7) | 20.8 (69.4) | 22.2 (72.0) | 21.0 (69.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.7 (71.1) | 22.4 (72.3) | 21.8 (71.2) | 20.2 (68.4) | 18.6 (65.5) | 17.1 (62.8) | 16.3 (61.3) | 15.9 (60.6) | 16.1 (61.0) | 17.0 (62.6) | 18.6 (65.5) | 20.1 (68.2) | 18.8 (65.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 12.2 (54.0) | 15.6 (60.1) | 15.2 (59.4) | 13.5 (56.3) | 10.1 (50.2) | 10.2 (50.4) | 9.8 (49.6) | 8.9 (48.0) | 8.5 (47.3) | 10.5 (50.9) | 12.0 (53.6) | 13.2 (55.8) | 8.5 (47.3) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 227.2 (8.94) | 204.9 (8.07) | 256.3 (10.09) | 234.8 (9.24) | 172.2 (6.78) | 215.4 (8.48) | 237.5 (9.35) | 209.0 (8.23) | 148.1 (5.83) | 177.8 (7.00) | 143.1 (5.63) | 209.6 (8.25) | 2,435.9 (95.90) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1 mm) | 13.4 | 12.9 | 15.6 | 14.8 | 14.2 | 15.7 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 12.7 | 12.0 | 10.5 | 13.2 | 165.3 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 131.0 | 133.8 | 130.9 | 115.0 | 102.8 | 93.4 | 101.1 | 120.6 | 123.4 | 133.7 | 134.3 | 125.0 | 1,444.9 |
| Source: Meteo France[13] | |||||||||||||
The Manatau French Polynesian Reserve is a special French Polynesian Reserve to protect the animals and ridgetop forts of an area of southern Rapa. It is located near South Ahuréi.
The island is home to theendemic andcritically endangeredRapa fruit dove which is threatened by habitat loss, predation byferal cats and hunting. Its population was estimated in 2017 at 160 individual birds. The critically endangeredRapa shearwater is endemic to surrounding islets. Other birds include the least concernMurphy's petrel, which nest there in small numbers, and the near threatenedbristle-thighed curlew which is a non-breeding visitor while migrating. Because of its significance for these species the island has been identified as anImportant Bird Area byBirdLife International.[14]
The commune ofRapa consists of the island of Rapa Iti and the four uninhabitedMarotiri rocks.
 |  | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
