Bora Bora ( French: ''Bora-Bora''; Tahitian: ''Pora Pora'') is an island group in the Leeward Islands. The Leeward Islands comprise the western part of the
Society Islands
The Society Islands (french: Îles de la Société, officially ''Archipel de la Société;'' ty, Tōtaiete mā) are an archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean. Politically, they are part of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the ...
overseas collectivity
The French overseas collectivities (''collectivité d'outre-mer'' or ''COM'') are first-order administrative divisions of France, like the French regions, but have a semi-autonomous status. The COMs include some former French overseas colonies ...
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...
. Bora Bora has a total land area of . The main island, located about northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a
lagoon
A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') ...
and a
barrier reef
A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups.
Co ...
. In the center of the island are the remnants of an
extinct volcano
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...
, rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu; the highest point is at . Bora Bora is part of the
Commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
of
Bora-Bora
Bora Bora (French: ''Bora-Bora''; Tahitian: ''Pora Pora'') is an island group in the Leeward Islands. The Leeward Islands comprise the western part of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, which is an overseas collectivity of the French Re ...
, which also includes the atoll of Tūpai. The languages spoken in Bora Bora are Tahitian and French. However, due to the high tourism population, many natives of Bora Bora have learned to speak
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
.
Bora Bora is a major international tourist destination, famous for its seaside (and even offshore)
luxury resort
Luxury may refer to:
*Luxury goods, an economic good or service for which demand increases more than proportionally as income rises
*Luxury tax, tax on products not considered essential, such as expensive cars
**Luxury tax (sports), surcharge put ...
s. The major settlement, Vaitape, is on the western side of the main island, opposite the main channel leading into the lagoon. Produce of the island is mostly limited to what can be obtained from the sea and from the plentiful coconut trees, which were historically of economic importance for the production of
copra
Copra (from ) is the dried, white flesh of the coconut from which coconut oil is extracted. Traditionally, the coconuts are sun-dried, especially for export, before the oil, also known as copra oil, is pressed out. The oil extracted from co ...
.
Name
In ancient times the island was called , meaning "created by the gods" in the local Tahitian language. This was often abbreviated meaning simply "first born". The Tahitian, along and the English, French and Dutch languages each use a unique set of
phonemes
In phonology and linguistics, a phoneme () is a unit of sound that can distinguish one word from another in a particular language.
For example, in most dialects of English, with the notable exception of the West Midlands and the north-west ...
, so the spelling and pronunciation of the name changes as it passes from one language to another. Since Tahitian does not distinguish between the sounds [] and [], the sound represented by lies between the two, and represents a sound not present in English similar in sound to [] and []. So could also be heard by English, French or Dutch speakers as or . When explorer
Jacob Roggeveen
Jacob Roggeveen (1 February 1659 – 31 January 1729) was a Dutch explorer who was sent to find Terra Australis and Davis Land, but instead found Easter Island (called so because he landed there on Easter Sunday). Jacob Roggeveen also found Bora ...
first landed on the island, he and his crew adopted the name , which has stood ever since.
History
The island was inhabited by Polynesian settlers around the 3rd century. The first European sighting was made by
Jakob Roggeveen
Jacob Roggeveen (1 February 1659 – 31 January 1729) was a Dutch explorer who was sent to find Terra Australis and Davis Land, but instead found Easter Island (called so because he landed there on Easter Sunday). Jacob Roggeveen also found Bora ...
in 1722.
James Cook sighted the island on 29 July 1769, with the help of a Tahitian navigator, Tupaia. The
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed in outlook, with Congregational m ...
arrived in 1820 and founded a
Protestant church
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
in 1890. Bora Bora was an independent kingdom until 1888, when the French annexed the island as a colony and forced its last queen, Teriimaevarua III, to abdicate.
World War II
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the United States chose Bora Bora as a South Pacific military supply base, and constructed an oil depot, an airstrip, a
seaplane
A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their technological characteri ...
base, and defensive fortifications. The base, known as "Operation Bobcat", comprised nine ships, of equipment, and nearly 7,000 soldiers.
At least eight 7-inch guns were operated by some members of the 13th Coast Artillery Regiment (later renamed the 276th Coast Artillery Battalion). The guns were set up at strategic points around the island to protect it against potential military attack. All eight of these guns remain in the area to this day.
However, the island saw no combat. The American presence on Bora Bora went uncontested for the entire course of the war. The base was officially closed on 2 June 1946. The World War II airstrip was never enlarged to accommodate large aircraft, but it was nonetheless French Polynesia's only international airport until 1960, when
Faa'a International Airport
Faa'a International Airport (french: Aéroport international de Tahiti-Faaa), also known as Tahiti International Airport , is the international airport of French Polynesia, located in the commune of Faaa, on the island of Tahiti. It is situated ...
Tahiti
Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austra ...
.
Geography
It is located in the so-called
Society Islands
The Society Islands (french: Îles de la Société, officially ''Archipel de la Société;'' ty, Tōtaiete mā) are an archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean. Politically, they are part of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the ...
, which are part of French Polynesia, and is located northwest of Tahiti, about northwest of Papeete, Tahiti. It also has around it several motus, which are small elongated islets that usually have some width and vegetation. One of the most beautiful and photographed motus in Polynesia is the Tapu motu, especially before a hurricane carried away part of the tongues of sand at its ends.
Dimensions
Bora Bora is among the smaller of the islands of the Society archipelago: the main island measures only from north to south and east to west; the total area of Bora Bora, including islets, is less than . Bora Bora has an area of on the mountainous central island, which is an extinct volcano, itself surrounded by a lagoon separated from the sea by a reef. The highest point is Mount Otemanu, ysi.gif
Description
Bora-Bora is formed by an extinct volcano, surrounded by a lagoon and a fringing reef. Its summit is Mount Otemanu located in the center of the atoll; another summit, Mount Pahia, on the main island, is high.
The main island has three open bays overlooking the lagoon: Faanui Bay, Tuuraapuo Bay or Povai Bay to the west, and Hitiaa Bay to the northwest. Tuuraapuo Bay separates the main island from two islets of
volcanic
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...
nature: Toopua and Toopua-iti.
Necklace-shaped coral reefs surround the central island and protect it from the open sea as if it were a dike. It is a
barrier reef
A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups.
Co ...
with only one opening to the ocean: the Teavanui Passage, located west of the main island, which allows most large cargo ships and cruise ships to enter the lagoon.
They must, however, stay in a channel because outside the channel, much of the lagoon water is shallow. The barrier reef is very wide in some sections, where it exceeds two kilometers in width to the southwest of the island. To the east and north of the island, the reef supports a series of islets made up of coral ruins and sand (the motu). Precisely, on one of them that is located to the north, the Motu Mute, is where the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
built an important
air base
An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...
during the Second World War, which has now become the airport of Bora-Bora.
The lagoon, very abundant in fish, is remarkable for its breadth and beauty. Its color varies with depth: dark indigo when it is deep (Teavanui Passage, Poofai and Faanui bays), all pastel shades of blue and green elsewhere.
Corals
Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secr ...
, when they are very close to the surface, along with the fauna that colonizes them, come to wear a wide variety of colors: egg yolk, red, blue or purple.
Geology
Bora-Bora is part of a group of
volcanic island
Geologically, a high island or volcanic island is an island of volcanic origin. The term can be used to distinguish such islands from low islands, which are formed from sedimentation or the uplifting of coral reefs (which have often formed ...
s linked to the activity of a hazardous area. It is an extinct volcano, which was active in the Upper Pliocene (between 3.45 and 3.10 million years ago), and then underwent at least partial depression and strong erosion under a hot and humid tropical climate.
The bay of Tuuraapuo was the main crater of the volcano, whose collapsed southwestern edge, only subsists still in the islets or "motu" Toopua and Toopua-iti, which culminate respectively at and , altitude. The volcanic rocks are of basaltic type (essentially from alkaline basalts and some hawaiites, as well as some gabbro intrusions, especially on the islet Toopua). They come mostly from voids, explosive episodes being very rare.
Climate
Bora Bora has a
tropical monsoon climate
An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ...
. Temperatures are relatively consistent throughout the year, with hot days and warm nights. The dry season lasts from June to October, but there is some precipitation even during those months.
The rainy season is between November and April, with a heavy atmosphere and sometimes violent
storms
A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), ...
resulting in heavy rains. These rains can last for several days, but this does not preclude many sunny days during the wet season. The humidity level usually ranges from 75% to 90%, sometimes reaching 100%. The dry season is between April and October, with warm and fairly dry weather, but the trade winds sometimes blow strongly. The days are still sunny, but although the dry season is present, this does not prevent the occurrence of some showers or even thunderstorms in the
afternoon
Afternoon is the time after solar noon. It is the time when the sun is descending from its peak in the sky to somewhat before its terminus at the horizon in the west. In human life, it occupies roughly the latter half of the standard work a ...
.
During the dry season, the average humidity level remains between 45 and 60%, but sometimes this level rises spontaneously to 80%, especially at
night
Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends ...
, when the ground heat remains high and exceeds a certain threshold. These "dry season" storms will occur in the afternoon.
Tourism
The island's economy is driven almost entirely by tourism. Several resorts have been built on the surrounding the lagoon. ( is a Tahitian word meaning “small islands.”) Hotel Bora Bora opened in 1961, and nine years later the first over-water bungalows on stilts over the lagoon were built. Today, over-water bungalows are a standard feature of most Bora Bora resorts. The bungalows range from relatively inexpensive basic accommodations to very luxurious expensive ones.
Most of the tourist destinations are sea-oriented; however, there are also tourist attractions on land, such as World War II cannons.
Air Tahiti
Air Tahiti is a French airline company which operates in French Polynesia, France. Its main hub is Faa'a International Airport. It is the largest private employer in French Polynesia.
Company history
Early Seaplane Operations
The company w ...
operates five or six flights daily between Tahiti and the
Bora Bora Airport
Bora Bora Airport , also known as Motu Mute Airport, is an airport serving the island of Bora Bora in French Polynesia. It is located on the islet of Motu Mute.
The airport was opened in 1943, during World War II. Commercial service became avail ...
on Motu Mute (as well as occasional flights to and from other islands). There is no public transport on the island, so rental cars and bicycles are the recommended means of transport. In addition, there are small, two-seater buggies for hire in Vaitape, and motorboats can be rented to explore the lagoon. Vaitape is a large city on the west side of the island and is home to a large part of the island’s
population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
. The city has also become a popular spot for tourism.
Snorkeling
Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters ...
and
scuba diving
Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for " Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chr ...
in and around Bora Bora’s lagoon are popular activities. Many species of
shark
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachi ...
s and
rays
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (gra ...
inhabit the surrounding waters. A few dive operators on the island offer manta-ray dives and shark-feeding dives. (The species of shark living in the island's lagoon are not considered dangerous to people.)
In addition to the existing islands of Bora Bora, the
artificial island
An artificial island is an island that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means. Artificial islands may vary in size from small islets reclaimed solely to support a single pillar of a building or structure to those th ...
of Motu Marfo has been added in the northeastern corner of the lagoon at one of the many resorts.
Places of interest
The main attraction of Bora Bora is the
lagoon
A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') ...
with its still intact underwater world. By glass bottom boat, diving and snorkeling, you can explore the reef with thousands of colorful coral fish. In the deep lagoon there are barracudas and sharks that you can feed during guided diving excursions. An attraction for divers is the "Stingray Strait", an area of the lagoon where several species of stingrays are found in large schools, including numerous
manta rays
Manta rays are large rays belonging to the genus ''Mobula'' (formerly its own genus ''Manta''). The larger species, '' M. birostris'', reaches in width, while the smaller, '' M. alfredi'', reaches . Both have triangular pectoral fins, horn-sh ...
and leopard rays.
Parts of the interior of the island can be explored on jeep
safaris
A safari (; ) is an overland journey to observe wild animals, especially in eastern or southern Africa. The so-called "Big Five" game animals of Africa – lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo – particularly form an import ...
. However, the natural beauty of the island is best explored on foot. Several hikes can be done from Vaitape, but it is advisable to rely on a guide to keep your bearings. The hike to the top of Mount Pahia, from where, according to legend, the war god Oro descended on a rainbow, leads through orchards, forests, orchid fields and fern-covered crevices. You can also climb Mount Otemanu, which offers a beautiful panoramic view of the
atoll
An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical oceans and seas where corals can gr ...
. Below the summit is a large grotto where numerous frigate birds nest.
Another attraction are the remains of what were more than 40
marae
A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...
(ceremonial platforms). The best preserved are Marae Fare Opu, in Faanui Bay, and Marae Aehau-tai or Temaruteaoa, at the eastern end of Vairau Bay. Another large Aboriginal ceremonial site is Marae Marotitini, in the north of the main island, right on the beach. The stone platform of the complex was originally long and was restored in 1968 by
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
archaeologist Yosihiko Sinoto. Two stone box tombs of the royal family were found in the area of the complex.
Most
beaches
A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shel ...
(and also the numerous
hotels
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
) are located in the two large bays between Pointe Paopao and Pointe Matira, in the southwest of the island, as well as in the Motus opposite. About five kilometers south of Vaitape, directly on the main road, is Bloody Mary's, a bar and restaurant with its own yacht jetty, frequented by many guests. The two wooden plaques at the entrance list 230 names, including Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda and Diana Ross.
Flora and fauna
In the relatively densely populated and intensively used lowland regions for a Polynesian atoll, hardly any remnants of the original vegetation remain. In contrast, the flora of the high, steep mountains, which are difficult to access, remains largely unspoiled.Peter Mueller-Dombois & Raymond Fosberg: ''Vegetation of the Tropical Pacific Islands'', New York 1998, S. 428–429.
The back beach areas are fringed with low-lying, heavily vegetated
Cordia subcordata
''Cordia subcordata'' is a species of flowering tree in the borage family, Boraginaceae, that occurs in eastern Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, northern Australia and the Pacific Islands (including Hawaii). The plant is known by a variety o ...
and
Hibiscus tiliaceus
''Hibiscus tiliaceus'', commonly known as the sea hibiscus or coast cottonwood, is a species of flowering tree in the mallow family, Malvaceae, with a pantropical distribution along coastlines. It has also been introduced to Florida and New Zea ...
. A cultivated form, Hibiscus tiliaceus var. sterilis, with a straight trunk and a nice rounded crown, is often planted as roadside vegetation.
Up to the foot of the steep mountainous region there is mainly cultivated land with plantations of coconut palms, breadfruit trees, Tahitian chestnuts ( Inocarpus), cassava (
Manihot
''Manihot'' is a genus in the diverse milkspurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It was described as a genus in 1754.Miller, Philip. 1754. Gardeners Dictionary...Abridged...fourth edition vol. 2
Species of ''Manihot'' are monoecious . . trees, shrubs an ...
), tropical fruits, as well as orchid plantations for the decoration of tourist hotels. Abandoned areas have been conquered by overgrown guavas and the fern
Dicranopteris linearis
''Dicranopteris linearis'' is a common species of fern known by many common names, including Old World forked fern, ''uluhe'' ( Hawaiian), and ''dilim'' ( Filipino). It is one of the most widely distributed ferns of the wet Old World tropics and ...
.
The crevices and ridges of the island's mountains are covered with still little disturbed remnants of the island's original vegetation. These include groves of metrosider trees, stands of Wikstroemia coriacea, a species of the daphne family endemic to Polynesia, and a few species of
Glochidion
''Glochidion'' is a genus of flowering plants, of the family Phyllanthaceae, known as cheese trees or buttonwood in Australia, and leafflower trees in the scientific literature. It comprises about 300 species, distributed from Madagascar to the P ...
. The humid and shady crevices are densely populated with ferns.
Historically, Bora Bora’s virgin forest habitats, on the slopes of Mount Otemanu, had a very diverse assortment of snail and slug species ( gastropods) compared to other islands. Several species of endemic or native species existed in great numbers until relatively recently. However, after ''Lissachatina'', '' Euglandina'' and various flatworms were introduced to the island, they had wiped out the populations of the endemic partulid species '' Partula lutea'' the late 1990s), '' Samoana attenuata'' (a species once native to Bora Bora but later not found in surveys of the island), and '' Mautodontha boraborensis'' (a critically endangered species as of 1996 but most likely extinct, as it was last seen in the 1880s). The above listed native and endemic species were mostly restricted to virgin forest, and the only species that remain common (perhaps even extant) are several subulinids and tornatellinids among others, including '' Orobophana pacifica (''a helicinid'').''
Many species of sharks and rays inhabit the strip of water surrounding the island. There are dive operators that offer dives to observe the fish and watch the
sharks
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimorp ...
feed. In addition to the existing
islets
An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be permanent ...
in Bora Bora, there is a new artificial area in the northeast corner of the
lagoon
A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') ...
on the St. Regis Resort property.
Demographics
In 2012 the population was 9858 which increased to 10,605 according to 2017 estimates.
Religion
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
is the dominant
religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
since the arrival of Christian missionaries in the 19th century when it replaced the old traditional beliefs that Europeans considered idolatry. Vaitape was founded by British missionary John Muggridge Orsmond (1788–1856) of the
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed in outlook, with Congregational m ...
, He came to Bora Bora from Tahiti in 1824 and built first a church and then a wharf, roads and houses, as well as a missionary school made of coral rock. This settlement, called "Beulah", became what is now Vaitape.
With the establishment of the French protectorate, the presence of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
was reinforced and today it administers a church in the capital of the island (Vaitape) called Saint-Pierre-Célestin Church (''Église de Saint-Pierre-Célestin''). It depends on the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Papeete with its seat in
Tahiti
Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austra ...
.
Numerous pre-Christian relics of the native Polynesians of Bora Bora are still preserved today: remains of 13 ceremonial platforms (
marae
A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...
) - there used to be more than forty - and many petroglyphs, which, however, are mostly hidden in inaccessible
bushes
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
. The best preserved ceremonial site is the Marae Fare Opu in Faʻanui Bay, located directly on the
beach
A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc sh ...
. Today, the road runs through the area, so the overview of the site, which is quite large, has been lost. The site consisted of a rectangular, level area bounded by boulders and a stone platform. The rectangular platform is bounded by
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
slabs over 1 m high and filled with earth. Two of the slabs on the north side have
stone
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
carvings with
turtle
Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked t ...
official language
An official language is a language given supreme status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically the term "official language" does not refer to the language used by a people or country, but by its government (e.g. judiciary, ...
and this along with Tahitian are the main languages spoken by its inhabitants in a common way. In addition the people in contact with tourists generally have some basic knowledge of English. Most visitors to Bora Bora are Americans, Australians,
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
or Europeans.
Politics and government
The atoll has been part of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
since the 19th century. Its island capital is Vaitape. Tupai Atoll, nearby and uninhabited, is an administrative dependency of Bora Bora. Bora Bora is also a municipality, consisting of the island of Bora Bora and the atoll of Tupai. The mayor of Bora Bora has been Gaston Tong Sang since 9 July 1989.
Bora Bora is politically part of French Polynesia. The island is a French overseas territory and is not part of the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
. It is administered by a subdivision (''Subdivision administrative des Îles sous le Vent'') of the High Commissariat of the Republic in French Polynesia (''Haut-commissariat de la République en Polynésie française'') based in Papeete. Bora Bora is one of the seven municipalities of the Leeward Islands Administrative Subdivision, and in turn is subdivided into the three submunicipalities (Communes associées) of Nunue, Faʻanui (plus Tupai Atoll, further north) and Anau. The currency is the
CFP franc
The CFP franc (French: , called the ''franc'' in everyday use) is the currency used in the French overseas collectivities (, or COM) of French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna. The initials ''CFP'' originally stood for ('Frenc ...
, which is pegged to the
euro
The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...
.
Transportation
Rental cars and
bicycles
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
Bi ...
are the recommended system of transportation. There are also
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
tours, and off-road vehicle or catamaran rentals in Vaitape. On the main island, a public bus (''Le Truck'') travels around the island in about an hour along the ring road. Stops are not necessary; the bus stops wherever passengers want. However, the preferred means of transport for tourists are bicycle and moped or motorcycle and the shuttle service offered by some hotels. Small electric cars can be rented in Vaitape. There is a private helicopter stationed on the island, which is used for
tourist
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
flights.
Sports
In terms of
sports
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...
, Bora Bora is, along with neighboring Huahine,
Raiatea
Raiatea or Ra'iatea ( Tahitian: ''Ra‘iātea'') is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti, in French Polynesia. The island is widely regarded as the "centre" of the eastern islands in ancient Polynesia and it is likely that the ...
and
Tahaa
Taha’a (sometimes spelled as "Tahaa") is an island located among the western group, the Leeward Islands, of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The islands of Taha’a and neighboring ...
, one of the four islands among which the Hawaiki Nui Va'a,1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Lifelist - Pag 549 Patricia Schultz · 2003 an international competition of Polynesian canoes (va'a), is held.
See also
*
List of volcanoes in French Polynesia
This is a list of active and extinct volcanoes.
References
External links
Volcanoes of Hawaii and the Pacific Ocean
French Polynesia
)Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze")
, anthem =
, song_type = Regional ...
*
List of reduplicated place names
This is a list of places with reduplication in their names, often as a result of the grammatical rules of the languages from which the names are derived.
Duplicated names from the indigenous languages of Australia, Chile and New Zealand are l ...