Faaā (also Faaa or Faaʻā; ) is a
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 ...
in the suburbs of
Papeete
Papeete (Tahitian language, Tahitian: ''Papeete'', pronounced ) is the capital city of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of the France, French Republic in the Pacific Ocean. The Communes of France, commune of Papeete is located on the isl ...
in
French Polynesia
)Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze")
, anthem =
, song_type = Regional anthem
, song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui"
, image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of Frenc ...
, an
overseas country
The special territories of members of the European Economic Area (EEA) are the 32 special territories of EU member states and EFTA member states which, for historical, geographical, or political reasons, enjoy special status within or outside ...
of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in the
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 continen ...
. Faaā is located on the island of
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 Austr ...
, in the
administrative subdivision
Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
of the
Windward Islands
french: Îles du Vent
, image_name =
, image_caption = ''Political'' Windward Islands. Clockwise: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada.
, image_alt =
, locator_map =
, location = Caribbean SeaNorth ...
,
[Décret n° 2005-1611 du 20 décembre 2005 pris pour l'application du statut d'autonomie de la Polynésie française]
Légifrance Légifrance is the official website of the French government for the publication of legislation, regulations, and legal information. Access to the site is free.
Virtually complete, it presents or refers to all concerned institutions or administrati ...
themselves 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 F ...
. At the 2017 census Faaā had a population of 29,506, making it the most populous commune on Tahiti and in French Polynesia.
[Répartition de la population en Polynésie française en 2017]
, Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française Faaā has many mountains inland that can reach . Mount Marau is an extinct volcano in the inland limits and can be seen from nearby
Moorea
Moorea ( or ; Tahitian: ), also spelled Moorea, is a volcanic island in French Polynesia. It is one of the Windward Islands, a group that is part of the Society Islands, northwest of Tahiti. The name comes from the Tahitian word , meaning " ...
. The area of Faaā is above
mean sea level
There are several kinds of mean in mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. ...
on average.
Faaā has a long history. Captain
James Cook
James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...
landed on Faaā when he came to Tahiti on his expedition. The commune is the political stronghold of independence leader
Oscar Temaru
Oscar Manutahi Temaru (born November 1, 1944) is a French politician. He has been President of French Polynesia (''président de la Polynésie française''), an overseas collectivity of France, on five occasions: in 2004, from 2005 to 2006, from ...
who has served three times as president.
Demographics
In 1988 Faaā succeeded
Papeete
Papeete (Tahitian language, Tahitian: ''Papeete'', pronounced ) is the capital city of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of the France, French Republic in the Pacific Ocean. The Communes of France, commune of Papeete is located on the isl ...
as the most populated commune in the urban area of Papeete and in French Polynesia. Despite having more inhabitants than Papeete, the urban area is named after Papeete and Faaā is considered a suburb of Papeete due to Papeete's historical importance and status as administrative capital of French Polynesia. The Papeete Urban Area has a population of about 130,000.
Politics
The municipality of Faʻaʻā is administered by a 35-member municipal council, headed by a mayor assisted by 10 deputies. The council regulates the affairs of the commune through its deliberations and responds to the wishes of its population through the services of the town hall, which has five directorates headed by a general directorate.
List of mayors of Fa'a'ā
*
Francis Sanford (1965–1977)
* Alfred Helme (1977–1983)
*
Oscar Temaru
Oscar Manutahi Temaru (born November 1, 1944) is a French politician. He has been President of French Polynesia (''président de la Polynésie française''), an overseas collectivity of France, on five occasions: in 2004, from 2005 to 2006, from ...
(1983–present)
Transportation
Air
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 ...
is located in the north of Faaā commune, some southwest of the center of Papeete. The airport is the only international airport in French Polynesia. Travellers from other islands must come to this airport for international flights. Some of the international flights from the airport go to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
;
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
; and
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. The airport is easily accessible from downtown Faaā. Airport shuttles and Tahiti buses come to the parking lot. There are coconut trees and a
Tiki
In Māori mythology, Tiki is the first man created by either Tūmatauenga or Tāne. He found the first woman, Marikoriko, in a pond; she seduced him and he became the father of Hine-kau-ataata. By extension, a tiki is a large or small wooden ...
in the parking lot. Flowers from local farms are sent to the airport to be given to arriving passengers.
Freeways and roads
Tahiti's West Coast freeway runs through the commune from Papeete to Teahupoo. There are many other roads in Faaā. The Tahiti transportation bus runs around the Papeete area. There is little road traffic in Faaā. There are bridges over the many canals and small rivers that flow through Faaā. Many of the residents of Faaā have
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
or
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
trucks. Vehicles are available in the town center of Papeete. There are few car dealers in Faaā. Residents who have cars for sale often park on the street with a for-sale sign showing the price and a contact number. Most of the streets are paved.
Location and geography
Faaā is located in northwestern Tahiti. Just south of the town center of Papeete, the runway for Faaā International Airport is built on
coral 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 ...
since there is limited flat land. There is a slight bay south of the airport where the roads and freeways move inland. Downtown Faaā is about above mean sea level. Faaā is in northwestern French Polynesia. The
Papenoo River
The Papeno'o River is a river on the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia.
The river rises in the mountains of Tahiti east of the town center of Papeete and ends on the coast of Tahiti near Pape'eno. It is about 20 miles long and is about 10 fee ...
is fairly close. Faaā extends inland about . Mount Orohena is in the mountains of Faaā. The mountain is the highest point in French Polynesia at . Tahiti Iti is just to the southeast of the commune. Moorea, which is Tahiti's sister island, is located just across the Pacific Ocean. Many people can see
Mount Tohivea
Mount Tohivea (or Tohiea) is an extinct volcano on the island of Mo'orea in French Polynesia. It is the island's highest point at . The mountain is about from Pao Pao, and is easily visible from Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia.
Tohe ...
which is the tallest mountain on Moorea at nearly . Los Angeles, California is located northeast,
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...
,
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
is east, Faaā
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
is located west.
Easter Island
Easter Island ( rap, Rapa Nui; es, Isla de Pascua) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is most famous for its nearl ...
is not too far east of Faaā. There are some viewpoints in Faaā to see Moorea. Moorea appears as a gray mound with mountains across the Pacific Ocean. The ''Faaā Nature Park'' is a major park in the mountains.
New Caledonia
)
, anthem = ""
, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of New Caledonia
, map_caption = Location of New Caledonia
, mapsize = 290px
, subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
is located not too far to the west of Faaā.
Nearby communes
Moorea-Maiao
Moorea-Maiao is a commune of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The commune is in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands.[Vaitape
Vaitape is the largest city of Bora Bora Island in French Polynesia. It has a population of 4,927, about half of the island's population which is about 9,000. It is located about northwest of Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia. The main ...]
, Bora Bora is away and is the largest commune of Bora Bora.
Uturoa
Uturoa is a Communes of France, commune located in Raiatea, the largest island of the Leeward Islands (Society Islands), Îles Sous le Vent (Leeward Islands) in French Polynesia. It is situated in between the Administrative divisions of French P ...
is a closer commune on
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 ...
. Papeete borders Faaā on the north and Papera borders Faaā on the south.
Climate
Faaā lies in 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 ...
zone and thus experiences very little seasonal variation.
Cyclones
In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an anti ...
have struck Faaā about 10 times, causing major damage to the neighborhoods low and flat. Houses flipped over and some flooding took place in downtown Faaā . The surges were about tall.
Education
The
University of French Polynesia
The University of French Polynesia (french: Université de la Polynésie française) is a French university located in Puna'auia, French Polynesia.
History
Created by a decree of May 29, 1987, the university was originally called French Pac ...
is in central Faaā. Students from many other islands come to this university since it is the only one in the territory. It is a relatively small university with around 2,000 students. There are elementary, middle, and high schools located inland in the neighborhoods. Most of the schools are in separate buildings, each of them being one class. There are about five classes per grade at elementary schools. Some families have their children go to school in other countries like the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
or New Zealand. If they were to have their students go to California for education, they would usually go to the
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
in Los Angeles. The main subject at the schools in Faaā is mathematics.
History of Faaā
Early settlers
Faaā was first settled by travelers from
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
who arrived in canoes in the year 700. At that time, the settlers from Asia made small houses from grass and wood. Faaā had only 400 residents. They fished from the beach and from their canoes. The settlers made spears from the charcoal on the beach. Soon, many more settlers came from Asia, swelling the population to 700 by the year 1220. Some of the people fed on breadfruit and bananas from banana trees. The settlers kept moving inland from the beach. They looked across the ocean and saw Moorea, which had also been settled. Some of the settlers on Tahiti paddled their canoes to visit Moorea. By 1300, Faaā had about 1,000 residents. Faaā had many grass houses along the beach, many close to one another. Some of the residents left open spaces to let their kids play. Some of the early
Tahitians
The Tahitians ( ty, Māohi; french: Tahitiens) are the Polynesian ethnic group indigenous to Tahiti and thirteen other Society Islands in French Polynesia. The numbers may also include the modern population in these islands of mixed Polynesian ...
made small fires from leaves to stay warm during winter. By the 1330s, 1,300 residents had settled in Faaā. Most of the settlers moved their houses inland as the beachfront was flooded during cyclones and high tides. The Tahitians moved into the small valleys close to Mount Orohena. Many of the early Polynesians had canoed to Moorea and back many times. They had been careful of the many
stonefish
''Synanceia'' is a genus of ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Synanceiinae, the stonefishes, which is classified within the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and relatives. Stonefishes are venomous, dangerous, and fatal to huma ...
in the water.
European contact
European settlers came during the 1500s. Captain James Cook was the first European visitor. He first came to Moorea but then sailed to Tahiti. The Tahitians were all wondering who he was and why he was here. Then he left Tahiti and went exploring other islands in the Pacific Ocean. He later reached New Zealand and the eastern coast of Australia. Then
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...
came on his expedition to Tahiti. During the late 1800s, Faaā had a population of 2,000 residents. Some of the residents went to California to go to the
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...
to search for a new life. Faaā was part of the
Kingdom of Tahiti
The Kingdom of Tahiti was a monarchy founded by paramount chief Pōmare I, who, with the aid of British missionaries and traders, and European weaponry, unified the islands of Tahiti, Moʻorea, Teti‘aroa, and Mehetia. The kingdom eventually ...
until the annexation of 1880. Many buildings made from wood were along the coast of Faaā. Some small markets selling bananas and other fruits were busy. Residents from Moorea came to get fruits from the markets. Farms could be found in the mountains of Faaā.
Modern Faaā
During the early 1900s, Faaā's population had grown to 5,000. Many markets had more choices and even some toys for kids. Some bigger boats were made for the new Faaā Port. The boats sailed from Faaā onward to other communes on Tahiti such as
Arue and Teahupoo. Downtown Faaā was very busy and public beaches were formed on the waterfront of Faaā. There was a big field in the north of Faaā and Faaā International Airport was built here in 1962. One of the first airplanes was
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 ...
, which first went to other islands in French Polynesia. The international airlines such as
Air Tahiti Nui
Air Tahiti Nui is the flag carrier of the French overseas collectivity of French Polynesia, with its head office in Papeete and its daily operations office in Faaa, Tahiti. It operates long-haul flights from its home base at Faa'a International ...
were incorporated in the late 1990s.
Air Moorea runs several flights daily between Tahiti and Moorea. In 2007 one flight crashed into the lagoon and 20 people died.
Don the Beachcomber
Don, don or DON and variants may refer to:
Places
*County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON
*Don (river), a river in European Russia
*Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name
*Don, Benin, a town in Benin
*Don, Dang, a vill ...
lived here part of his life. The Moorea ferry was also created after the flight and still sails to Moorea each day. Today, Faaā has a population of nearly 30,000 inhabitants.
Dates
;700: The area of Faaā is first settled by early Polynesians
;900: Faaā has many grass houses along the beach and inland
;1600: Faaā's population grows to 1,500
;1777: Captain James Cook is the first European to land on Tahiti
;1855: Many Faaā residents leave for the California Gold Rush
;1910: Faaā has more than 5,000 residents
;1962: Faaā International Airport opened
;1998: Air Tahiti Nui is founded
;2007: Air Moorea crashes while going to Moorea
Parks and recreation
There is one long coastal beach park with 3 playgrounds per kilometer and concrete spaces where Tahitian dancers perform. Coconut trees dot the coastline and can be up to tall. There are many more parks in the neighborhoods of Faaā. The usual park in Faaā has a playground, open grass spaces, and trees and only a few have
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
courts. School parks have mainly open grass spaces and a few trees. There are about 170 parks in Faaā. Hiking trails can be found in the mountains of Tahiti. It is part of the ''Faaā Nature Park''. There are viewing points viewing the Papeete Area. The harbor can also be seen with the ''Aremiti Ferry'' coming in and out of the harbor.
Mape trees grow in the park. The hiking trails are made of dirt and are wide. Sometimes the mape tree roots grow on the trails making them dangerous at those points. Many birds fly over the trails and some rivers run through the park. Birdwatching is very popular among the tourists. There is a visitor center near which starts the main hiking trail. Moorea can be seen across the Pacific Ocean from some of the viewing points. Souvenir shops are found in the mountain parks. Postcards are very popular for the tourist coming to Faaā. Other souvenirs at the shop include towels, small
tiki
In Māori mythology, Tiki is the first man created by either Tūmatauenga or Tāne. He found the first woman, Marikoriko, in a pond; she seduced him and he became the father of Hine-kau-ataata. By extension, a tiki is a large or small wooden ...
s, and Tahitian card games. There are also hiking trails in nearby communes of Tahiti and Moorea.
Economy
Air Tahiti has its head office on the airport property in Faaā. There are many supermarkets in Faaā. The supermarkets mainly sell bread, milk, fruits, and ice cream. There is also one of the largest malls in French Polynesia in downtown Faaā. It has a clothing store a market, and a souvenir shop. The now defunct Air Moorea had its head office in Faaā. Many people that work in other communes such as Papeete or Teahupoo live in Faaā. There are businesses like McDonald's that are close to the public beach. The port of Papeete has many workers that live in Faaā. Many other people that work in Papeete or Teahupoo live in Faaā.
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
is a popular restaurant in Faaā that is close to the beach, just off Tahiti's west coast freeway. The port of Papeete has many workers who live in Faaā. There is a
Carrefour
Carrefour () is a French multinational retail and wholesaling corporation headquartered in Massy, France. The eighth-largest retailer in the world by revenue, it operates a chain of hypermarkets, groceries stores and convenience stores, which ...
market in the commune.
Agriculture
Farms in Faaā are usually found in the mountains to the east. The farms are all more than above mean sea level far from the coastline. The farms in the mountains have Tahitian flowers growing in the fields. The flowers get picked and are usually sent to Faaā International Airport to greet the passengers that have just arrived. There are many tractors on the fields that plow the dirt. Banana trees are plentiful throughout Faaā and also a major export to other islands. The main islands that get imported from Faaā are Moorea,
Huahine
Huahine is an island located among the Society Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Leeward Islands group ''(Îles sous le Vent).'' At the 2017 census it had a population of 6,075. ...
, and Raiatea. Many strawberries are also found in the farms. Potatoes, apples, and raspberries are all other major fruits grown at the farms of Faaā. School lunches usually contain fruits from these farms. The Moorea juice factory is a major juice factory on Moorea that exports its juice to Faaā.
Hardware
Ace is a major hardware store in Faaā. It is made up of more than one building. There are 3 of these buildings. One of the buildings is for supplies and objects needed in houses. Another one of the 3 buildings is for Wood supplies and Wood Glue. The third building is for cement mixers and screws. Other major hardware stores are the ''Faaā Supply Store''. It is made up of one building for mainly supplies and cement mixers and another for wood. Other hardware stores of Faaā are Polymat, Polywood, and Polybuild. Ace delivery trucks are found throughout the neighborhoods of Faaā.
Technology
Faaā is full of cell phones. Faaā has major industrial valleys far inland. These areas have hardware industries as well. Ace is close to a store a lot like
Circuit City
Circuit City is an American consumer electronics retail company, which was founded in 1949 by Samuel Wurtzel as the Wards Company, operated stores across the United States, and pioneered the electronics superstore format in the 1970s. After m ...
. Dishwashers and refrigerators are the main goods found inside the store.
Sports
World Championship Tour
The surfing world champions of Teahupoo have been to Faaā. Teahupoo is a
reef break, making big waves. The swells usually break to the left but sometimes break to the right. The big swells cause Teahupoo to become a major place for the World Championship Tour (WCT). People such as Mike Stewart and Ben Severson are the
boogieboarding champions of Teahupoo. The first surfing champion of Teahupoo to win an award was in 1999.
Other sports
Soccer games (in Faaā, it's called football) is a major sport played at the school parks. The parks have chairs set in a field and people can easily see the game. The soccer fields are relatively small.
Other major sports played in Faaā are tennis and basketball.
Name
The official spelling of the French Commune is ''Faaa''. However, it is more frequently spelled as ''Faa'a'' or ''Fa'a'a'', using the apostrophe to represent the
glottal stop
The glottal plosive or stop is a type of consonantal sound used in many spoken languages, produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract or, more precisely, the glottis. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents thi ...
, as promoted by the ''
Académie Tahitienne'' and accepted by the territorial government.
Music of Faaā
The
nose flute
The nose flute is a musical instrument often played in Polynesia and the Pacific Rim countries. Other versions are found in Africa.
Hawaii
In the North Pacific, in the Hawaiian islands the nose flute was a common courting instrument. In Haw ...
(''vivo'') is a popular instrument throughout French Polynesia. Tahitian drums (''toere'') are also popular and are made from hollow trunks of trees and animal skins. The residents of Faaā can take lessons at the University of French Polynesia.
Art
There are art museums in the mountains of Faaā. The mountains of Tahiti and other islands have inspired
Paul Gauguin
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (, ; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French Post-Impressionist artist. Unappreciated until after his death, Gauguin is now recognized for his experimental use of colour and Synthetist style that were distinct fr ...
. Some paintings can be found in the museums which are a very popular tourist attraction. The ''Musée de la Perle'' is a major art museum in nearby Papeete. The house of
James Norman Hall
James Norman Hall (22 April 1887 – 5 July 1951) was an American writer best known for '' The Bounty Trilogy'', three historical novels he wrote with Charles Nordhoff: ''Mutiny on the Bounty'' (1932), '' Men Against the Sea'' (1934) and '' Pitca ...
used to be a mansion in Arue. It is now a renowned museum that is a major tourist attraction. Art galleries are found throughout the island of Tahiti and there are 10 right in Papeete.
See also
*
Demographics of France
The demography of France is monitored by the Institut national d'études démographiques (INED) and the Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE). As of 1 January 2021, 65,250,000 people lived in Metropolitan Fra ...
*
Demographics of French Polynesia
This article is about the demographics, demographic features of the population of French Polynesia, including population density, Ethnic group, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other a ...
*
Mahina, French Polynesia
Māhina is a commune in the north of Tahiti in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Māhina is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, themselves part of the ...
References
{{Authority control
Communes of French Polynesia
Towns and villages in Tahiti
Populated places established in the 8th century
1st-millennium establishments in Tahiti
8th-century establishments in Oceania