Fatu Huku, also known as Fatu Uku, is a small island in the

Marquesas Islands The Marquesas Islands (; french: Îles Marquises or ' or '; Marquesan: ' ( North Marquesan) and ' ( South Marquesan), both meaning "the land of men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in th ...

, approximately north of

Hiva Oa With its , Hiva Oa is the second largest island in the Marquesas Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. Located at 9 45' south latitude and 139 W longitude, it is the largest island of the southern Mar ...

. Fatu Huku is less than long and wide and has an area of about Fatu Huku - vue depuis Hiva Oa - 20061112

Government and geography

Fatu Huku is located at 9.43°S

latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pol ...

and 138.93°W

longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east–west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek letter l ...

. It is administratively 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 ...

(municipality) of

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

. The island is essentially a huge rock, looming steep-sided out of the ocean and rising to a flattened plateau with a maximum elevation of . Fatu Huku is the youngest of the volcanic Marquesas Islands, estimated to be only 1.3 million years old which accounts, in part, for its ruggedness as erosion has not yet carved out valleys and beaches.

Coral 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 sec ...

is rare in the Marquesas, but a fossilized ancient

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 ...

is found at the higher elevations of Fatu Huku, the reef being raised above the sea by the volcanic activity that formed the island. The island is also surrounded by a roughly triangular-shaped

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 ...

that is completely submerged, but can faintly be seen on satellite images. Fatu Huku is a dry island compared with most high islands in Polynesia, receiving only an estimated to of precipitation annually. The altitude is insufficient to capture much of the moisture from the predominantly easterly winds. The dryer conditions and steep terrain limit the variety of vegetation. Forty-eight percent of the land, mostly on top of the plateau, is covered with

Pisonia ''Pisonia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the four o'clock flower family, Nyctaginaceae. It was named for Dutch physician and naturalist Willem Piso (1611–1678). Certain species in this genus are known as catchbirdtrees, birdcatcher trees o ...

forest; 21 percent is grassland, and 31 percent is sparsely vegetated rock. A few

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

trees are found in coastal locations. Unlike inhabited islands, Fatu Huku has few non-native species of plants and is inhabited by sea birds and imported

goats The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of Caprinae, goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a membe ...

and

rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include ''Neotoma'' ( pack rats), ''Bandicota'' (bandicoot ...

People and culture

Fatu Huku was likely only ever inhabited in legend. Unreliability of water sources and lack of land suitable for agriculture were factors preventing any habitation. Fishermen occasionally visited the island. The story of the

demigod A demigod or demigoddess is a part-human and part-divine offspring of a deity and a human, or a human or non-human creature that is accorded divine status after death, or someone who has attained the "divine spark" ( spiritual enlightenment). A ...

Tana-Oa Tangaroa (Takaroa in the South Island) is the great of the sea, lakes, rivers, and creatures that live within them, especially fish, in Māori mythology. As Tangaroa-whakamau-tai he exercises control over the tides. He is sometimes depicted a ...

, patron of fishermen, says that the island was once fertile and green, until the sea, jealous of its beauty, turned the island upside down. It is said that this is how the island came to have

coral 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 sec ...

on its flat top. On the plateau are a number of small heaps of stones, used to leave offerings by hunters visiting the island.

References

{{coord, 9.430, S, 138.930, W, display=title, source:dewiki Islands of the Marquesas Islands Uninhabited islands of French Polynesia

Government and geography

People and culture

See also

References