Kamaka (previously known as Mito) is an island in the
Gambier Islands
The Gambier Islands ( or ) are an archipelago in French Polynesia, located at the southeast terminus of the Tuamotu archipelago. They cover an area of , and are made up of the Mangareva Islands, a group of high islands remnants of a caldera alo ...
of
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 ...
, 11.7 km south of
Mangareva
Mangareva is the central and largest island of the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. It is surrounded by smaller islands: Taravai in the southwest, Aukena and Akamaru in the southeast, and islands in the north. Mangareva has a permanent pop ...
within the same
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'') a ...
. Kamaka is about in length, wide, and has an area of . The highest point is
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
. There are no permanent springs on the island.
[
to the NNW rises barren and rugged ]Makaroa
Makaroa is an island in the Gambier Islands of French Polynesia, 8.5 km south of Mangareva within the same lagoon
A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier i ...
island and off Kamaka's northeastern shore lies the small Manui
Manui is an island of the Gambier Islands of 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 glob ...
islet.
The island was not permanently inhabited before European contact, with occupation being short-term and focused on fishing.
References
{{FrenchPolynesia-geo-stub
Islands of the Gambier Islands
Uninhabited islands of French Polynesia