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 ...

were the first of the

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

groups discovered by

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explorers in the Pacific. Over the centuries, these

Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...

n islands have been variously known by a number of names. The islands are known in

Marquesan 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 ...

variously as Te Henua Kenana or Te Henua Enana in North Marquesan and Te Fenua Enata in South Marquesan. The first recorded European visitor to the islands was the Spanish navigator and explorer Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira who came upon them by chance in 1595. He named them "Las Islas Marquesas de Mendoza" in honor of the wife of his patron

García Hurtado de Mendoza, 5th Marquis of Cañete García Hurtado de Mendoza y Manrique, 5th Marquis of Cañete (July 21, 1535 – May 19, 1609) was a Spanish Governor of Chile, and later Viceroy of Peru (from January 8, 1590 to July 24, 1596). He is often known simply as "Marquis of Cañete". Be ...

, the Viceroy of Perú. The islands are divided into two groups: a southern group of five islands and a northern group consisting of Ua Pou, Ua Huka and Nuku Hiva along with a set of smaller islands to the northwest. The southern and northern Marquesas have distinct forms of Marquesan geography, Marquesan language, and

Marquesan culture The Marquesas Islands were colonized by seafaring Polynesians as early as 300 AD, thought to originate from Samoa. The dense population was concentrated in the narrow valleys and consisted of warring tribes. Much of Polynesia, including the origi ...

. While there is no native Marquesan name to differentiate between the northern and southern groups, they have been differentiated as such, at least by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

navigators, historically, by the names "Washington Islands" to refer to the northern Marquesas, and "Mendaña Islands" to refer to the southern Marquesas. Following is a list of the islands, giving first their most widely accepted Marquesan names, followed by variants: *

Eiao Eiao is the largest of the extreme northwestern Marquesas Islands. The island is uninhabited, but is administratively part of the commune (municipality) of Nuku-Hiva, itself in the administrative subdivision of the Marquesas Islands. Geography ...

**Fremantle **Knox **Masse **Robert **Hiaou **Iau * Hatutu **Hatutaa **Hatoutou **Chanal **Hancock **Langdon * Motu One **Sable **Îlot de Sable **Lincoln * Motu Iti **Hatu Iti * Nuku Hiva **Nukuhiva **Nukahiva **Federal Island (named by Joseph Ingraham) **Adams (named by

Josiah Roberts Josiah Edmund Roberts (1871 – after 1892) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Small Heath. Roberts was born in West Smethwick, which was then in Staffordshire He joined Small Heath from Birmingham St George's when t ...

) **Beaux (named by Étienne Marchand) **Sir Henry Martin (named by ) **Madison (named by David Porter) * Ua Huka (including Motu Papa and Epiti) **Uahuka **Huahuna **Riou **Roahonga **Solide * Ua Pou (including Motu Mohoke and

Motu Oa Motu Oa ("Long Rock") is a small island, southeast of Ua Pou, in the northern Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. It is 1100 meters long and up to 460 meters wide at its northern end. Its area is approximately 30 hectares, making it the large ...

) **Ua Pou **Uapou **Uapu **Huapu **Adams **Marchand *

Fatu Uku Fatu Huku, also known as Fatu Uku, is a small island in the Marquesas Islands, approximately north of Hiva Oa. Fatu Huku is less than long and wide and has an area of about Government and geography Fatu Huku is located at 9.43°S latitude ...

**Fatuhuku **Fatuuku **Fatou Houkou **Hood's Island * Hiva Oa (including

Hanakee Hanakee is the name of a small rocky islet lying off the southern coast of Hiva Oa, separating Atuona Bay from Taa Oa. The island's only vegetation is some small shrubs and grasses. See also *Marquesas Islands *French Polynesia )Territorial m ...

) **Hivaoa **Hiva Hoa **Hiavaoa **Dominica * Tahuata **Taahuata **Tuhuata **Santa Christina * Moho Tani **Motane **Mohotane **San Pedro *

Fatu Hiva Fatu-Hiva (the "H" is not pronounced, see name section below) is the southernmost island of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. With Motu Nao as its closest neighbor, it is also the m ...

**Fatu Iva **Fatouhiva **Magdalena *

Motu Nao Motu Nao is the Marquesan name for a small rock island in the southeastern Marquesas Islands, approximately northeast of Fatu Hiva. The French name for the island is ''Rocher Thomasset'', which in English is ''Thomasset Rock''. At low tide, the ...

**Thomasset Rock **Rocher Thomasset **Ariane Rock

References

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