Moorea ( or ;
Tahitian: ), also spelled Moorea, is a
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 ...
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 ...
. It is one 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 ...
, a group that is 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 ...
, northwest 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 ...
. The name comes from the
Tahitian word , meaning "yellow lizard": = lizard ; (
from ) = yellow.
An older name for the island is ', sometimes spelled or (among other spellings that were used by early visitors before Tahitian spelling was standardized). Early Western colonists and voyagers also referred to Moorea as ''York Island'' or ''Santo Domingo''.
History
Prehistory
According to recent archaeological evidence, the Society Islands were probably settled from
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
and
Tonga
Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
around 200 CE.
[Patrick V. Kirch: ''On the Road of the Wind - An Archaeological History of the Pacific Islands Before European Contact'', University of California Press, Berkeley-Los Angeles-London 2000]
Nine tribal principalities emerged in the enclosed valleys, which in turn were subdivided into individual clans. The stratified society was characterized by a hierarchical leadership whose elite combined both political and
religious
Religion is usually defined as a social system, social-cultural system of designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morality, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sacred site, sanctified places, prophecy, prophecie ...
power. The leading families of Moorea remained linked by marriage and kinship for centuries with those of the neighboring island of Tahiti. These connections led to important alliances, but at other times were also the source of bloody conflicts.
Intensive research on the Opunohu Valley, which continues to this day, initiated by Kenneth P. Emory in the 1920s and continued in the 1960s by archaeologist Roger C. Green of the
University of Auckland
, mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work
, established = 1883; years ago
, endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021)
, budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021)
, chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant
, vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...
, provides an exemplary picture of the evolution of Moorean society. The interaction between increasing population density and human modification of the environment resulted in major changes in the form of society.
The so-called Pre-Atiroo phase, prior to 1000 CE, is characterized by extensive clearing and
cultivation of the valley slopes, which by the end of the period had led to erosion and the formation of alluvial soils. Society was not yet stratified, but was relatively homogeneous.
In the Atiroo period (1000–1650 CE), artificial cultivation terraces were built on the slopes and simple
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 ...
buildings, such as the Marae Tapauruuru. The remains of rectangular houses (''fare haupape'') and those with elongated oval floor plans (''fare potee''), reserved for the power elite, indicate a strictly stratified and
hierarchical
A hierarchy (from Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy is an important ...
form of society.
The later Marama period (1650–1788 CE) is marked by the conquest of the Opunohu
Valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...
by the chiefs (''ariki'') of the Marama tribe, originally settled on the coast, who succeeded in uniting all the other clans in the valley under their rule. In addition to a further increase in population, this phase also saw a lively construction activity of representative religious structures - large marae in the style of a step pyramid. Towards the end of this period, the Opunohu valley became a refuge for the Ariki who resisted
European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
influence.
Early European influence
The first European to sight the island was
Pedro Fernandes de Queirós
Pedro Fernandes de Queirós ( es, Pedro Fernández de Quirós) (1563–1614) was a Portuguese navigator in the service of Spain. He is best known for his involvement with Spanish voyages of discovery in the Pacific Ocean, in particular the 1595–1 ...
, in 1606. The first European settlers arrived during the 18th century. The first Europeans to arrive on the island were the Englishmen
Samuel Wallis
Samuel Wallis (23 April 1728 – 21 January 1795 in London) was a British naval officer and explorer of the Pacific Ocean. He made the first recorded visit by a European navigator to Tahiti.
Biography
Wallis was born at Fenteroon Farm, n ...
and
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 ...
. Captain James Cook first landed on
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 ...
, where he planned the
1769 Transit of Venus observed from Tahiti and Moorea. At Moorea, where Taaroa was chief, Cook first landed in Ōpūnohu Bay,
Cook's Bay was later named in his honor. Spanish sailor
Domingo de Bonechea
Domingo Bernardo de Bonechea Andonaegui ( eu, Domingo Bonetxea Andonaegi), born on September 21, 1713, in Getaria, Basque Country, Spain, died in Tahiti on January 26, 1775, was a captain in the Spanish Royal Navy and an explorer for the Spanis ...
visited it in 1774 and named it ''Santo Domingo''.
[Boenechea, Domingo de ''Descripción de las islas del Océano Pacífico reconocidas últimamente de ordne de S.M., por Don Domingo de Boenechea, capitan de fragata de la Real Armada, y comandante de la de S.M. nombrada Sta. María Magdalana (alias el Aguila), en los años de 1772 y 1774'' Manuscript 476 of the Museo Naval de Madrid, fo. 94]
It is likely that
Teraura
Teraura, also Susan or Susannah Young ( – July 1850), was a Tahitian woman who settled on Pitcairn Island with the ''Bounty'' Mutineers. She took part in Ned Young's plot to murder male Polynesians who had travelled on HMS ''Bounty'' and kill ...
, a Polynesian woman who accompanied the
Bounty mutineers to
Pitcairn Island
Pitcairn Island is the only inhabited island of the Pitcairn Islands, of which many inhabitants are descendants of mutineers of HMS ''Bounty''.
Geography
The island is of volcanic origin, with a rugged cliff coastline. Unlike many other ...
, was from Moorea.
The island was among those visited by the
United States Exploring Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby ...
on its tour of the South Pacific in 1839.
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 ...
found inspiration for his theory regarding the formation of coral atolls when looking down upon Moorea while standing on a peak on Tahiti. He described it as a "picture in a frame", referring to the
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 ...
encircling the island.
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 ...
lived here briefly in the late 1920s. His
houseboat
A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a home. Most houseboats are not motorized as they are usually moored or kept stationary at a fixed point, and often tethered to land to provide utilities. How ...
was destroyed by
tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
s after he moved it from Waikiki after 1947.
On October 7, 1967, construction was completed on the
Moorea Airport
Moorea Airport (french: Aéroport de Moorea) is an airport serving the island of Moorea in French Polynesia, France.
It is also known as Temae Airport or Moorea Temae Airport for its location near the village of Temae in northeastern Moorea. The ...
, which opened the following month.
Geography
![Mont Routui, French Polynesia, December, 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Mont_Routui%2C_French_Polynesia%2C_December%2C_2011.jpg)
The island was formed as a volcano 1.5 to 2.5 million years ago, the result of the
Society hotspot
The Society hotspot is a volcanic hotspot in the south Pacific Ocean which is responsible for the formation of the Society Islands, an archipelago of fourteen volcanic islands and atolls spanning around 720 km of the ocean which formed between 4. ...
in the mantle under the oceanic plate that formed the whole of the Society Archipelago.
It is theorized that the current bays were formerly river basins that filled during the
Holocene
The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togethe ...
searise.
Moorea is about 16 km (10 miles) across. There are two small, nearly symmetrical bays on the north shore. The one to the west is called
Ōpūnohu Bay. The main surrounding communes of the bay are
Pihaena in the east and
Papetōai to the west. The one to the east is Cook's Bay, also called Pao Pao Bay since the largest commune of Moorea is at the bottom of the bay. The other communes are Pihaena to the west and busy Maharepa to the east. The highest point is
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 ...
, near the center of Moorea. It dominates the vista from the two bays and can be seen from
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 ...
. There are also hiking trails in the mountains. Vaiare Bay is another small inlet, smaller than the two main bays, on the east shore. The main village is located just south of the bay.
Geology
Moorea is an atoll whose main island consists mainly of
igneous rocks
Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or ...
. The island, like neighboring Tahiti, formed as part of the "Society Chain" from a hot spot on the Pacific Plate and is between 1.5 and 2 million years old.
The enclosed reef surrounds the entire island, but has several navigable passages. The reef is relatively close to 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 ...
, so Moorea has formed only a narrow lagoon.
Climate
Moorea is located in the Earth's tropical belt. The
climate
Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologic ...
is tropical-warm and very humid, which favors the lush vegetation of the island. The average temperature ranges between 28 and 30 °C, with little difference between months. The rainiest months are from December to February, the (
winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures ...
) months from July to September are drier. There is a constant wind that moderates temperatures. However, an occasional cyclone cannot be ruled out. In the 1982–83 season, a series of
cyclone
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 ...
s in the Society Islands also caused considerable property damage in Moorea.
Demographics
The island had a population of 14,226 inhabitants in the 2002
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
which increased to 17,718 in 2017, distributed in the associated communes of Afareaitu, Haapiti, Paopao, Papetōai, and Teavaro. Together with
Maiao
Maiao, also known as Mai'ao or Maiao in languages other than Tahitian, is an island formation located southwest of Moorea and one of the Windward Islands (French: ''Îles du Vent'') in French Polynesia.
Geography
The island formation consists ...
it forms the commune of Moorea-Maiao, which had 14,550 inhabitants by 2002.
The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known through population censuses conducted in the municipality since 1977. Since 2006, the INSEE publishes annually the legal populations of the municipalities, but the law on local
democracy
Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...
of February 27, 2002, in its articles dedicated to the population census, introduced population censuses every five years in New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Mayotte and the Wallis and Futuna islands, which was not the case before. For the
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
, the first comprehensive census under the new system was conducted in 2002; previous censuses took place in 1996, 1988, 1983, 1977 and 1971.
Bays
![Soleil sur Moorea](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Soleil_sur_Moorea.jpg)
The most famous sight of Moorea is Cook's Bay, where cruise
ships
A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...
regularly anchor. It is a deep blue bay that often has white sailing yachts and in the background the 830 m high Mount Mouaputa, this being probably the most photographed South Seas image. Next door is Opunohu Bay, where many exterior shots of the 1984 movie The Bounty were filmed.
The two bays are connected by a steep, winding scenic road. In the once densely populated Opunohu
Valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...
, the indigenous Polynesians built numerous worship 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 ...
). The remains of these religious sites can be found everywhere off the road, some of them are signposted. Marae Titiroa is surrounded by banyan trees and was reconstructed in the late 1960s. A few hundred meters away is the multi-level Marae Ahu-o-Mahine, also well preserved. The trail continues to the Belvédère lookout overlooking Mount Rotui, Cook Bay and Opunohu Bay.
Fauna and flora
![Un prédateur curieux](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Un_pr%C3%A9dateur_curieux.jpg)
Due to the short distance to Tahiti and similarities in
climate
Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologic ...
and soil structure, the
flora
Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''.
E ...
of Moorea is comparable to that of Tahiti. The narrow coastal strip is dominated by
anthropocorous plants, due to dense settlement and centuries of human use. However, significant remnants of the original plant communities have survived in the uninhabited and partially inaccessible interior of the island. The University of California at Berkeley maintains a permanent research institute on Moorea, Gump Station, to study tropical biodiversity and interactions between cultural processes and the ecosystem. From 2008 to 2010, Moorea was the site of the Moorea Biocode project, the first comprehensive inventory of all macroscopic (>2mm) life in an ecosystem. They collected specimens, photographs, and genetic barcodes for over 5700 species of plants, animals, and fungi.
Terrestrial mammals did not originally exist on 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 ...
; they were introduced exclusively by humans. Early Polynesian settlers brought dogs, pigs, chickens and the
Polynesian rat
The Polynesian rat, Pacific rat or little rat (''Rattus exulans''), known to the Māori as ''kiore'', is the third most widespread species of rat in the world behind the brown rat and black rat. The Polynesian rat originated in Southeast Asia, a ...
as food animals, while Europeans introduced goats, cows, sheep and horses. The indigenous land animals are only insects, land crabs, snails and lizards.
Many Moorean
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
species that have gone extinct or been
extirpated
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...
. The Polynesian tree snails of the genus
Partula were largely wiped out after the
rosy wolf snail was introduced in 1977, although captive and small refuge populations on Tahiti still exist. Until the 1980s, the
Moorea reed warbler
Moorea reed warbler (''Acrocephalus longirostris'') is a species of songbird in the genus ''Acrocephalus (bird), Acrocephalus''. Formerly placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage (Sylviidae), it is now in the newly recognized marsh warbler fa ...
, an endemic species, was recorded on the island. This songbird was closely related to the
Tahiti reed warbler
The Tahiti reed warbler (''Acrocephalus caffer'') is a songbird in the genus '' Acrocephalus''. It used to be placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage (Sylviidae), but is now in the newly recognized marsh warbler family Acrocephalidae. It is ...
and may have been displaced by the
common myna. Another bird species extinct on Moorea is the
Moorea sandpiper
The Moorea Sandpiper (''Prosobonia ellisi'') is an extinct member of the large wader family Scolopacidae that was endemic to Mo'orea in French Polynesia, where the locals called it ''te-te'' in the Tahitian language.
Two specimens were collec ...
, of which only two specimens are known from 1777.
There are no animals on Moorea that are dangerous to humans. Sand fleas on the beach and mosquitoes, which are everywhere in the interior of the island, can be unpleasant. The marine fauna of the lagoon and coral reef is very rich in species. In addition to more than 500 species of
coral fish
Coral reef fish are fish which live amongst or in close relation to coral reefs. Coral reefs form complex ecosystems with tremendous biodiversity. Among the myriad inhabitants, the fish stand out as colourful and interesting to watch. Hundreds ...
, divers and snorkelers can observe numerous molluscs, echinoderms, and
crustacean
Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group ...
s of the tropical sea. Behind the fringing reef are sharks, rays, swordfish, and sea turtles. From July to October, humpback whales pass by the island. Whale and dolphin watching is offered to tourists.
Politics
The island 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
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.[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 ...
. The main village is
Āfareaitu. The largest village is
Pao Pao
Pao Pao is an associated commune on the island of Moorea, in French Polynesia. It is part of the commune Moorea-Maiao. According to a census in 2007, it had a population of 4,244 people. According to the 2012 census, it had grown to a population ...
at the bottom of Cook's Bay. The second largest is Maharepa.
Economy
This
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 ...
is one of the main tourist destinations 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 ...
, where there are several luxury resorts that allow visitors to enjoy its magnificent and beautiful lagoon.
Transportation to this island is usually done from Tahiti by air transport in flights of about 5 minutes or through numerous ferries that move from the port 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 ...
to Moorea. It is also possible to hire a private boat transport.The hotels of Moorea have the characteristic bungalows in the water that make the delight of the newlyweds and numerous couples who move in search of one of the most romantic places in the Pacific.
The island combines numerous possibilities as it has a truly beautiful mountain scenery and water sports and activities, the most popular activity being visits to the lagoon to feed rays and
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 ...
.
Tourism
Because of its stunning scenery and accessibility to Papeete, Moorea is visited by many western tourists who travel to French Polynesia. Especially popular as a
honeymoon
A honeymoon is a vacation taken by newlyweds immediately after their wedding, to celebrate their marriage. Today, honeymoons are often celebrated in destinations considered exotic or romantic. In a similar context, it may also refer to the phase ...
destination, Moorea can often be seen in advertisements in American wedding magazines.
Arthur Frommer
Arthur Frommer (born July 17, 1929) is a travel writer. He founded the Frommer's brand of travel guides.
Frommer was born in Jefferson City, Missouri, and moved to Brooklyn, New York when he was 14. He graduated from New York University in 1950 ...
declared in
Frommer's
Frommer's is a travel guide book series created by Arthur Frommer in 1957. Frommer's has since expanded to include more than 350 guidebooks in 14 series, as well as other media including an eponymous radio show and a website. In 2017, the company ...
travel guide that he considered it the most beautiful island in the world.
The main source of income is the tourism from the decade of 1960. An
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 ...
company constructed in 1961 the Bali Shark Hotel, the first hotel of luxury of Moorea, in the north coast, near the
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
of Maharepa. Since then, the tourism has not stopped increasing, so that at the present time - according to affirm some guides of trips - Moorea has even more tourist hotels than Tahiti. The hotel complexes of all categories, with a predominance of expensive luxury hotels, are located mainly on the north and northwest coast. This is also where the most beautiful
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 shel ...
es of the island are located. From time to time, Moorea is visited by cruise ships.
![Moorea, view from the sky (Motu Fareona)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Moorea%2C_view_from_the_sky_%28Motu_Fareona%29.png)
In the opinion of many travelers, Moorea is the most beautiful island of
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 ...
, so there is hardly a South Seas cruise that does not include Moorea in its program. The English explorer William Ellis already wrote about it in the 18th century:
There are two
waterfalls
A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...
in Afareaitu, although their volume decreases during the
winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures ...
season when water is rather scarce.
On the west coast, a traditional Polynesian village, the Tiki Village, has been rebuilt to meet the needs of
tourism
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 ...
. In addition to dance performances and demonstrations of Polynesian handicrafts, there are also souvenir stores.
Most of the beaches on the northwest coast belong to
hotel
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 ...
s and are not open to the public. On the northeast coast, in Temae, near the airfield, there is a public beach.
The race called the Moorea Marathon, held annually in February, is promoted by the tourism industry as the most beautiful in the world. Another international sporting event is the Aitoman
Triathlon
A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the t ...
, held in October each year.
Agriculture
Until the end of the 20th century,
coffee
Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world.
S ...
was still grown on Moorea. Due to falling coffee prices, this is no longer profitable and the cultivation of
agricultural
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating Plant, plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of Sedentism, sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of Domestication, domesticated species created food ...
export crops has shifted to
pineapple
The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...
and the coveted Tahitian vanilla. Some small family farms continue to produce copra in the traditional way. Breadfruit, yams, taro, sweet potatoes, bananas, coconuts, and other tropical and subtropical fruits are grown for home consumption and hotel kitchens.
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
continues to play an important, though declining, role in the island's economy.
Research facilities
The
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
maintains the Richard B. Gump South Pacific Research Station on the west coast of Cook's Bay. The Gump station is also home to the Moorea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research Site (MCR LTER), part of a network established by the
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...
in 1980 to support research on long-term ecological phenomena. The Moorea Coral Reef LTER became the 26th site in the network in September 2004.
The French
École pratique des hautes études
The École pratique des hautes études (), abbreviated EPHE, is a Grand Établissement in Paris, France. It is highly selective, and counted among France's most prestigious research and higher education institutions. It is a constituent college o ...
(EPHE) and the
Centre national de la recherche scientifique
The French National Centre for Scientific Research (french: link=no, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science
Basic research, also called pure research o ...
(National Centre for Scientific Research; CNRS) maintain a research station at the end of Ōpūnohu Bay. This Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement (Centre for island research and environment observatory) is a research site for several international projects, including the monitoring of coral reefs throughout French Polynesia as well as the monitoring of the fish population on the Tīahurā transect of Moorea's reef.
Religion
![Église de la Sainte-Famille (Haapiti) (14)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/%C3%89glise_de_la_Sainte-Famille_%28Haapiti%29_%2814%29.jpg)
The majority of the local population is affiliated with
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 ...
, a consequence of
European colonization
The historical phenomenon of colonization is one that stretches around the globe and across time. Ancient and medieval colonialism was practiced by the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Turks, and the Arabs.
Colonialism in the modern sense began ...
and the activity of missionary groups from both 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 ...
and
various Protestant groups. The Catholic Church controls 4 church buildings and a religious center on the island, all under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Papeete with headquarters on the island of Tahiti:
St. Joseph Church in Paopao (Église Saint Joseph),
Holy Family
The Holy Family consists of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. The subject became popular in art from the 1490s on, but veneration of the Holy Family was formally begun in the 17th century by Saint François de Laval, the first ...
Church in Haapiti (Église de la Sainte-Famille), St. Michael Church in Papetōai (Église de Saint-Michel) St. Patrick Church in Afareaitu (Église de Saint-Patrice) and St.
Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December 1 ...
Religious Center in Varari (''Centre religieux Saint-François-Xavier'').
Near Afareaitu is Moorea's oldest worship platform, the Marae Umarea, built around 900 CE, with its enclosure of large coral slabs directly over the lagoon.
Transportation
Several ferries go to the Vaiare wharf in Moorea daily from
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 ...
, the Tahitian capital. Moorea's
Temae Airport has connections to the international airport in Papeete and onward to other Society Islands such as Tahiti. There is one road that goes around the island.
Popular culture
In the film ''
Love Affair'', a scene where
Warren Beatty
Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...
's character visits his aunt takes place on Moorea.
Jimmy Buffett
James William Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffet ...
has stated that Moorea is the inspiration for his song "
One Particular Harbor
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit (measurement), unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment ...
".
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
Windward Islands (Society Islands)
The Windward Islands (french: Îles du Vent) are the eastern group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. These islands were also previously named the Georgian Islands in hon ...
References
External links
Official site (Tahiti Tourisme Board)Moorea Visitors BureauDirectory: direct links about MooreaPhotogallery of MooreaMoorea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research SiteU.C. Berkeley Richard B. Gump South Pacific Research Station"Surgical Strike: Moorea Surf Mission" Photos And VideoThe Island of Moorea at the Smithsonian Ocean Portal
{{Authority control
Islands of the Society Islands
Volcanoes of French Polynesia
Pliocene volcanoes
Pleistocene volcanoes
Extinct volcanoes
Ramsar sites in France