Tuanake or Mata-rua-puna is a small

atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical oceans and seas where corals can gr ...

located in the

Tuamotu Archipelago The Tuamotu Archipelago or the Tuamotu Islands (french: Îles Tuamotu, officially ) are a French Polynesian chain of just under 80 islands and atolls in the southern Pacific Ocean. They constitute the largest chain of atolls in the world, extendin ...

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 ...

. He made up the

Raevski Islands The Raeffsky Islands or Raevski Islands (french: Îles Raéffsky or ''Îles Raevski'') is a subgroup with just over 3000 people in the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. They are located roughly in the central area of the main Tuamotu atoll clus ...

subgroup with

Tepoto Sud Tepoto Atoll (Tepoto Sud), or Ti Poto, is a small atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located southwest of Makemo Atoll. Tepoto Atoll is almost round in shape. It measures in diameter. Its lovely turquoise-blue lagoon ...

and

Hiti Hiti, or Hiti-rau-mea, is a small atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 19 km southwest of Makemo Atoll. Hiti Atoll is oval in shape. It measures 9 km in length with a maximum width of 6 km. There ar ...

. It is administratively attached to the municipality of

Makemo Makemo, Rangi-kemo or Te Paritua, is an atoll in the Tuamotu archipelago in French Polynesia. History Makemo is the home of legendary Polynesian hero Moeava. The first recorded European to arrive to Makemo Atoll was English pearl merchant Joh ...

Geography

Tuanake is located west of Hiti, the nearest island, and 545 km east of Tahiti. It is a small semi-circular atoll in length and in maximum width for an emerged area of . Its lagoon is accessible by a very shallow pass located to the south. Tuanake has long been permanently uninhabited, but the 2017 census counts six inhabitants.

History

The first recorded European to sight Tuanake was Russian explorer

Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen Fabian Gottlieb Thaddeus von Bellingshausen (russian: Фадде́й Фадде́евич Беллинсга́узен, translit=Faddéy Faddéevich Bellinsgáuzen; – ) was a Russian naval officer, cartographer and explorer, who ultimately ...

on July 15, 1820, who named it “Raevski Island”. During his expedition, the American navigator

Charles Wilkes Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842). During the American Civil War (1861–1865), he commanded ' during the ...

approached him on December 20, 1840, notified the name of "Tunaki" and named him Reid Island. In the nineteenth century, Tuanake became a French territory then populated by a few indigenous inhabitants who obey the chief of

Katiu Katiu, or Taungataki, is an atoll of the central Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located west of Makemo Atoll's westernmost point. It measures in length with a maximum width of . Its total area, including the lagoon is and a la ...

just like the

and

atolls.

Administration

Tuanake belongs to 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 ...

of Makemo, which consists of the atolls of Makemo,

Haraiki Haraiki is a small atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 42 km southwest of Marutea Nord. Haraiki Atoll is roughly triangular in shape. It measures 7 km in length with a maximum width of 5 km. There a ...

Marutea Nord Marutea, or Taunga tauranga-e-havana, is one of the Tuamotu atolls in French Polynesia. It is located 24 km to the southeast of Makemo Atoll and 30 km southwest of Nihiru Atoll. Marutea Atoll measures 42 km in length with a maximu ...

, Tuanake,

Raroia Raroia, or Raro-nuku, is an atoll of the Tuamotus chain in French Polynesia, located 740 km northeast of Tahiti and 6 km southwest of Takume. Administratively it is a part of the commune of Makemo. The oval-shaped atoll measures 43& ...

Takume Takume or Pukamaru is an atoll of the Tuamotus chain in French Polynesia, located 790 km northeast of Tahiti and 6 km northeast of Raroia and to the west of Fangatau. This elongated atoll measures . Its lagoon has an area of Takume ...

Taenga Taenga, or Taunga-hara, is one of the Tuamotu atolls in French Polynesia. It is located 32 km to the northeast of Makemo Atoll and 27 km to the northwest of Nihiru Atoll. Taenga Atoll is roughly triangular in shape. It measures 27 ...

and

Nihiru Nihiru, or Nikia, is one of the Tuamotu atolls in French Polynesia. It is a relatively small atoll located 49 km to the east of Makemo Atoll and 30 km northeast of Marutea Atoll. Nihiru Atoll is roughly triangular in shape. It measure ...

. Tuanake Atoll is permanently uninhabited.

Economy

Traditional fishing is practiced with the use of two fish parks located on hoas in the south of the atoll. In recent years, Tuanake has been exploited by the inhabitants of

for

sea cucumber Sea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea (). They are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad. Sea cucumbers are found on the sea floor worldwide. The number of holothuria ...

fishing for export to Asia.

Flora and fauna

The presence of individuals of the species '' Acrocephalus atyphus'' and ''

Gallicolumba erythroptera The Polynesian ground dove (''Pampusana erythroptera'') or ''Tutururu'' is a critically endangered species of bird in the family Columbidae. Originally endemic to the Society Islands and Tuamotus in French Polynesia, it has now been extirpated ...

''—an extremely threatened species with only about one hundred individuals recorded in the Pacific—has been reported in Tuanake as well as an endemic population of

Tuamotu sandpiper The Tuamotu sandpiper (''Prosobonia parvirostris'') is an endangered member of the large wader family Scolopacidae, that is endemic to the Tuamotu Islands in French Polynesia. It is sometimes placed in the monotypic genus ''Aechmorhynchus''. A na ...

References

External links

Atoll list (in French)Tuamotu Archipelago - TuanakeAtoll namesTuamotu reed-warblerPolynesian Ground Dove

Atolls of the Tuamotus {{FrenchPolynesia-geo-stub