Kauehi, or Putake, is an

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 ...

in the

Tuamotu 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 ...

group 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 ...

. The nearest land is

Raraka Raraka, or Te Marie, is an atoll in the west of the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. It lies 17 km to the southeast of Kauehi Atoll. The shape of Raraka Atoll is an oval 27 km long and 19 km wide. Its fringing reef has many san ...

Atoll, located 17 km to the Southeast. Kauehi has a wide lagoon measuring 24 km by 18 km. The atoll has a lagoon area of , and a land area of . Kauehi's lagoon has one navigable pass. The atoll has 257 inhabitants . The main village is called Tearavero.Kauehi on tahitiheritage.pf
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History

Even though Kauehi Atoll was probably well known to the pearl traders, the first recorded European to visit it was the ''Beagles captain

Robert FitzRoy Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy (5 July 1805 – 30 April 1865) was an English officer of the Royal Navy and a scientist. He achieved lasting fame as the captain of during Charles Darwin's famous voyage, FitzRoy's second expedition to Tierra de ...

in 1835.''Les Atolls des Tuamotu''
Jacques Bonvallot, Institut de recherche pour le développement, nakladateľstvo IRD , 1994, , p. 275-282. Kauehi was later visited by the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838–1842.

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 ...

called the atoll "Vincennes" after his ship.United States Exploring Expedition
/ref>

Administration

Kauehi Atoll belongs to the commune of

Fakarava Fakarava, Havaiki-te-araro, Havai'i or Farea is an atoll in the west of the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. It is the second largest of the Tuamotu atolls. The nearest land is Toau, a coral atoll which lies to the northwest. The atoll is ro ...

, which consists of Fakarava, as well as the atolls of

Aratika Aratika is an atoll in the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. The nearest land is Kauehi Atoll, located 35 km to the south east. Aratika has an unusual butterfly shape. Its length is and its maximum width . It has a land area of appro ...

, Kauehi,

Niau Niau is a small atoll in French Polynesia, in the commune of Fakarava (Tuamotu archipelago). This atoll has a broad fringing reef, a diameter of 8 km and an area of 53 km2. Niau's lagoon is swampy, hypersaline and entirely enclosed. Th ...

Taiaro Taiaro, or Maro-taua, is a small atoll in the west of the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. It is one of the smallest of the Tuamotu atolls. Taiaro lies 42 km to the northeast of Raraka Atoll. The shape of Taiaro Atoll is roughly a poly ...

and

Toau Toau, Pakuria, or Taha-a-titi is a coral atoll in French Polynesia, one of the Palliser Islands (Îles Pallisier). Toau has a wide lagoon; length , width . The nearest land is Fakarava Atoll, located to the southeast. Toau Atoll had a populati ...

References

Atolls of the Tuamotus {{FrenchPolynesia-geo-stub