Mauke (Ma'uke also Akatokamanava) is an island of the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Arch ...

, lying in the central-southern

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the conti ...

. Part of the Nga-pu-Toru, it is northeast of

Rarotonga Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of , and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with 13,007 of a total population of 17,434. The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings a ...

Geography

Mauke is a

raised coral atoll A raised coral atoll or uplifted coral atoll is an atoll that has been lifted high enough above sea level by tectonic forces to protect it from scouring by storms and enable soils and diverse – often endemic – species of flora and fauna to de ...

, with a central volcanic plateau surrounded by a jagged fossilised coral ''makatea'' which extends up to one mile inland. A narrow layer of swamps lies between the ''makatea'' and the plateau. The entire island is surrounded by a fringing reef, pierced by six passages, and sits atop an extinct volcano rising from the ocean floor. The volcanic soil in the island's center is relatively fertile, so it is called "The Garden of the Islands". The ''makatea'' is honeycombed with caves, including the Vaitango Cave, Moti Cave and Motuanga Cave.

History

According to oral tradition, Mauke was discovered by Uke, and the island was named "Ma'uke" - "the land of Uke" - after him. Uke's descents then went on to settle Atiu. Another legend states a son of

Ruatapu Ruatapu was a son of the great chief Uenuku, and a master canoeist in Polynesian tradition who is said to have lived around 30 generations ago. Most Māori stories agree he was an older half-brother of Paikea and 69 other sons, while tradi ...

was murdered on Mauke, and in retaliation he killed many of the islands inhabitants. The island was dominated by Atiu, who frequently raided it. The next European to sight Mauke was

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review '' WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...

of the

London Missionary Society The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed in outlook, with Congregational m ...

, in 1823. He left behind a Polynesian preacher, Haavi, to introduce Christianity. The third European visitor was Captain Lord Byron of HMS Blonde in 1825, who named it "Parry Island" in honour of Sir William Edward Parry. In the 1840s an Atiuian expedition attempted to raid the island again, but retreated after hearing that the Maukeans had been supplied with muskets by a European trader. In the 1860s

Ngamaru Rongotini Ariki Ngamaru Rongotini Ariki (c. 1831 – 31 March 1903) was a sovereign of the Cook Islands. He was the ''ariki'' of the ''Ngamaru'' dynasty on the island of Atiu, one of the chiefdoms of '' Ngaputoru'', which consisted of three adjoining islands — ...

, ''ariki'' of Atiu, Mauke and Mitiaro, married Makea Takau Ariki, a Rarotongan ''ariki''. As a result, in 1871 Mauke became part of the

Kingdom of Rarotonga The Kingdom of Rarotonga, ( rar, Mātāmuatanga Rarotonga) named after the island of Rarotonga, was an independent kingdom established in the present-day Cook Islands in 1858. In 1888 it became a protectorate of the United Kingdom by its own re ...

. In 1888 Mauke became a British protectorate as part of the Cook Islands Federation. In 1901 it was annexed by

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

. In 1904, animosity between followers of the London Missionary Society and the newly introduced Roman Catholic church led to the formation of the village of

Kimiangatau Kimiangatau is a village on Mauke in the Cook Islands. The village is on the coast, next to the island's main harbour or Taunganui landing place. It was founded in 1904 after animosity between followers of the London Missionary Society The London ...

on Mauke's coast.

Demographics

Mauke has a population of 297 in 2016. At the 2016 census one-third of the population was under 19 years of age, and 24% over 60. The island is subdivided into four traditional districts. Vaimutu and

Makatea Makatea, or Mangaia-te-vai-tamae, is a raised coral atoll in the northwestern part of the Tuamotus, which is a part of the French overseas collectivity of French Polynesia. It is located southwest from Rangiroa to the west of the Palliser gro ...

are not further subdivided and correspond to one

tapere A Tapere or Sub-District is a low level of traditional land subdivision on five of the Southern Cook Islands (Rarotonga, Mangaia, Aitutaki, Atiu, and Mauke), comparable to the ahupua'a of the main Hawaiian Islands or to the kousapw of Pohnpei. ...

each. Ngatiarua and

Areora Areora is one of four traditional districts on the island of Mauke in the Cook Islands. It is in the south of the island, and is subdivided into three tapere A Tapere or Sub-District is a low level of traditional land subdivision on five of the S ...

districts are subdivided into 6 and 3 tapere, respectively, totalling 11 tapere for the whole island: *Ngatiarua District (north, subdivided into 6 tapere: Te Tukunga, Mokoero, Puneua, Ikurua, Arakiropu, Araki) *Vaimutu District (east, corresponds to 1 tapere) *Areora District (south, subdivided into 3 tapere: Tukume, Arao, Anua) *Makatea District (west, corresponds to 1 tapere) Oiretumu, the principal village, is located inland, mainly within the traditional Makatea district. Stretching north from ''Taunganui Landing'', the commonly used western landing is the village of

, mainly within Ikurua tapere of Ngatiarua District.

Economy

Mauke's economy is primarily government-supported, with 61% of the labour force employed in the public sector. Its primary export is ''maire'', a plant which is used to make leis. There is little tourism, with only two budget accommodation providers on the island. Mauke is connected to the rest of the Cook Islands by Mauke Airport. The island's main harbour was damaged by cyclones in 2005. An upgrade began in 2011, and was completed in 2013. Previously powered by diesel generators, since 2019 it has been powered by a 229 kW solar-diesel power station.

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Islands of the Cook Islands