Vanavana, Kurataki, or Huataki 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 southeastern area of 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 ...

. Vanavana's nearest neighbour is

Tureia Tureia (also called Papahena) is an atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. Tureia atoll is 15 km long and has a maximum width of ; its total land area is 8 km2. A very long island covers completely its eastern reef. The lago ...

, which is located to the east. Vanavana is a small oval-shaped atoll. It measures approximately in length, has a maximum width of and a land area of approximately . Its reef encloses completely the deep lagoon, which is . There is one hook-shaped large island in the north and another in the south of its reef. Vanavana Atoll is uninhabited; however, buildings on the northern end of the island are present.

History

The first recorded European to arrive at Vanavana was British mariner Captain

Frederick Beechey Frederick William Beechey (17 February 1796 – 29 November 1856) was an English naval officer, artist, explorer, hydrographer and writer. Life and career He was the son of two painters, Sir William Beechey, RA and his second wife, Ann ...

in 1826. He named this atoll "Barrow Island", after

Sir John Barrow Sir John Barrow, 1st Baronet, (19 June 1764 – 23 November 1848) was an English geographer, linguist, writer and civil servant best known for term as the Second Secretary to the Admiralty from 1804 until 1845. Early life Barrow was born ...

Administration

Administratively Vanavana Atoll 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 ...

, which includes the atolls of Tureia,

Fangataufa Fangataufa (or Fangatafoa) is an uninhabited coral atoll in the eastern part of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. The atoll has been fully-owned by the French state since 1964. From 1966 to 1996 it was used as a nuclear test site by th ...

Moruroa Moruroa (Mururoa, Mururura), also historically known as Aopuni, is an atoll which forms part of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is located about southeast of Tahiti. Administratively Moruroa Atoll i ...

Tematangi Tematagi or TematangiBoard of Geographical Names Site Internet: http://geonames.usgs.gov/foreign/index.html is an atoll in the southeastern area of the Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia. Tematagi's nearest neighbour is Mururoa, which is loca ...

and Vanavana.

References

External links

Atoll list (in French)

Atolls of the Tuamotus {{FrenchPolynesia-geo-stub