Atuona, located on
Atuona Bay on the southern side of
Hiva Oa island,
French Polynesia
French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The t ...
, is the administrative centre of the
commune (municipality) of
Hiva-Oa. Atuona was the capital of all the
Marquesas Islands but it has been replaced by
Taioha'e (on
Nuku Hiva).
The peak
Temetiu, rising to 1,213 m (3,980 ft) above sea level, towers above the town.
Atuona was the final home of
Paul Gauguin, who died there in 1903 and is buried in
Calvary Cemetery, which overlooks the town. The Belgian singer
Jacques Brel is also buried there. In 2003, construction on the
Paul Gauguin Cultural Center was completed in Atuona.
Climate
See also
*
French Polynesia
French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The t ...
References
External links
Gauguin Cultural Center
Populated places in the Marquesas Islands
{{FrenchPolynesia-geo-stub