Bass Islands (French Polynesia)

The Bass Islands (French: Îles Bass or Îlots Bass) consist primarily of Rapa Iti (27°35′00″S 144°20′00″W / 27.58333°S 144.33333°W / -27.58333; -144.33333) and Marotiri (27°55′00″S 143°26′00″W / 27.91667°S 143.43333°W / -27.91667; -143.43333). They are usually considered to be the southernmost of the Austral Islands, although this classification is more one of geographic and political expediency than because of similarities between them and the rest of the Austral Islands. The Bass Islands, lying several degrees outside the tropics, are the southernmost islands in French Polynesia. Culturally, the Bass Islands appear to have been colonized about the same time as Tahiti and the Marquesas, and the culture and language (Rapan) appear to have diverged about the same time as well, indicating that they developed in relative isolation almost from the time of first settlement.