Bora Bora

Bora Bora

Native name: Pora Pora
Bora Bora and its lagoon seen from the International Space Station
Geography
Coordinates	16°30′04″S 151°44′24″W / 16.501°S 151.740°W / -16.501; -151.740
Archipelago	Society Islands
Area	30.55 km2 (11.80 sq mi)
Highest elevation	727 m (2385 ft)
Highest point	Mount Otemanu
Administration
France
Overseas collectivity	French Polynesia
Administrative subdivision	Leeward Islands
Commune	Bora-Bora
Largest settlement	Vaitape
Demographics
Population	10,605[1] (2017)
Pop. density	347/km2 (899/sq mi)

Bora Bora (French: Bora-Bora; Tahitian: Pora Pora) is an island group in the Leeward Islands in the South Pacific. The Leeward Islands comprise the western part of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, which is an overseas collectivity of the French Republic in the Pacific Ocean. Bora Bora has a total land area of 30.55 km² (12 sq mi). The main island, located about 230 kilometres (125 nautical miles) northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. In the center of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano, rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu; the highest point is at 727 m (2,385 ft). Bora Bora is part of the Commune of Bora-Bora, which also includes the atoll of Tūpai. The main languages spoken in Bora Bora are Tahitian and French. However, due to the high tourist population, many natives of Bora Bora have learned to speak English.^[2]

Bora Bora is a major international tourist destination, famous for its seaside (and even offshore) luxury resorts. Its major settlement, Vaitape, is on the western side of the main island, opposite the main channel leading into the lagoon. Produce of the island is mostly limited to what can be obtained from the sea and from the plentiful coconut trees, which were historically of economic importance for the production of copra.^{[citation needed]}