Raiatea

Raiatea
Native name: Raꞌiātea
	The islands of Bora Bora (top) Tahaa (middle) and Raiatea (bottom). Tahaa and Raiatea share the same lagoon.
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	16°49′S 151°27′W / 16.817°S 151.450°W
Archipelago	Society Islands
Major islands	Raiatea
Area	167.7 km2 (64.7 sq mi)
Highest elevation	1,017 m (3337 ft)
Highest point	Mount Tefatua
Administration
	France
Overseas collectivity	French Polynesia
Capital and largest city	Uturoa (pop. 3,778)
Demographics
Population	12,545
Pop. density	72/km2 (186/sq mi)

Raiatea or Ra'iatea (Tahitian: Ra‘iātea) is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti, in French Polynesia, in the South Pacific Ocean. The island is widely regarded as the "centre" of the eastern islands in ancient Polynesia^[3] and it is likely that the organised migrations to the Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand and other parts of East Polynesia started at Raiatea.

A traditional name for the island is Havai'i, homeland of the Māori people.^[4] Situated on the southeast coast is the historical Taputapuatea marae, which was established by 1000 CE. The site was the political and religious center of eastern Polynesia for several centuries, and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017 for its historical significance.^[5]

The main township on Raiatea is Uturoa, the administrative centre for the Leeward Islands (French Îles Sous-le-vent). There are also colleges which serve as the main educational location for secondary schools for students from the regional islands of Bora Bora, Tahaa, Huahine and Maupiti.

^ "Raiatea a unique natural heritage". e-Tahiti Travel. Archived from the original on December 13, 2007. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
^ Institut Statistique de Polynésie Française (ISPF). "Recensement de la population 2007" (PDF) (in French). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 3, 2007. Retrieved December 2, 2007.
^ Buck, Peter Henry (1964). "7. The Centre of the Triangle". Vikings of the Sunrise (Digitized Edition). Christchurch, New Zealand: Whitcombe and Tombs. pp. 67–86.
^ Salmond, Anne (2010). Aphrodite's Island. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 227-228. ISBN 9780520261143.
^ "Taputapuātea". United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved January 16, 2021.

[1] "Raiatea a unique natural heritage". e-Tahiti Travel. Archived from the original on December 13, 2007. Retrieved December 22, 2019.

[census-2] Institut Statistique de Polynésie Française (ISPF). "Recensement de la population 2007" (PDF) (in French). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 3, 2007. Retrieved December 2, 2007.

[3] Buck, Peter Henry (1964). "7. The Centre of the Triangle". Vikings of the Sunrise (Digitized Edition). Christchurch, New Zealand: Whitcombe and Tombs. pp. 67–86.

[Anne-4] Salmond, Anne (2010). Aphrodite's Island. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 227-228. ISBN 9780520261143.

[unesco-5] "Taputapuātea". United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved January 16, 2021.

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