Paraoa

Atoll in French Polynesia

19°08′S 140°43′W / 19.133°S 140.717°W / -19.133; -140.717ArchipelagoTuamotusArea14 km² (5.4 sq mi) (lagoon)
4 km² (1.5 sq mi) (above water)Length8.5 km (5.28 mi)Width5.5 km (3.42 mi)Administration

France

Overseas collectivityFrench PolynesiaAdministrative subdivisionÎles Tuamotu-GambierCommuneHaoDemographicsPopulationUninhabited^[1] (2012)

Paraoa, Tohora, or Hariri^[2] is a small atoll of the central Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 76 km south of Hao Atoll's westernmost point. The closest land is Manuhangi Atoll, 52 km to the west.^[3]

Paraoa Atoll is ovular in shape. It measures 8.5 kilometres (5.3 miles) in length with a maximum width of 5.5 kilometres (3.4 miles). Its lagoon is not connected to the ocean by a pass, which makes this small atoll quite inaccessible. Paraoa Atoll is uninhabited.

History

The first recorded European who arrived to Paraoa was Englishman Samuel Wallis in 1767. He named it "Gloucester".^[4]

Administration

Paraoa belongs to the commune of Hao (Main village: Otepa), which includes also Ahunui (uninhabited), Nengonengo, and Manuhangi (uninhabited).

References

^ "Population". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. Archived from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
^ "Atoll names". Archived from the original on 2012-02-10. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
^ "Oceandots". Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved 2009-03-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ Samuel Wallis (in German)