Huahine


Huahine is an island located among the Society Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Leeward Islands group . At the 2017 census it had a population of 6,075.

Geography

Huahine measures in length, with a maximum width of. It is made up of two main islands surrounded by a fringing coral reef with several islets, or motu. Huahine Nui lies to the north and Huahine Iti to the south. The total land area is 75 km2. The two islands are separated by a few hundred metres of water and joined by a sandspit at low tide. A small bridge was built to connect Huahine Nui and Huahine Iti. Its highest point is Turi, at 669 m elevation.
In the northwest of Huahine Nui lies a brackish lake known as Lac Fauna Nui. This lake is all that remains of the ancient atoll lagoon. Air transportation is available via Huahine airport, located on the northern shore of Huahine Nui.

History

arrived in Fare Harbour on 16 July 1769, with Tupaia navigating. They met with leading chief Ori. Cook returned on 3 September 1773 and met with Ori's son Teri'itaria, the new ari'i rahi of the island.
Missionary Auna served as a deacon on Huahine prior to his work in Hawaii.

Administration

Administratively Huahine is a commune part of the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands. Huahine consists of the following associated communes:
The administrative centre of the commune is the settlement of Fare, on Huahine Nui.

Transportation

The island has scheduled passenger airline flights operated by Air Tahiti with ATR turboprop aircraft via the Huahine - Fare Airport.

Tourist attraction

One of the famous attractions on Huahine is a bridge that crosses over a stream with 0.9 m - 1.8 m long freshwater eels. These eels are deemed sacred by the locals, by local mythology. While viewing these slithering creatures, tourists can buy a can of mackerel and feed the eels. The Fa'ahia archaeological site in the north of the island has revealed subfossil remains of several species of extinct birds exterminated by the earliest Polynesian colonists of the island.
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