Marutea Sud facts for kids
NASA picture of Marutea Sud Atoll
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 Marutea Sud
Location in French Polynesia
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 21°31′S 135°33′W / 21.517°S 135.550°W |
| Archipelago | Tuamotus |
| Area | 112 km2 (43 sq mi) (lagoon) 12 km2 (4.6 sq mi) (above water) |
| Length | 20 km (12 mi) |
| Width | 8 km (5 mi) |
| Administration | |
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France
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| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Administrative subdivision | Tuamotus |
| Commune | Gambier Islands |
| Largest settlement | Auorotini |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 245 (2016) |
Marutea Atoll (also called Marutea Sud) is a beautiful ring-shaped island in the Tuamotu group of French Polynesia. It's also known by other names like Lord Hood Island, Marutea-i-runga, and Nuku-nui. This atoll is located far to the southeast of the Tuamotu islands. It lies about 72 kilometers (45 miles) northeast of Maria Atoll.
Marutea Atoll has an unusual shape. It is surrounded by a reef that has openings, allowing boats to enter its large lagoon. The lagoon covers about 112 square kilometers (43 square miles). The atoll itself is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) long and up to 8 kilometers (5 miles) wide. The land area, which is above water, is about 12 square kilometers (4.6 square miles).
The islands of Marutea are low and flat. The main village, called Auorotini, is found at the northern end of the atoll. People from the nearby Gambier Islands live here. They mainly work with pearls, either by finding natural pearls or by managing pearl farms.
It's important not to mix up Marutea Sud with Marutea Nord. Marutea Nord is in a different part of the Tuamotu Archipelago.
Contents
Exploring Marutea's Past
First European Sightings
The first European to see Marutea Atoll was a Spanish explorer named Pedro Fernández de Quirós. He discovered it on February 4, 1606, and named it San Telmo. Other Spanish names for the atoll included San Blas and Corral de Agua.
Later, in 1791, a British officer named Edward Edwards explored Marutea. He was looking for the sailors who had mutinied on the famous ship, HMS Bounty. Edwards renamed the atoll "Lord Hood" after a British admiral.
Ancient Inhabitants
According to a Russian Admiral named Adam Johann von Krusenstern, ancient Polynesians once lived on Marutea. In 1825, a British sailor named Frederick William Beechey even found the remains of a stone hut there. This shows that people lived on the atoll a long time ago.
Modern Pearl Farming
In 1984, a very important event happened for Marutea Atoll. Robert Wan, who is a major trader of black pearls from Tahiti, bought the atoll. He wanted to use it for farming cultured black pearls. This means growing pearls on purpose, rather than just finding them in nature.
To help with the pearl farming business, a private airfield was built on the atoll in 1993. This makes it easier to travel to and from Marutea.
How Marutea is Governed
Marutea Sud is part of the Gambier (commune) for administrative purposes. A commune is like a local government area in France and its territories. This means that the local rules and services for Marutea are managed by the Gambier commune.
See also
In Spanish: Marutea Sur para niños
