Rapa facts for kids
Rapa or Oparo is a small island in French Polynesia. People sometimes call it Rapa Iti. This helps tell it apart from Rapa Nui, which is Easter Island.
History of Rapa
The first European to visit Rapa was Captain George Vancouver. He arrived in 1791. At that time, about 2,000 people lived on the island. They were divided into four main groups, called tribes. These tribes often had wars with each other.
In 1826, six people from Tahiti came to Rapa. They helped the Rapan people learn about Christianity, and many became Christians. Soon after, some people who had been forced into slavery were brought to Rapa. They carried a serious illness, which caused a terrible epidemic. By 1867, the island's population had dropped to only about 120 people. Since the late 1800s, the number of people living on Rapa has slowly grown again.
Geography of Rapa
The main village on Rapa is called Haurei. Almost everyone on the island lives there. The Bay of Haurei, on the west side of the island, is named after the village. Its old name was "Oparo" or "Paro." There is also a smaller village called 'Area.
Rapa is quite isolated. The nearest island where people live is over 500 kilometers away! Rapa, along with Marotiri and some smaller rocky islands, makes up the Bass Islands. Marotiri is about 74 kilometers from Rapa.
To the southeast of Rapa is a small, uninhabited island called Motu Tauturu.
Rapa has many mountains. The tallest one is Mt. Perau, which is 650 meters high. The island's total land area is 40 square kilometers.
Rapa is located 1,240 kilometers away from Tahiti. Tahiti is the main island of French Polynesia.
People of Rapa
Most of the people living on Rapa are Polynesians. It is believed that Polynesians first settled on the island around 1000 BC.
In 1996, Rapa had 521 inhabitants. Most of them work as fishermen. The main language spoken on the island is Rapan. Most children and young people can also speak French.
However, Rapan is an endangered language. This means fewer and fewer people are speaking it. Some people think it is a special way of speaking, or a dialect, of the Tubuaian language.
Culture of Rapa
A common type of Rapan folk music is called himene tarava. The music group known as The Tahitian Choir comes from Rapa. They sing their songs in the Rapan language.
See also
In Spanish: Rapa (desambiguación) para niños
