Tenarunga facts for kids
NASA picture of Tenarunga Atoll
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 Tenarunga
Location in French Polynesia
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 21°19′S 136°32′W / 21.317°S 136.533°W |
| Archipelago | Tuamotus |
| Area | 5 km2 (1.9 sq mi) (lagoon) 2.3 km2 (0.9 sq mi) (above water) |
| Administration | |
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France
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| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Administrative subdivision | Tuamotus |
| Commune | Gambier Islands |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 10-50 (2022) |
Tenarunga, also known as Tenania, is a small, flat island covered in trees. It is an atoll where no one lives permanently. Tenarunga is part of the Acteon Group in the southeastern Tuamotu Islands in French Polynesia. It is managed by the Gambier Islands.
Geography of Tenarunga
Tenarunga is located about 15 kilometers (9 miles) northwest of Matureivavao. It is also about 6 kilometers (4 miles) west of Vahanga. The island is far from Tahiti, about 1375 kilometers (854 miles) to the southeast.
The land area of Tenarunga is about 2.3 square kilometers (0.9 square miles). The total area, including its central lagoon, is about 5 square kilometers (1.9 square miles). There are some buildings and a dock on the northeast side. This suggests people might have lived there before or visit seasonally.
The lagoon in the middle of the atoll cannot be reached from the open ocean.
History of Tenarunga
The first time someone officially saw Tenarunga was during a Spanish journey. This journey was led by a Portuguese explorer named Pedro Fernández de Quirós. He saw the island on February 5, 1606. He called it Las Cuatro Coronadas, meaning "the four crowned" islands, likely because of the coconut trees. However, his notes about this sighting were not very clear.
The first clear visit to the island happened on March 14, 1828. An explorer and collector named Hugh Cuming visited on his ship, The Discoverer. The ship's captain was Samuel Grimwood.
Later, in 1833, the explorer Thomas Ebrill visited Tenarunga on his trading ship, Amphitrite. Another visit happened in 1837 by Lord Edward Russell. He was the leader of the H.M.S. Actaeon ship. The group of islands was later named the Acteon Group after his ship.
Plants and Animals of Tenarunga
Tenarunga is home to several rare types of plants and animals. One special bird found here is the Tuamotu sandpiper.
In 2015, a special project helped get rid of rats from the island. This was done to protect the native wildlife and help the island's ecosystem stay healthy.
See also
- Matureivavao
- Tenararo
- Vahanga
- Acteon Group
- Desert island
- List of islands
