&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:Nwmarqpic.png) Northwestern Marquesas Islands. Motu One and its lagoon are the pale blue oval shape in the upper right. Image courtesy of Johnson Space Center. | |
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:Pacific_Ocean_laea_location_map.svg)  Motu One Location of Motu One in the Pacific Ocean | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | South Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 7°51′S 140°23′W / 7.85°S 140.38°W |
| Archipelago | Marquesas Islands |
| Area | 0.03 km2 (0.012 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Overseas country | French Polynesia |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 (2002) |
| Pop. density | 0/km2 (0/sq mi) |
Motu One (Marquesan for "Sand Island"; French: Îlot de Sable) is the name of a small sandbank with no vegetation, located on the western edge of a coral reef; the only atoll in the Marquesas Islands.
The reef is approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) in diameter, and the islet has a surface area of less than one hectare, rising only a few feet above sea level and changing shape regularly as the action of the currents deposits and removes sand.[1] Motu One is the northernmost of the Marquesas Islands, located about 30 kilometres (19 mi) northeast of Eiao and 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northeast of Hatutu. It is a calcareous coral reef on a volcanic plug - the only island in the group not made of exposed volcanic material.[1]
Motu One is administratively part of the commune (municipality) of Nuku-Hiva, itself in the administrative subdivision of the Marquesas.
- ^ a b "Status of Coral Reefs in French Polynesia" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2011-11-29.