Nukutavake

Nukutavake
NASA picture of Nukutavake
Nukutavake is located in French Polynesia
Nukutavake
Nukutavake
Geography
LocationPacific Ocean
Coordinates19°16′S 138°46′W / 19.267°S 138.767°W / -19.267; -138.767
ArchipelagoTuamotus
Area5.5 km2 (2.1 sq mi)
Length5 km (3.1 mi)[1]
Width1.3 km (0.81 mi)
Administration
France
Overseas collectivityFrench Polynesia
Administrative subdivisionÎles Tuamotu-Gambier
CommuneNukutavake
Largest settlementTavananui
Demographics
Population119[2] (2022)
Nukutavake
Location of Nukutavake
Map
Coordinates: 19°17′11″S 138°47′49″W / 19.2863°S 138.797°W / -19.2863; -138.797
CountryFrance
Overseas collectivityFrench Polynesia
SubdivisionÎles Tuamotu-Gambier
Area
1
13 km2 (5 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)[2]
287
 • Density22/km2 (57/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−10:00
INSEE/Postal code
Elevation0 m (0 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Nukutavake or Nukutuvake is an island in the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. It lies 1125 km from Tahiti. The closest land is small Pinaki Atoll, located 15 km to the southeast. Vairaatea Atoll lies 38 km to the west of Nukutavake.[3]

Nukutavake's length is 5 km and its width between 0.45 km and 1.3 km. Nukutuvake is not a typical Tuamotu atoll, but a single island. It was formed when its lagoon filled up with silt, in a similar manner as Fuvahmulah in the Maldives, which has a similar size and shape. There are shallow remains of the lagoon filled with marshy vegetation. The higher ground has many coconut palms.

Nukutavake has 119 inhabitants (2022 census);[2] Tavananui is the largest town. Many islanders have left the island in recent years, mainly to Tahiti, in search for work. There are a number of abandoned houses on the island. The people who remain live primarily on fish and copra production. There is a cyclone shelter on Nukutavake.

  1. ^ "L'atoll de Nukutuvake" (in French). Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "Les résultats du recensement de la population 2022 de Polynésie française" [Results of the 2022 population census of French Polynesia] (PDF) (in French). Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. January 2023.
  3. ^ "Nukutuvake". Oceandots.com. Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 18 July 2014.