Rimatara

Rimatara is the westernmost inhabited island in the Austral Islands of French Polynesia. It is located 550 km (340 mi) south of Tahiti and 150 km (93 mi) west of Rurutu. The land area of Rimatara is 8.6 km2 (3.3 sq mi), and that of the Maria islets is 1.3 km2 (0.50 sq mi).[2] Its highest point is 106 m (348 ft).[2] Its population was 872 at the 2017 census.[1]

Rimatara
NASA picture of Rimatara Island
Rimatara
Geography
LocationPacific Ocean
Coordinates22°39′0″S 152°49′12″W
ArchipelagoAustrales
Area8.6 km2 (3.3 sq mi)
Highest elevation106 m (348 ft)
Highest pointMount Uahu
Administration
France
Overseas collectivityFrench Polynesia
Administrative subdivisionAustrales
CommuneRimatara
Largest settlementAmaru
Demographics
Population872[1] (2017)
Pop. density101/km2 (262/sq mi)

Rimatara is a circular volcanic plateau surrounded by a reef with a height of 8 to 10 meters (26 to 32 feet). The main villages are Amaru (the capital), Anapoto and Mutuaura.

Rimatara was one of the last Polynesian islands to receive European visitors. Captain Samuel Pinder Henry discovered the island in 1811. Two Tahitian missionaries from Bora Bora arrived in 1822 and established a Protestant mission. France established a protectorate in 1889[3] and annexed Rimatara in 1901.[4][5]

Notable people

Administration
Rimatara
Commune
Flag
Location of Rimatara
Coordinates: 22°39′S 152°49′W
CountryFrance
Overseas collectivityFrench Polynesia
SubdivisionAustral Islands
Government
 • MayorGeorges Hatitio
Area
1
9.9 km2 (3.8 sq mi)
Population
 (2017)
872
 • Density88/km2 (230/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−10:00
INSEE/Postal code
98743 /98752
Elevation0–106 m (0–348 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The commune of Rimatara consists of the island of Rimatara, and the uninhabited Maria Islets (Îlots Maria). Rimatara consists of the following associated communes:

References
  1. Répartition de la population en Polynésie française en 2017, Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française
  2. Environnement marin des îles Australes, p. 205
  3. Annuaire des établissements français de l'Océanie pour 1892. Imp. du gouvenement. 1892. pp. 112.
  4. Ch Mourey, Louis Brunel, ed. (1902). "Annexion de l'île Rurutu et dépendances". L'Année Coloniale. 3. C. Tallandier. p. 232.
  5. Great Britain, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, ed. (1904). British and Foreign State Papers, Volume 94. Harrison and Sons, London. pp. 1304–1305.



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