Islands of French Polynesia. Polynesia French

French Polynesia is known throughout the world as one of the most exotic regions in the Pacific Ocean. This is a huge water area that includes 118 islands of different scale and local color. The territory is the property of France, a country that earned the status of “colonial ruler” several centuries ago. For a leading European power, this overseas land is a real tasty morsel - very profitable and promising. Every year the number of people wishing to plunge into the atmosphere of picturesque nature, the amazing underwater wealth of the ocean and an amazing holiday on the most fashionable beaches is increasing.

Islands where harmony lives

Five archipelagos - Societies, Tuamotu, Marquesas Islands, Tubuai, Gambier - make up the islands of French Polynesia. Located in the southern region of the Pacific Ocean, they occupy a total area of ​​about 4 thousand square meters. km. A distinctive feature of this region is the contrast of the local landscape. The islands are impressive not only Cote d'Azur, sandy beaches, but also thick tropical forests.

These 2.5 million square kilometers of total area can be compared to the territory of the European Union. But a particle of solid soil in Polynesia will surprise you with its small size. The land here occupies a little more than 4 thousand square meters. kilometers. If you add up all the islands, you get something like the island of Mallorca. But it is not its size that catches you in this corner of paradise, but its intangible beauty and amazing uniqueness of nature. As for the population, the island of Tahiti is considered the most inhabited. It also leads in the number of tourists flying to the island every year.

The Polynesian islands form groups characterized by certain features.

• Society Islands. This group includes the so-called Windward and Leeward Islands. This group of islands is inhabited by greatest number people throughout French Polynesia. There are high mountain slopes covered with dense tropical forests. The local beauty is emphasized by coral reefs. The most famous island of this group is Bora Bora.

• Tuamotu Islands. In some sources they received the romantic name “Strand of Tahitian Pearls”. The area received this name due to its large-scale black pearl resources. It is also home to one of the largest coral atolls in Polynesia. The primary name of the Tuamotu stands for “distant islands.”

• Marquesas Islands. 15 islands, strewn with mountain slopes, are located on the equator. Of all the lands, only 6 are inhabited. It is interesting that the system of islands is called “mysterious”. Most likely, this is due to the unusual nature that creates an unusual, unique world.

• Gambier Islands. These islands are closely adjacent to the Tuamot, but are still considered separate due to differences in culture and language. The unique lifestyle and landscapes truly allow Gambier to be a world unto itself.

• Austral Islands. If you are tired of society and want to be alone, this place is the ideal point of arrival. These islands are sparsely populated. Many of them do not know human traces at all.

French Polynesia: interesting facts

Unusual territory, exotic nature and unique animal world made the islands of French Polynesia filled with various mysteries and sacraments. A lot of interesting facts attract the attention of not only tourists, but also lovers of everything unusual, unique, inimitable. For example, have you ever guessed that:

• You won't find snakes on the Polynesian islands. This applies not only to poisonous representatives, but to the entire class of creeping creatures;
  Polynesia is considered the birthplace of tattoos;
• The stars are considered the best compass here. The local population developed their own system of navigation by the stars, with the help of which ancient sailors reached the required islands using maps on the night sky;
• Taaha Island can easily be called vanilla, because a huge amount of this delicate, aromatic plant grows here.
• Moorea Island is the footprint of a dinosaur. What would you think if you saw it from a bird's eye view?

• The local population knows what it means to seize the moment and not rush things. Dinner for a typical Polynesian family will take 3 hours. This is what it means to enjoy a meal and feel every note of the prepared delicacy.

There are many such interesting facts hidden on the islands. Everyone who returns from this paradise, can name amazing things that will be remembered for a lifetime. It could be an unusual fish with a bright color, an exotic fruit with an inexplicable taste, or a different sunset of the tired sun every evening. There is some kind of good magic and an amazing fairy tale on the islands of French Polynesia.

Moscow tour operator AS-travel received the Travel.ru Star award in the category The best travel agency operating in Russia across Oceania(including French Polynesia) according to the results of an all-Russian vote among tourists held in 2011.

All you have to do is say: “ Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora..."- and a turquoise lagoon framed by coconut palms will open before your eyes, and the mysterious smiles of Tahitian girls from the paintings will flash Paul Gauguin. Open Polynesia, its hospitality, culture, flowers, scents, songs and dances, white and sandy beaches, Tahitian friendliness and French " art de vivre"(the art of enjoying life), aquatic species sports and amazing mountain excursions! You are transported from island to island, like in a fairy tale from one wonderland to another. These are the colors of paradise landscapes and the sweet smell of tropical flowers, these are unforgettable adventures on the other side of the Earth.

Geographical location of the Tahiti Islands

French polynesia- part of Polynesia proper, which, in turn, is part of the global region of Oceania. Possessions France in the eastern part Pacific Ocean make up 118 luxurious islands. The islands are united into 5 archipelagos: Societies, Tuamotu, Marquesas Islands, Tubuai, Gambier.

IN archipelago of the Society the most famous islands: Tahiti, Moorea, Raiatea, Tahaa, Huahine.

Tiare ( Tiare) – the name of a plant whose flowers are considered a symbol French Polynesia. According to the legend of local residents, the tiare is a sacred flower, loved by the gods. Captain Cook and captain Bly The aborigines also encountered tiares. Jack London wore a tiara crown. AND Paul Gauguin, And Somerset Maugham, And Pierce Brosnan, And Jack Nicholson. This is not surprising: all tourists wear tiaras with delight. It's surprising that despite this, residents still wear them Tahiti. When you see this, you understand: they don’t lead you by the nose, they don’t put exotic things on your ears, they really share life with you. And tourists are put garlands of tiaras around their necks right at the airport. To each! Tiare Tahiti, Tahitian gardenia, - main flower Polynesia. Obviously: you are already in heaven.

From 5 to 8 December on Tahiti a holiday is taking place that has already become traditional. It is based on the women's movement Tahiti, which originated back in 1962. The first flower festival was timed to coincide with the opening of the first nurseries in the country. Since 1985 feminists Tahiti They hold the Tiare festival every year. Today it is a kind of floristry competition in which both amateurs and professionals take part. Competitions are held in two categories – small composition and large. In the second category, the area of ​​the flower garden must be at least 50 square meters! Naturally, an indispensable condition for the competition is the use of the Tiare flower in the compositions. Recently, the festival has attracted the attention of foreign companies specializing in floristry and local travel agencies. The latter is due to the fact that the flower festival invariably attracts tourists, many of whom claim that they have never witnessed such a colorful and cheerful holiday before.

It is interesting that Tahitian men usually wear a bud behind their ear, while women wear an open flower. A bud is something brutal, a flower is feminine and delicate. If a pregnant Tahitian woman sees herself plucking a tiare flower from a bush in a dream, it means that she will give birth to a girl. And if it’s a bud, then, on the contrary, it’s a boy. And if, not in a dream, but in reality, a man walks around the city with a blooming flower behind his ear, this leads to corresponding thoughts. So, in order to avoid any kind of ambiguity, check at what stage of opening the tiara with which you decide to decorate your ear is. A tiara can also tell you something about your temperament and marital status. If, for example, you wear it behind your right ear, it means you are alone and ready for adventure. If you are on the left, you are married or engaged, and any coquetry is inappropriate. And if you have a flower behind both ears, it means you are married and despite this, you are ready for any adventure. Finally, a tiara flower in the hair of a young girl hints to all interested parties that this girl has matured. And if she is pretty, then it’s better not to hesitate, but to start by asking her some international stupidity. For example: “Girl, what time is it?”

By the way, until the missionaries introduced the aborigines to the dial and hands, they recognized the time by the flowers of the tiara: the buds open between twelve and two o'clock in the afternoon. And more exact time there was no need for them yet.

Population of Tahiti

In French Polynesia Home to about 270 thousand people. Ethnic composition very diverse - Polynesians make up up to 78% of the population, ethnic French - 10% (6% live here permanently, and 4% permanently live in the metropolis and come to the islands to work), as well as Chinese and people from other countries South-East Asia- up to 12%. The population is mainly very young - up to 43% of local residents are under 20 years of age.

Features of French Polynesia

Time: the difference with Moscow is minus 13 hours in winter and minus 14 hours in summer. When on Tahiti Sunday noon at Moscow Monday 01:00 in winter and 02:00 in summer.

Cloth: IN Polynesia local residents and tourists dress simply. Bring beach and summer cotton clothing. For sea ​​travel On the ship, clothes made of linen and wool are suitable, as it can be cool in the evening.

Languages: French and Tahitian are the official languages. English is also widely spoken.

Currency: The official currency is the Pacific Franc (CFP): 1 Euro ~ 150 CFP. Currency can be exchanged at the airport, at a bank or in hotels. Credit cards can be used in hotels, restaurants, shops and other tourist establishments.

Transport: The main way to travel between islands is by plane. Local airline Air Tahiti connects regular flights 35 islands. There are airports on all the main islands. Between Tahiti And Moorea It is convenient to travel on large passenger catamarans and boats. You can also sail from one island to another on a high-speed catamaran.

Telephone: international telephone communications exists on all islands. From a hotel room, 1 minute of conversation with Russia costs an average of 8 euros.

Safety: To enter the country, you do not need to do any vaccinations. The healthcare system is at a high European level. There are no poisonous animals or insects in Polynesia. Tap water in hotels and restaurants is safe to drink.

Car rent: from 55 to 100 euros depending on the class of car.

Banks: open from 7:45 to 15:30 from Monday to Friday, some are also open on Saturday mornings. US dollars and euros are accepted almost everywhere.

Shopping: Shops are open Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 11:30 and from 14:00 to 17:00, Saturday from 8:30 to 11:30.

Present: Monoi body butter, shell crafts, fruit liqueurs, black pearls.

Jpg" width="192" height="138" border="0" align="LEFT" style="margin-right:1em; alt=">Nowhere in the world are there such large, such black and such perfect pearls as in Tahiti and its islands. They are incredibly beautiful. And incredibly expensive. Tourists are taken to Pearl Farms - pearl plantations, they explain in detail why even a small round pea costs about $200, how to avoid running into fake pearls and how to store real ones so that your great-great-granddaughter can flaunt them in two hundred years.In short, the point is this: only here, in the lagoons off the islands of French Polynesia, do people live unique oysters called Margarita, whose inside body is black, and not milky gray-white. It is not suitable for food or snacks with wine, but it does an excellent job of giving an ordinary white pearl a shade that car manufacturers call “wet asphalt color” The Japanese, of course, tried to breed such oysters in their own country, as did the Australians, but it didn’t work out: it turned out that these Margaritas are terrible patriots, and they don’t live in other seas.

Just 50 years ago, black pearls grew randomly in lagoons. That is, it could grow, or it could not, depending on whether the wave carried a lucky grain of sand into the oyster, which was destined to become a treasure. But then one wise Chinese named Robert Wang arrived in Tahiti and put this matter on stream: they began to carefully place a white mother-of-pearl core into each suitable Margarita, observe its transformations, provide it with unhindered access to the black body... And so on for 6 -8 years. Of course, this is manual, painstaking and hard work. Of course, at first it seemed to Robert Wang that the carefree Polynesians could not cope with it. Of course, he made sure that his compatriots, who were much more diligent, tinkered with the oysters. And of course, he became fabulously rich. Now this process is led by his son, Bruno Wang. In Papeete, the capital of Tahiti, there is a Black Pearl Museum where Bruno can sometimes be found. He wears moccasins on bare feet and gives no indication that he is a multi-billionaire.

Tips: are not part of Polynesian culture. Smile or pleasant words will give more pleasure than leaving a coin.

Customs formalities: Duty-free transportation of 2 liters of alcoholic beverages and 200 cigarettes is allowed.

Required telephone numbers:

• Tahiti Tourist Office: 505-700
• Bora Bora Tourist Office: 677-636, 677-031, 677-236
• Moorea Tourist Office: 562-909
• Hua Hin Island Tourism Office: 688-634
• Single emergency phone number: 15 or 423-456
• Police: 17

Sights of French Polynesia

Flights to French Polynesia

1. airline flight Air France, on the route Moscow - Paris - Los Angeles - Tahiti (Papeete) takes more than a day (required American visa)
2. airline flight Aeroflot" or " JAL"(Japan Airlines) + connecting flight Tokyo - Tahiti airlines" Air Tahiti Nui"with a possible overnight stay in Tokyo on arrival or departure (a Japanese transit visa is not required for a stay of up to 72 hours).

Visa information

The visa is issued at the French embassy, ​​at the Department of Overseas Territories of France. The regular French Schengen visa is not valid.

Consular fee - 45 euros. The minimum processing time is 15 days.

Photo galleries

• Hotel Bora Bora Lagoon Resort & Spa (French Polynesia)
• Hotel Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa (French Polynesia)
• Hotel InterContinental Le Moana Beach Bora Bora (French Polynesia)
• InterContinental Resort & Spa Moorea (French Polynesia)
• InterContinental Resort and Thalasso Spa Hotel, Bora Bora (French Polynesia)

French Polynesia - heavenly overseas territories sophisticated metropolis. The exotic nature here is complemented by European chic: a holiday on the islands is great hotels and the best diving in the world. Tahiti, Bora Bora and Tuamotu - all about French Polynesia: photos, tours and prices.

• Last minute tours to French Polynesia

French Polynesia is 118 islands, very different in relief and nature, offering wealthy travelers from overseas beach holiday VIP categories. And French Polynesia is an almost complete collection of advertising cliches from tourist brochures. "Endless snow-white beaches? In stock. “Crystal clear coastal waters?” But of course! “Motley schools of tropical fish?” Where would we be without them, dear ones? “Lush tropical greenery?” Well, you understand.

The coolest thing is that all of the above is pure truth. Of course, there are some drawbacks, which include hefty prices for tours, as well as long-distance connecting flights, which can turn into a trip in itself.

Main resorts of French Polynesia

Time difference from Moscow

− 12 hours

• with Kaliningrad

• with Samara

• with Yekaterinburg

• with Omsk

• with Krasnoyarsk

• with Irkutsk

• with Yakutsk

• with Vladivostok

• from Severo-Kurilsk

• with Kamchatka

French Polynesia is 118 islands, very different in relief and nature, offering VIP beach holidays to wealthy travelers from overseas.

How to get there

The most popular, shortest and also visa-free option (but more expensive than flights of other airlines) is the Moscow - Tokyo flight of Aeroflot or JAL (on Mondays) plus a connecting flight of Air Tahiti Nui Tokyo - Tahiti (3 times a week ) with an overnight stay in Tokyo. A Japanese visa is not required if you stay in the country for up to 72 hours.

Less popular (due to the need to obtain an American visa), but relatively inexpensive flight with Air France Moscow - Paris - Los Angeles - Tahiti (Papeete). On the way back there will be a stopover for at least one night in Paris (it is inevitable when Air flight France, if desired, the period of stay in Paris can be extended), so you will also need a French transit visa. Flight time is more than a day. Flights operate three times a week.

Delta Airlines flight Moscow - New York plus connecting flight Air Tahiti Nui New York - Tahiti: an American visa is also required. Duration: 24-26 hours excluding connections.

Tourists, crazed from a long flight, will be greeted at the arrival airport with fragrant tiara flowers twisted into necklaces.

Search for flights to French Polynesia

Visa to French Polynesia

Previous photo 1/ 1 Next photo

The end of the world... No other place on the planet deserves such a definition more than French polynesia. Located 4,000 kilometers from the nearest mainland, these 118 islands are in apparent isolation and reliably protected from mass tourism.

However, we have a whole website to talk about tourism. And in this article let's talk about how it works French polynesia geographically, geologically, socially, administratively and economically. To be honest, we know very little about this part of the planet.

French Polynesia: geographical information

French polynesia extraordinarily beautiful. This is a land where the amazing forms of tropical mountain landscapes gently flow into the vastness of the sea and the purity of the sky. This is a single complex in which nothing, not a single small detail, is discordant with the others.

Its size (taking into account the water surface, of course) French polynesia comparable to the EU. It’s just that significantly fewer residents live here permanently - only about 260,000 residents.

Each island of French Polynesia belongs to one of five archipelagos:

• Marquesas Islands - 14 islands;
• Society Islands - 14 islands;
• Tuamotu Islands - 69 islands;
• Tubuai Islands - 7 islands;
• Gambier Islands - 14 islands.

In total, there are 118 islands in French Polynesia, as we noted earlier, and 67 of them are inhabited. The total land area of ​​these islands is 3660 km². Water surface - 507 km². Sea area - 4.8 million km²

The very name - Polynesia— translated from Greek means “many islands.” It may be simple and not particularly creative, but it accurately conveys the essence.

French Polynesia: geographical map

Here is a detailed static map of the archipelagos of French Polynesia. To view the zoomable satellite map follow this link:

French Polynesia: natural resources

Timber harvesting for domestic consumption and cobalt mining are carried out on the islands. The abundance of fish in coastal waters contributes to successful fishing. Ditto natural resources French Polynesia should be credited with the possibility of generating electricity (hydropower).

Forests cover just over 30% of the islands, and for the needs Agriculture About 12% of the area can be used one way or another. This is arable land and pastures, mainly.

French Polynesia: geology

As you would expect, the islands of French Polynesia are either volcanic or coral in origin. Thus, most of the islands of the Society Islands, Tubuai, and Gambier archipelago are volcanic. But the Tuamotu archipelago is formed by seven dozen coral atolls, which are present to a lesser extent in other archipelagos.

Volcanic islands have a mountainous topography, as expected, with a hill (a former volcanic crater) in the center. Many islands, like Bora Bora, are at that stage of geological formation when the crater is almost destroyed and flooded. Although the silhouette of the former caldera can still be discerned in the outlines of the mountainous terrain.

A characteristic feature of coral islands is that they rise above the ocean surface by only a few meters. While the highest point in French Polynesia is considered to be the top of Mount Orohena (2241 meters).

French Polynesia: soils and hydrology

The coral islands are covered with amazing white sand, which is absolutely not suitable for anything except for the development of tourism. Volcanic islands have volcanic soil, which allows banana and coconut plantations to grow here.

On more or less large islands of volcanic origin there are rivers, and on Tahiti and Huahine even lakes. On the coral islands this is very bad, that is, there are no rivers or lakes.

French Polynesia: flora and fauna

The fauna of the land part of French Polynesia is poor and, as a result of long-term isolation, endemic. There are absolutely no large mammals here. There is some diversity among reptiles, such as many species of lizards. Seabirds are also present in some numbers. In general, the animal world could be called poor, but the motley variety of inhabitants of the underwater world helps out. These guys are at arm's length here in the lagoons everywhere.

As for the flora of the land part, it is as endemic as the fauna. There is a sharp difference in vegetation between coral islands and volcanic ones. So, if volcanic forests are covered with dense tropical vegetation, where plantations of fruit trees abound, then for coral islands small thickets of unpretentious coconut palms are already a luxury, although they do occur.

French Polynesia: population

According to the census, the population of French Polynesia in 2012 was 268 thousand people. Of which, about 78% are ethnic Polynesians, 12% are Chinese, 6% are descendants of mixed marriages of Polynesians and French from the metropolis, and 4% are actually these French themselves. About 95% of the population said they can speak, read and write French fluently, although only 70% speak it at home in the family circle. 29% speak Thai and various local dialects at home.

98% of the country's population is literate.

54% of the population consider themselves Protestants of various denominations, 30% Catholics, 10% other religions, and 6% completely atheists.

The population has a solid increase of about 1.4% per year, but recently there has been a noticeable increase in the number of people wishing to immigrate to France or New Caledonia, where the standard of living is somewhat higher. The next wave of immigration is caused by unemployment doubling in 5 years from 11 to 22%.

The population gravitates towards larger settlements such as the capital Papeete, resulting in the area being unevenly populated.

Some household statistics:

• 90.3% of homeowners have running water in their household;
• 95.7% - electricity;
• 17.5% - sewerage;
• 93.6% - toilet in the home;
• 92.8% - shower in home;
• 91.0% - refrigerator;
• 91.4% - dishwasher;
• 18.9% - at least one room with air conditioning;
• 57.2% - at least one computer;
• 42.7% - access to the Internet;
• 89.9% - mobile communications;
• 77.1% - at least 1 car; (but on Tuamotu - 38.5%)
• 12.4% - at least 1 boat (but on Tuamotu - 32%).

Folk crafts in Bora Bora include weaving hats and baskets.

French Polynesia: administrative and political structure

French polynesia administratively divided into 5 administrative districts, which in turn consist of 48 communes. Administrative districts:

• Windward Islands;
• Leeward Islands;
• Tuamotu-Gambier;
• Marquesas Islands;
• Tubuai Islands.

Citizens of the territory are full citizens of France. Throughout French Polynesia, the laws of France prevail.

French Polynesia is governed by a High Commissioner appointed by the President of France. The executive branch is the Council of Ministers of the territory. The local parliament is called the territory assembly. Residents of the islands also elect one French senator and two parliamentarians.

French Polynesia: economy

Tourism is the main economic sector, contributing about a quarter of French Polynesia's GDP. In general, 68% of the working population is one way or another employed in the service sector and, for the most part, in tourism.

About 13% is involved in agriculture. In French Polynesia, vegetables, vanilla, coconuts, bananas, and coffee are grown. They are engaged in breeding meat and dairy cattle and raising chickens. Chickens, by the way, enjoy eating crumbled bananas...

The territory's industry focuses on processing agricultural products. Stream production of souvenirs has been established. Industry employs 19% of the total working population.

The following items are exported: vanilla, coconuts, shark meat and souvenirs.

Imported to French Polynesia: machinery, equipment, fuel, industrial goods and food.

The difference between imports and exports is negative, so if goods worth $200 million are exported, then $1.7 billion worth of goods are imported. The difference, as they say, is obvious. The dependence on the metropolis is colossal, which is emphasized by regular subsidies to the island economy.

French Polynesia: education

All children in French Polynesia receive compulsory and free primary education. Then they can study in 18 secondary schools and vocational schools. The best go to study at:

• Lyceum Paul Gauguin;
• Higher technical school.

It is also worth noting the French Pacific University, which opened its doors not so long ago - in 1987.

French Polynesia: culture

In many ways, Aboriginal culture has been superseded by European and American culture. If in the Tuamotu and in remote parts of French Polynesia you can still find national round huts covered with palm leaves, then in large settlements residents have long preferred European dwellings. National clothes completely out of fashion, they wear strictly European clothes.

The surroundings, of course, are preserved for tourists (25% of GDP after all), but Europeanization is gaining momentum every year. Is it good or bad? The question is philosophical. Rather, it is inevitable.

In no other place on our planet are there such beautiful, black and perfect-looking pearls as on the islands of French Polynesia. And this is not surprising: it is black pearls that are the first flashes of light, presented by the Creator to Tanya, the ruler of the ten highest levels of the holy Heavens.

Tane made stars out of them and presented them to Ruahata, the lord of the ocean, so that he would illuminate his possessions with them. And then the unique light ended up in the hands of Oro, the god of war, who, having fallen in love with a princess from the island of Bora Bora, decided to give her something beautiful - and created a pearl, enclosing it in a beautiful shell. And when he went down the rainbow, the light of its darkest tones fell directly on the unique case, and the milky-white oyster in it became completely black.

Thus, the most beautiful pearl of our world was created, and the oyster Margarita settled in the warm waters of the Polynesian islands and has been living here for several millennia (and she liked the local habitat so much that she would never agree to live anywhere else).

The name “Polynesia” is translated from Greek as “many islands,” and the modern name was established at the end of the 19th century, when the French Republic took the islands under its protectorate.

Thus, at the moment, French Polynesia is an overseas community of France, i.e. has broader rights when compared with ordinary departments of this state. It has customs and fiscal autonomy, a separate security system and its own government, which can independently sign international treaties.

Despite the fact that it officially belongs to France, it is not part of the EU and is not automatically included in the international treaties that the French Republic signs.

Where are the Polynesian islands

If you look closely at the world map, you will notice that the islands of French Polynesia are located in Pacific Ocean, between Australia (5.2 thousand km to the west) and South America(6 thousand km in an easterly direction). It consists of five archipelagos, total area which exceed 4 thousand km² on land and 2.5 million km² on water, and they unite about one hundred and eighteen islands:

• Societies - in the west;
• Tuamo - in the center;
• Marquesas - in the north;
• Tubuai - in the south;
• Gambier is in the east.

Due to the strong remoteness from the continent, despite the fact that the Polynesian islands are extremely beautiful, there are few endemic animals here: there are almost no mammals, only lizards, insects and birds.

How the islands were formed

Almost all the islands of French Polynesia appeared approximately 50-60 million years ago and, despite the fact that most of them are of volcanic origin, there are also many coral islands, they are easy to distinguish by appearance.

Coral islands (primarily this applies to the Tuamotu archipelago) have an oval, round shape or resemble semirings. They rise only a few meters above the sea, the lagoons are surrounded by coral reefs, and the land consists mainly of sandy plains covered with thickets of coconut palms.

At the same time, the Polynesian islands, which are of volcanic origin, are characterized by the presence of a volcano and mountainous terrain (the most high point French Polynesia is Mount Orohena located in Tahiti, whose height is 2241 m), dense tropical vegetation, a huge number of palm and coconut trees and the presence of valleys, forests, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, lagoons.

Geologists have recently discovered that these volcanoes are moving. Together with tectonic plates, they shift several centimeters in a northwestern direction every year. Many of them go under water - so geologists put forward the assumption that in a few million years the islands of volcanic origin will disappear completely and only atolls will remain, which, on the contrary, are increasing their area every year (both in height and in length).

Population

Seventy-eight percent of the local population is Polynesian (78%). They began to settle here in the first century AD. Scientists have suggested that, most likely, these were settlers from Samoa (if you look at the map, it is located 3.5 thousand km to the west, closer to Australia). First, the aborigines settled the Marquesas Islands, then the Communities.

Despite the considerable distance from the continent, the population of the French community exceeds 28 thousand people. The Society Islands are considered the most populated archipelago (about 87% of the population lives here), and the main city of Polynesia, Papeete, is home to more than 26 thousand people (this is 7.5% of the total population). Local residents prefer to settle near the coast, and almost no one lives in the mountains.

Climate

Despite the fact that local residents are convinced that there are two seasons here - warm (from November to May) and cool (from June to October), in fact, the difference between them is noticeable only in the south.

The Polynesian islands are located mainly in the tropical zone, and only the Marquesas are in the subequatorial zone. So it is not surprising that the weather here is almost always good (the average annual temperature is approximately +26°C), the sun shines brightly, and there is little precipitation (however, tropical hurricanes and powerful storms are not uncommon here, and in January quite a few -destructive cyclones).

Thanks to such magnificent weather, plants on the Polynesian islands bloom throughout the year, and during the cool season, flowering reaches its maximum size.

The most famous islands of Polynesia

The largest island of French Polynesia, Tahiti, the island of lovers, Moorea and Bora Bora, with magnificent resorts where the most famous people planets are considered the most famous islands in the world.

Tahiti

Magnificent nature - waterfalls, rivers, streams, dense forests, Mountain peaks, meadows with tropical flowers, magnificent beaches, coral reefs that separate the lagoon from the ocean - the volcanic island of Tahiti is rightfully considered one of the most famous islands world (if you look at the map, it is located in the east of the Society archipelago).

Today, it has the highest standard of living throughout Oceania. Since Tahiti has an area of ​​1 thousand km², it is the largest island of French Polynesia. Here on the northwestern coast is The largest city French community and its political and administrative center - Papeete.

Moorea Island

The heart-shaped island of amazing beauty attracts the attention of newlyweds from all over the planet - and those who can afford it come here to get married (especially since Moorea wedding ceremonies here are extremely beautiful and interesting).

Since local marriage documents are written on the bark of a palm tree, they do not have legal force, so before visiting Moorea it is better to take this into account and get married in advance in your country (or later, as it turns out).

If you look at the Society's map, you will notice that Moorea is located 17 km from Tahiti in a northwest direction. This island is not very large - its width is 10 km, and its amazing shape is given by two small bays in the north, which are symmetrically located in relation to each other.

They appeared, as geologists explain, as a result natural disaster: Moorea used to be much larger, but after the volcano located in the northern part of the island collapsed during a powerful eruption, half of Moorea went under water. And the rim of the crater that remained on the surface was eroded, forming jagged peaks and spiers that gave the island an interesting shape. Despite its small size, there are eight mountains on the island.

Moorea will be interesting to visit not only for lovers, divers or those who like to relax among magnificent nature, but also for historians and cultural experts: here are the ruins of the ancient Polynesian temple - Marae Titioroa, and also located Cultural Center where you can see what it looked like local village while the island was discovered by Europeans (1521).

A visit to the reconstructed village of Moorea will be quite educational, as here the center workers will demonstrate to tourists:

• the art of tattooing by the ancient inhabitants of Moorea;
• will show how tapa fabric is made;
• will introduce you to wood and stone carving;
• will demonstrate how the people of Moorea prepared their own food;
• will conduct a master class on making musical instruments;
• They will teach you how to weave wreaths from tiares - this flower has long become a symbol of French Polynesia.

Bora Bora

Celebrities like to relax on the island of Bora Bora (on the map it is located in the northwest of Tahiti, at a distance of 240 km) - here are the most comfortable, luxurious, and therefore the most expensive hotels in French Polynesia. If you wish, you can stay here in bungalows located over the water.

The island itself is a mountain range with three peaks that were formed in the crater long ago extinct volcano. Bora Bora consists of several islands - one central one and motu (small coral islands).

The main attraction of Bora Bora is a lagoon surrounded by coral reefs with extremely rich underwater world: in its center there is an open aquarium (lagunarium), behind the glass of which you can see barracuda, huge stingrays and even sharks, which tourists are allowed to feed under the strict supervision of an instructor.