Tahiti

Tahiti (; ; ) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is a tropical island located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean. Tahiti is composed of two roughly circular land masses joined by an isthmus: Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Iti. Both are the eroded remnants of now-extinct shield volcanoes. The terrain of Tahiti is mostly high and mountainous, with the beaches and coral reefs that surround the island supporting tourism and fishing industries.

Tahiti's population was 189,517 in 2017, making it by far the most populous island in French Polynesia and accounting for 68.7% of the collectivity's total population; the 2022 Census recorded a population of 191,779. Tahiti is the economic, cultural, and political centre of French Polynesia. The capital of French Polynesia, Papeete, is located on the northwest coast of Tahiti. The only international airport in the region, Faaā International Airport, is on Tahiti near Papeete.

Tahiti was originally settled by Polynesians between . Those of Polynesian heritage still represent about 70% of the island's population, with the rest made up of people of European, Chinese, and mixed heritage. The island was part of the Kingdom of Tahiti until its annexation by France in 1880, when it was proclaimed a colony of France, and the inhabitants became French citizens. French is the sole official language, although the Tahitian language (Reo Tahiti) is also widely spoken.

Nomenclature

Tahiti was called Otaheite in earlier European documents, which is a rendering of the Tahitian phrase , and is typically pronounced . When early Europeans asked the name of the island, the reply was "'o Tahiti", meaning "it is Tahiti".

Geography, climate and vegetation

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Tahiti is the highest and largest island in French Polynesia, and is close to Moorea island. It is located south of Hawaii, from Chile, from Australia.

The northwestern portion is known as Tahiti Nui ("big Tahiti"), while the much smaller southeastern portion is known as Tahiti Iti ("small Tahiti") or Taiarapū. Tahiti Nui is heavily populated along the coast, especially around the capital, Papeete. Tahiti Iti has remained isolated, as its southeastern half (Te Pari) is accessible only to those traveling by boat or on foot. The rest of the island is encircled by a main road which cuts between the mountains and the sea. Tahiti's landscape features lush rainforests and many rivers and waterfalls, including the Papenoo on the north side and the Fautaua Falls near Papeete.

Geology

Tahiti consists of two overlapping, heavily eroded and now extinct shield volcanoes: Tahiti Nui (the bigger, northwestern part) and Tahiti Iti (the smaller, southeastern part). These volcanoes were active between 0.25 and 1.67 million years ago are associated with the same hotspot which is the source of the other Society Islands.

Climate

November to April is the wet season; the wettest month is January, with of rain in Papeete. August is the driest with .

History

Early settling of Tahiti

The first Tahitians arrived from Western Polynesia into the Society Islands sometime after ; some studies have proposed slightly later dates, . Linguistic, biological and archaeological evidence supports a long migration from Southeast Asia via the Fijian, Samoan and Tongan Archipelagos using outrigger canoes that were up to twenty or thirty metres long and could transport families as well as domestic animals.

Civilization before the arrival of the Europeans

thumb|View of Raiātea Mountain. The [[mummy|mummies of Tahitian rulers were formerly deposited on this mountain, which is considered sacred (tapu).]]

Before the arrival of the Europeans, the island was divided into territories, each dominated by a single clan. The most important clans were the closely related Teva i Uta (Teva of the Interior) and the Teva i Tai (Teva of the Sea) whose combined territory extended from the peninsula in the south of Tahiti Nui.

thumb|left|An 1827 representation of [[Human sacrifice#Pacific|human sacrifice in Tahiti, based on the account of Captain Cook c.1773]]

Clan leadership consisted of a chief (arii rahi), nobles (arii), and under-chiefs (Īatoai). The arii were also the religious leaders, revered for the mana (spiritual power) they inherited as descendants of the gods. As symbols of their power, they wore belts of red feathers. Nonetheless, to exercise their political power, councils or general assemblies composed of the arii and the Īatoai had to be called, especially in case of war.

First European visits

thumb|upright=1.3|The meeting between [[Samuel Wallis|Wallis and Oberea]]

The first European to arrive at Tahiti may have been the Spanish explorer Juan Fernández during his 1576–1577 expedition. Alternatively, Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, serving the Spanish Crown in an expedition to Terra Australis, was perhaps the first European to see Tahiti. He sighted an inhabited island on 10 February 1606. However, it has been suggested that he actually saw the island of Rekareka to the southeast of Tahiti. Hence, although the Spanish and Portuguese made contact with nearby islands, they may not have arrived at Tahiti.

The next stage of European visits to the region came during the period of intense Anglo-French rivalry that filled the twelve years between the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. The first of these visits, and perhaps the first European visit to Tahiti, was under the command of Captain Samuel Wallis. While circumnavigating the globe in , they sighted the island on 18 June 1767. Then they harbored in Matavai Bay between the chiefdom Pare-Arue (governed by Tu (Tu-nui-e-aa-i-te-Atua) and his regent Tutaha) and the chiefdom Haapape, governed by Amo and his wife "Oberea" (Purea). The initially friendly encounter turned tense as islanders grew suspicious and sought control of the Dolphin, leading to a week of skirmishes that culminated in violence, but to avert all-out war after a British show of force, Oberea laid down peace offerings the expedition of Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, aboard and on the first French circumnavigation, sighted Tahiti. On 5 April, they anchored off Hitiaa O Te Ra and were welcomed by its chief Reti. Tutaha also visited Bougainville. Bougainville stayed about ten days.

By 12 April 1769, Captain James Cook had arrived in Tahiti's Matavai Bay on a scientific mission with astronomy, botany, and artistic details. Cook also met many island chiefs.

The Viceroy of Peru, Manuel de Amat y Juniet, under order of the Spanish Crown, organized an expedition to colonize the island in 1772. He would ultimately send three expeditions aboard the ship Aguila, the first two under the command of navigator Domingo de Bonechea. Four Tahitians, Pautu, Tipitipia, Heiao, and Tetuanui, accompanied Bonechea back to Peru in early 1773 after the first Aguila expedition. During the first decade of the 19th century, the Tahitian population dropped from 16,000 to 8,000–9,000; the French census in 1854 counted a population just under 6,000.

Arrival of the missionaries

On 5 March 1797, representatives of the London Missionary Society landed at Matavai Bay (Mahina) on board Duff, with the intention of converting the pagan native populations to Christianity. The arrival of these missionaries marked a turning point for the island of Tahiti, with a lasting impact on local culture.

The first years proved hard work for the missionaries, despite their association with Pōmare, whose importance they were aware of thanks to the reports of earlier sailors. In 1803, upon the death of Pōmare I, his son Vairaatoa succeeded him and took the title of Pōmare II. He increasingly aligned himself with the missionaries, and from 1803, they taught him to read and the Gospels. Furthermore, the missionaries encouraged his wish to conquer his opponents, so that they would have to deal with only a single political contact, enabling them to spread Christianity across a unified country. the chief of the powerful clan of Teva.

When Pōmare II died on 7 December 1821, his son, Pōmare III, was only eighteen months old. His uncle and the religious people therefore supported the regency, until 2 May 1824, the date on which the missionaries conducted his coronation, a ceremony unprecedented in Tahiti. Taking advantage of the weakness of the Pōmare, local chiefs won back some of their power and took the hereditary title of Tavana (from the English word "governor"). The missionaries also took advantage of the situation to change the way power was structured and to make the Tahitian monarchy more closely resemble the English model of a constitutional monarchy. They therefore created the Tahitian Legislative Assembly, which first sat on 23 February 1824.

In 1827, the young Pōmare III suddenly died, and it was his half-sister, Aimata, aged thirteen, who took the title of Pōmare IV. The Birmingham-born missionary George Pritchard, who was the acting British consul, became her main adviser and sought to interest her in the kingdom's affairs. Still, the authority of the queen, who was certainly less charismatic than her father, was challenged by the chiefs, who had won back an important part of their prerogatives since the death of Pōmare II. The power of the Pōmare had become more symbolic than real; time and time again, Queen Pōmare, Protestant and anglophile, sought in vain the protection of England.

thumb|left|Queen [[Pōmare IV, 1813–1877]]

In Sept. 1839, the island was visited by the United States Exploring Expedition. One of its members, Alfred Thomas Agate, produced several sketches of Tahitian life, some of which were later published in the United States.

French protectorate and the end of the Pōmare kingdom

thumb|right|Queen Pomare and her family on the verandah of Mr.Pritchard's house, during the French Invasion of Tahiti

In 1836, the queen's advisor, Pritchard, had two French Catholic priests expelled: François Caret and Honoré Laval. As a result, in 1838, France sent Admiral Abel Aubert du Petit-Thouars to obtain reparations. Once his mission had been completed, Admiral Du Petit-Thouars sailed towards the Marquesas Islands, which he annexed in 1842. Also in 1842, tensions involving Morocco escalated between France and Great Britain, souring their relations. In August 1842, Admiral Du Petit-Thouars returned and landed in Tahiti. He then made friends with Tahitian chiefs who were hostile to the Pōmare family and favourable to a French protectorate. He had them sign a request for protection in the absence of their queen, then approached her and obliged her to ratify the terms of the protectorate treaty. The treaty had not even been ratified by France itself when Jacques-Antoine Moerenhout was named royal commissaire alongside Queen Pōmare.

Within the framework of this treaty, France recognised the sovereignty of the Tahitian state. The queen was responsible for internal affairs, while France would handle foreign relations, defend Tahiti, and maintain order on the island. Once the treaty was signed, a struggle for influence began between English Protestants and French Catholic representatives. During the first years of the Protectorate, the Protestants managed to retain a considerable hold over Tahitian society, thanks to their knowledge of the country and its language. George Pritchard had been away at the time. He returned, however, to work towards indoctrinating the locals against the Roman Catholic French.

Tahitian War of Independence (1844–47)

In 1843, the queen's Protestant advisor, Pritchard, persuaded her to display the Tahitian flag in place of the flag of the Protectorate. By way of reprisal, Admiral Dupetit-Thouars announced the annexation of the Kingdom of Pōmare on 6 November 1843 and set up the governor Armand Joseph Bruat there as the chief of the new colony. He threw Pritchard into prison and later sent him back to Britain. The annexation led to the queen's exile to the Leeward Islands, and after a period of troubles, a real Franco-Tahitian war began in March 1844. News of Tahiti reached Europe in early 1844. The French statesman François Guizot, supported by King Louis-Philippe of France, had denounced the annexation of the island.

The war ended in December 1846 in favour of the French. The queen returned from exile in 1847 and agreed to sign a new covenant, considerably reducing her powers, while increasing those of the commissaire. Thus, the French reigned over the Kingdom of Tahiti. In 1863, they put an end to the British influence and replaced the British Protestant Missions with the Société des missions évangéliques de Paris (Society of Evangelical Missions of Paris).

Later 19th century

During the same period, about a thousand Chinese, mainly Cantonese, were recruited at the request of a plantation owner in Tahiti, William Stewart, to work on the great cotton plantation at Atimaono. When the enterprise went bankrupt in 1873, some Chinese workers returned to their country, but many stayed in Tahiti and integrated into the local population.

In 1866, the district councils were formed and elected, and given the powers of the traditional hereditary chiefs. In the context of republican assimilation, these councils sought to protect the traditional way of life of local people, which was threatened by European influence.

thumb|upright|Tahitian children, c.1906

In 1877, Queen Pōmare died after ruling for fifty years. Her son, Pōmare V, then succeeded her on the throne. The new king seemed little concerned with the affairs of the kingdom, and when, in 1880, the governor Henri Isidore Chessé, supported by the Tahitian chiefs, urged him to abdicate in favor of France, he accepted. On 29 June 1880, he ceded Tahiti to France along with the islands that were its dependencies. He was given the titular position of Officer of the Orders of the Legion of Honour and Agricultural Merit of France. Having become a colony, Tahiti thus lost all sovereignty. Tahiti was nevertheless a special colony, since all the subjects of the Kingdom of Pōmare would be given French citizenship. On 14 July 1881, among cries of "Vive la République!" the crowds celebrated the fact that Polynesia now belonged to France; this was the first celebration of the Tiurai (national and popular festival). In 1890, Papeete became a commune of the Republic of France.

The French painter Paul Gauguin lived on Tahiti in the 1890s and painted many Tahitian subjects. Papeari has a small Gauguin museum.

In 1891, Matthew Turner, an American shipbuilder from San Francisco who had been seeking a fast passage between the city and Tahiti, built , a two-masted schooner that made the trip in seventeen days.

Twentieth century to present

In 1903, the Établissements Français d'Océanie (French Establishments in Oceania) were created, which brought together Tahiti, the other Society Islands, the Austral Islands, the Marquesas Islands, and the Tuamotu Archipelago.

thumb|A one-franc [[World War II banknote (1943), printed in Papeete, depicting the outline of Tahiti on reverse]]

During the First World War, the Papeete region of the island was attacked by two German warships. A French gunboat as well as a captured German freighter were sunk in the harbour and the two German armoured cruisers bombarded the colony.

After the capitulation of France and establishment of the Vichy government, French citizens in Tahiti overwhelmingly voted for allegiance to the Free France of general de Gaulle in a unofficial referendum of 24 August 1940, thus choosing the Allies side in World War II.

In 1946, Tahiti and the whole of French Polynesia became an overseas territory (Territoire d'outre-mer). Tahitians were granted French citizenship, a right that had been campaigned for by nationalist leader Pouvanaa a Oopa for many years.

Faaʻa International Airport was opened on Tahiti in 1960.

Between 1966 and 1996, the French Government conducted 193 surface and underwater nuclear bomb tests at the atolls of Moruroa and Fangataufa. The last test was conducted on 27 January 1996.

On 17 July 1974, the French did a nuclear test over Mururoa Atoll, codenamed . Still, the atomic cloud and fallout did not take the direction planned. 42 hours later, the cloud reached Tahiti and the surrounding islands. As many as 111,000 people were affected. Reports showed that some people on Tahiti were exposed to 500 times the maximum allowed level for plutonium.

In 2003, French Polynesia's status was changed to that of an overseas collectivity (collectivité d'outre-mer), and in 2004 it was declared an overseas country (pays d'outre-mer or POM).

In 2009, Tauatomo Mairau claimed the Tahitian throne and attempted to reassert the monarchy's status in court.

Politics and laws

thumb|upright=0.6|Flag of French Polynesia

thumb|upright=1.8|Political map of Oceania, showing [[Exclusive economic zone|EEZ borders]]

Tahiti is part of French Polynesia. French Polynesia is a semi-autonomous territory of France with its own assembly, president, budget, and laws. France's influence is limited to subsidies, education, and security.

Tahitians are French citizens with complete civil and political rights under France's constitution and other laws. French is the official language, but Tahitian and French are both in use. However, during the 1960s and 1970s, children were forbidden to speak Tahitian in schools. Tahitian is now taught in schools, and it is sometimes even a requirement for employment.

During a press conference on 26 June 2006, during the second France-Oceania Summit, French president Jacques Chirac said he did not think the majority of Tahitians wanted independence. He would keep the door open to a future referendum.

Elections for the Assembly of French Polynesia, the Territorial Assembly of French Polynesia, were held on 23 May 2004. In a surprise result, Oscar Temaru's pro-independence progressive coalition, Union for Democracy, formed a government with a one-seat majority in the 57-seat parliament, defeating the conservative party, Tāhōeraa Huiraatira, led by Gaston Flosse. On 8 October 2004, Flosse succeeded in passing a censure motion against the government, provoking a crisis. Flosse was removed from office in 2004 but was subsequently re-elected in 2008 after a period of political instability. His main rival, Oscar Temaru, served as the president of French Polynesia during multiple terms: 2004-2005, 2006-2008, and 2009-2013. He led the left-wing pro-independence party, Union for Democracy (UPLD). Temaru focused on greater autonomy for French Polynesia and called for independence.

Demographics

The indigenous Tahitians are of Polynesian ancestry and make up 70% of the population alongside Europeans, East Asians (mostly Chinese), and people of mixed heritage, sometimes referred to as Demis.

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The places of birth of the 189,517 residents of the island of Tahiti at the 2017 census were the following:

75.4% were born in Tahiti (up from 71.5% at the 2007 census)
9.3% in Metropolitan France (down from 10.9% in 2007)
5.9% elsewhere in the Society Islands (down from 6.4% in 2007)
2.8% in the Tuamotu-Gambier (down from 3.3% in 2007)
1.8% in the Marquesas Islands (down from 2.0% in 2007)
1.6% in the Austral Islands (down from 2.0% in 2007)
1.3% in the overseas departments and territories of France other than French Polynesia (1.0% in New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna; 0.3% in the other overseas departments and collectivities) (down from 1.6% in 2007)
0.5% in East and Southeast Asia (same percentage as in 2007)
0.3% in North Africa (most of them Pieds-Noirs) (down from 0.4% in 2007)
1.1% in other foreign countries (down from 1.5% in 2007)

Most people from metropolitan France live in Papeete and its suburbs, notably Punaauia, where they made up 16.8% of the population at the 2017 census, and Arue, where they made up 15.9%; these percentages do not include their children born in French Polynesia. to 200,000 || style="text-align:center"| 16,000

Administrative divisions

The island consists of 12 communes, which, along with Moorea-Maiao, make up the Windward Islands administrative subdivision.

The capital is Papeetē. The largest commune by population is Faaā, with Taiarapu-Est having the largest geographical area.

Communes of Tahiti

The following is a list of communes and their subdivisions sorted alphabetically:

{|class="wikitable sortable"

! Commune !! Population 2022 Census !! Area !! Density 2022 Census!!class="unsortable" | Subdivisions (with 2022 pop'n)!!class="unsortable" | Notes

| Arue ||10,322|| || |||| Tetiaroa, an atoll north of Arue, belongs to the commune.

| Faaā ||29,826|| || |||| Largest commune (by population) in Tahiti and French Polynesia.

| Hitiaa O Te Ra||10,196|| || ||Hitiaa (2,102), Mahaena (1,219), Papenoo (3,900), Tiarei (2,975)|| The administrative centre of the commune is the settlement of Hitiaa.

| Māhina ||14,623|| || |||| Close to the Papenoo River.

| Pāea ||12,756|| || ||||

| Paparā ||11,743|| || ||||

| Papeetē ||26,654|| || |||| Capital of French Polynesia and 3rd largest commune.

| Pīrae ||14,068|| || |||| Located between Papeete and Arue.

| Punaauia ||28,781|| || |||| French painter Paul Gauguin lived in Punaauia in the 1890s. Punaauia is the 2nd largest commune in French Polynesia.

| Taiarapu-Est ||13,602|| || ||Afaahiti (6,829), Faaone (2,170), Pueu (2,076), Tautira (2,527)|| Extends over northern half of the peninsula of Tahiti Iti. An offshore volcanic island called Mehetia belongs to the commune.

| Taiarapu-Ouest ||8,371|| || ||Teahupoo (1,455), Toahotu (3,925), Vairao (2,991)|| Extends over southern half of the peninsula of Tahiti Iti.

| Teva I Uta ||10,837|| || ||Mataiea (5,391), Papeari (5,446)|| The administrative centre of the commune is the settlement of Mataiea.

Economy

Tourism is a significant industry, generating 17% of GDP before the COVID-19 pandemic.

thumb|Southern suburbs of Papeete (commune of [[Punaauia)]]

The main trading partners are Metropolitan France for about 40% of imports and about 25% of exports. The other main trading partners are China, the US, South Korea, and New Zealand.

Tahitian pearl (Black pearl) farming is also a substantial source of revenue, with most pearls exported to Japan, Europe, and the United States. Tahiti also exports vanilla, fruits, flowers, monoi, fish, copra oil, and noni. Tahiti is also home to a single winery, whose vineyards are located on the Rangiroa atoll.

Unemployment affects about 15% of the active population, especially women and unqualified young people.

Tahiti's currency, the French Pacific Franc (CFP, also known as XPF), is pegged to the euro at 1 CFP=EUR .0084 (1 EUR=119.48 CFP, approx. 113 CFP to the United States dollar in November 2024). Hotels and financial institutions offer exchange services.

Sales tax in Tahiti is called Taxe sur la valeur ajoutée (TVA or value added tax (VAT) in English). VAT in 2009 was 10% on tourist services, and 6% on hotels, small boarding houses, food, and beverages. VAT on the purchase of goods and products is 16%.

Energy and electricity

French Polynesia imports its petroleum and has no local refinery or production capabilities. Daily consumption of imported oil products was 7,430 barrels in 2012 and 6,100 barrels per day in 2022, according to the US Energy Information Administration. The utility EDT operates hydroelectric plants, solar plants, and a 10 MWh battery to reduce oil demand.

Culture

thumb|upright|Tahitian woman in festive costume, c.1906

As mentioned in the records of Captain Cook's visits, breadfruit is a staple crop. One main way of preparing it is documented in Joseph Banks' diaries: after it is very ripe, breadfruit can be buried in leaf-lined pits with weights placed on top of it, to allow it to ferment into a sour paste known as mahie.

Art

Tahitian cultures included an oral tradition that involved the mythology of gods, such as Oro and beliefs, as well as ancient traditions such as tattooing and navigation. The annual Heivā I Tahiti Festival in July is a celebration of traditional culture, dance, music, and sports, including a long-distance race between the islands of French Polynesia, in modern outrigger canoes (vaa).

The Paul Gauguin Museum is dedicated to the life and works of French artist Paul Gauguin (1848–1903) who resided in Tahiti for years and painted such works as Two Tahitian Women, Tahitian Women on the Beach, and Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?

The Musée de Tahiti et des Îles (Museum of Tahiti and the Islands) is in Punaauia. It is an ethnographic museum founded in 1974 to conserve and restore Polynesian artifacts and cultural practices.

The Robert Wan Pearl Museum is the world's only museum dedicated to pearls. The Papeete Market sells local arts and crafts.

Dance

thumb|Tahitians wearing the [[pareo wrap-around garment and practising a upaupa dance]]

right|thumb|Traditional Tahitian "Ute" or song performed by Tefanake, Reia, and Moratai, recorded in 1950

One of the most widely recognised images of the islands is the world-famous Tahitian dance. The ōtea (sometimes written as otea) is a traditional dance from Tahiti, where the dancers, standing in several rows, execute figures. This dance, easily recognized by its fast hip shaking and grass skirts, is often confused with the Hawaiian hula, a generally slower, more graceful dance that emphasizes the hands and storytelling over the hips.

The ōtea is one of the few Tahitian men's dances that existed before European contact. On the other hand, the hura (Tahitian vernacular for hula), a dance for women, has disappeared, and the couples' dance upaupa is likewise gone but may have re-emerged as the tamure. Nowadays, the ōtea can be danced by men (ōtea tāne), by women (ōtea vahine), or by both genders (ōtea āmui, "united ō"). This dance is accompanied only by instruments, particularly drums; there is no singing. The drum is one of the types of the tōere, a wooden log with a longitudinal slit that is struck with one or two sticks. Or it can be the pahu, the ancient Tahitian standing drum covered with sharkskin and struck with the hands or sticks. The rhythm from the tōere is fast; from the pahu it is slower. A smaller drum, the faatete, can also be used.

The dancers make gestures that re-enact daily occupations of life. For men, themes can include warfare or sailing, and they may use spears or paddles during these dances.

For women, the themes are closer to home or from nature: combing their hair or the flight of a butterfly, for example. More elaborate themes can be chosen, for example, one where the dancers end up portraying a map of Tahiti, highlighting important places. In a proper ōtea, the whole dance should be one story on a single theme.

The group dance called aparima is often performed with the dancers dressed in pareo and maro. There are two types of aparima: the aparima hīmene (sung handdance) and the aparima vāvā (silent handdance), the latter of which is accompanied by instruments without any singing.

Newer dances include the hivinau and the pāʻōʻā.

Death

thumb|W. Woolett engraving after [[William Hodges of a toupapow, or funeral bier, and Chief Mourner, from Cook's 2nd voyage to Tahiti]]

thumb|upright|Tahitian Parae, or Chief Mourner costume, on display in the [[Bishop Museum]]

The Tahitians believed in the afterlife, a paradise called Rohutu-noanoa. When a Tahitian died, the corpse was wrapped in barkcloth and placed on a funeral bier, fare tupapa u, which was a raised canoe awning on posts surrounded by bamboo. Food for the gods was placed nearby to prevent them from eating the body, which would condemn the spirit to the underworld. Mourners would slash themselves with a shark's teeth and smear the blood on barkcloth placed nearby. Most importantly, the chief mourner donned the parae, an elaborate costume that included an iridescent mask made of four polished pearl shell discs. One disk was black, signifying Po, the spirit world, while one was white, signifying Ao, the world of people. A crown of red feathers signified Oro. A curved wooden board, pautu, below the mask contained five polished pearl shells, which signified Hina, the moon goddess. Hanging below were more shells in rows, ahu-parau, representing the Pleiades, believed to be the eyes of former chiefs. Finally, a ceremonial garment, tiputa, covered the body and was decorated with an apron of polished coconut shells, ahu-aipu.

The Men's Shortboard gold medal was won by Tahitian Kauli Vaast.

Film

Tahiti is depicted in the biography of Paul Gauguin in the 2017 French film Gauguin: Voyage to Tahiti portraying his life during his years on Tahiti.

Also linked to Tahiti are the various films narrating the story of the 1789 mutiny on HMS Bounty – e.g. Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) with actor Marlon Brando, The Bounty (1984) with Mel Gibson.

A more recent movie is the 2022 thriller film, Pacifiction, related to French nuclear testing in the area.

Education

Tahiti is home to the University of French Polynesia (Université de la Polynésie Française). It is a growing university, with 3,200 students and 62 researchers. Courses are available in law, commerce, science, and literature. There are also high schools, including the Catholic Collège La Mennais located in Papeete.

Notable people

Aline Amaru (born 1941), textile artist
Mauatua (c.1764–1841), tapa weaver
Titaua Peu (born 1975), novelist
Farahia Teuiria (born 1972), footballer
Kauli Vaast (born 2002), Olympic Surfer
Pascal Vahirua (born 1966), French footballer
Marama Vahirua (born 1980), French-Tahitian footballer

Transport

Air

thumb|Tahitian coast

Faaā International Airport is located from Papeete in the commune of Faaā and is the only international airport in French Polynesia. Because of the limited terrain, rather than leveling large stretches of sloping agricultural land, the airport is built primarily on reclaimed land reclaimed from the coral reef just offshore.

International destinations such as Auckland, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Paris, San Francisco, Sydney and Tokyo are served by Air France, Air New Zealand, Air Tahiti Nui French Polynesia's flag carrier, Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, and French Bee.

Flights within French Polynesia and to New Caledonia are available from Aircalin and Air Tahiti; Air Tahiti has its headquarters at the airport.

Ferry

The Moorea Ferry operates from Papeete and takes about 45 minutes to travel to Moorea. Other ferries are the Aremiti 5 and the Aremiti 7, which sail to Moorea in about half an hour. Several ferries transport people and goods throughout the islands. The Bora Bora cruiseline sails to Bora Bora about once a week. The main hub for these ferries is the Papeete Wharf.

Roads

Tahiti has a freeway that runs across its west coast, starting in Arue and continuing across the Papeete urban area. From there, it continues along the west coast of Tahiti Nui through smaller villages and turns east toward Taravao, where Tahiti Nui meets Tahiti Iti. The freeway transitions into a thin paved road at Teahupoo.

Emergency

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Tahiti watches out for emergency signals and coordinates search and rescue in a certain world area.

References

Bibliography

External links

Tahitian Heritage in French with Google Translation available