L'Île-des-Pins

French commune|nomcommune=L'Île-des-Pins
caption=Baie de Saint-Joseph in L'Île-des-Pins.


province=South Province
map_size=300px
adjustable_

mapcaption=Location of the commune (in red) within New Caledonia
lat_long=
insee=98809
cp=98832
maire=Hilarion Vendegou
|mandat=
longitude=167.5|latitude=-22.62
alt moy=20 m|alt mini=0 m|alt maxi=262 m
km²= 152.3
sans=1,840
date-sans=2004 census
ethnic=Kanaks 93.9%
Europeans 4.9%
Polynesians 0.7%
Other 0.5%|date-ethnic=1996 census
dens=12.1|date-dens=2004 census|

L'Île-des-Pins is a commune in the South Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. L'Île-des-Pins is made up of the Isle of Pines, the smaller Kôtomo Island, and several islets around these two. The Isle of Pines and adjacent islands are located to the south of New Caledonia's mainland. The settlement of Vao, on the Isle of Pines, is the administrative centre of the commune of L'Île-des-Pins.

L'Île-des-Pins is one of the main tourist attractions in New Caledonia. The Isle of Pines itself is nicknamed "l'île la plus proche du paradis" ("the closest island to Paradise"). L'Île-des-Pins can be reached by boat or plane from Nouméa, the capital of New Caledonia. It is renowned for the intense blue colors of its waters and for the ancient pine tree groves spread throughout the Isle of Pines and the neighboring islands.

After the Paris Commune (1871), about 2,800 Parisian insurgents were deported to L'Île-des-Pins, a part of whose territory was turned into a penal settlement where the convicts lived for several years.

In 2005 L'Île-des-Pins gained national attention when season 5 of French reality show Les Aventuriers de Koh-Lanta ("The Adventurers of Koh Lanta"), the French version of Survivor, was set on several small islands off the Isle of Pines.

External links

* [http://www.ulivewhere.com/islands/isleofpines/isleofpinesdownload.html Audio interview (in English) with Isle of Pines resident available at ULiveWhere.com]
* [http://www.janeresture.com/newcal/pines.htm Jane's Isle of Pines Page]
* [http://www.air-caledonie.nc/fr/iledespins_gd.htm Map of L'Île-des-Pins]