- Katiu
Katiu, or Taungataki, is an atoll of the central Tuamotu Archipelago in
French Polynesia . It is located 23.5 km west ofMakemo Atoll's westernmost point.Katiu Atoll is roughly oval in shape. It measures 27 km in length with a maximum width of 12.5 km. Its total area, including the lagoon is 235 km². There are many narrow islands on the northeastern side of its long reef with a total land area of about 3 km². Its lagoon is connected to the ocean.
Katiu has a population of 262 inhabitants. The main occupations are tourism, copra harvesting and pearl diving in the lagoon. The most important village is called Toini; it is located on one of the long islands of the norteastern reef.
History
The first recorded European to arrive to Katiu was Russian oceanic explorer
Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen in1820 on ships "Vostok" and "Mirni". He named this atoll "Osten-Saken" or "Saken".There is a territorial (domestic) airfield in Katiu which was inaugurated in 2001.
Administration
Katiu belongs to the commune of Makemo, which consists of the atolls of Makemo,
Haraiki ,Marutea Nord ,Katiu ,Tuanake ,Hiti ,Tepoto Sud ,Raroia ,Takume ,Taenga andNihiru .References
* [http://www.oceandots.com/pacific/tuamotu/katiu.htm]
* [http://www.traveljournals.net/explore/french_polynesia/map/m1895994/katiu.html ]
* [http://www.flightstats.com/go/Airport/airportDetails.do?airportCode=KXU Katiu airport]
* [http://www.ispf.pf/(por03y454ezlojnnqcmo3245)/stat/demo/rp2007/pdfs/poplegales_commass2007.pdf Population figures]
* [http://www.janesoceania.com/oceania_triplett/index.htm]
* [http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document/Volume_8_1899/Volume_8,_No._4,_December_1899/Names_of_the_Paumotu_Islands,_by_J.L._Young,_p_264-268?action=null Atoll names]
* [http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-BucExpl-t1-body-d19-d2-d7.html Bellingshausen]External links
* [http://www.pacific-image.pf/pages/boutic/dboutic_cdrom_sp132.html Atoll list (in French)]
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