Rakahanga

Rakahanga, part of the Cook Islands in the central-southern Pacific Ocean, is one of the most unspoiled places on earth. The atoll is 1,248 kilometres from the Cook Islands capital, Rarotonga and lies 1111 kilometres from the equator. Its nearest neighbour is Manihiki which is just 44 kilometres away.

There are two main islands and seven motus or islets in the Rakahanga lagoon. On the east these are: Akaro, Motu Ngangie, Huananui, Motu Mahuta and Motu Okakara; while on the southwest side the islet of Te Kainga guards the widest passage in to the lagoon. The only village, Rakahanga, seat of Rakahanga Island Council, is located on the northwest side of the southern islet. A newer, official source lists five villages [http://datasearch.uts.edu.au/site_manager_sites/clg/pdfs/CookIslandGovtBill2007.pdf] , which may be just be the lineages living in in the same village [http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-CroLan-c6-1.html] :
#Purapoto
#Niteiri
#Numahanga
#Teruakiore
#Matara (main settlement)

The island is just over 4 square kilometres in size and is so low lying that it is in serious danger from rising seas caused by global warming.

History

It is believed that Ferdinand Magellan discovered the island in 1521, but this cannot be substantiated by historians who have researched the Island's history. One of the last great Spanish voyages of exploration, under the command of Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, came upon the island on 2 March 1606. He noted in a record of the voyage: "The land is divided among many owners, and is planted with certain roots, which must form their bread. All the rest is a large and thick palm grove which is the chief sustenance of the natives. Some 500 inhabitants were seen assembled on the beach". A Franciscan friar on the voyage was so stuck with admiration that he called it the island of beautiful people ("gente hermosa"). De Quiros described the inhabitants as "the most beautiful white and elegant people that were met during the voyage".

Russian oceanic explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen visited Rakahanga on August 8, 1820 on ships "Vostok" and "Mirni". He took its coordinates, and charted its position with accuracy; he named this atoll "Grand Duke Alexander Island", after Grand Duke Alexander Nikolaievich who would later become tsar Alexander II. According to Bellingshausen: "The inhabitants (of Rakahanga) came out in canoes and challenged us to fight by throwing stones and spears at the ship."

Commander A. C. Clarke of HMS Espiegle declared Rakahanga a British protectorate on 9 August 1889. It was included in New Zealand's boundaries in 1901.

The island was claimed under the Guano Islands Act for the United States, a claim which was ceded in a treaty between the US and New Zealand in 1980.

Lifestyle

Huge coconut crabs are abundant in the lagoon, and fishing is good on the outer reef. Large sea turtles abound there too. Each January, a tuna fishing contest takes place and boats return with 200 or more fish a day.

Vegetation is extensive, large breadfruit trees line village paths and coconut palms and pandanus trees thrive. Women weave fine rito hats, mats and baskets from the pandanus leaf fibres.

Access to the island is very difficult, other than by boat from Manihiki and the very occasional inter-island boat.

The native tongue is the Rakahanga-Manihiki language.

References

* [http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-BucExpl-t1-body-d19-d2-d7.html Bellingshausen]

External links

* [http://www.cookislands.org.uk/rakahanga.html Pictures and information about Rakahanga]