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The Marquesas Islands is a group of islands in French Polynesia. They were named by Álvaro de Mendaña who reached them in 1595. In French they are known as the Îles Marquises.
With a combined land area of 1,050 km² (405 sq. miles), the Marquesas are among the largest island groups of French Polynesia and were formerly a major center of east Polynesian civilization.
The population of the Marquesas Islands at the 2002 census was 8,712 inhabitants.
The Marquesas lie between 400 and 600 miles (600 and 1,000 km) south of the equator and approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 km) northeast of Tahiti. They fall naturally into two geographical divisions: the northern group, consisting of Eïao, Hatutu, Motu One, and the islands centered around the large island of Nuku Hiva: Motu Iti, Ua Pou, Motu `Oa and Ua Huka, and the southern group of Fatu Utu, Tahuata, Moho Tani and Fatu Hiva, clustered around the main island of Hiva Oa.
Famous French painter Paul Gauguin and Belgian singer Jacques Brel spent the last years of their lives in the Marquesas, and are buried there. Brel composed a famous song, Les Marquises, about the Marquesas Islands, his last home.
The Marquesas provided inspiration to American novelist Herman Melville, whose experiences in the Marquesas formed the bases for the novels Typee and Omoo.
Thor Heyerdahl wrote his book Fatu Hiva during a year-long stay on that island.
The island group is also mentioned in passing in the Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young) song, Southern Cross.
The Marquesas Islands temporarily received an international spotlight in the United States when the reality TV show Survivor: Marquesas was filmed there. It was the fourth installment of the TV series Survivor.
Islands of the Marquesas
Northern Marquesas Eiao Hatutu Motu One Motu Iti Nuku Hiva Ua Pu Motu `Oa Ua Huka
Southern Marquesas Fatu Huku Hiva `Oa Tahuata Moho Tani Fatu Hiva
History of the Marquesas See related article: History of the Marquesas Islands
Language of the Marquesas See related article: Marquesan Language(s)
Demographics of the Marquesas See related article: Marquesan Demographics
Culture of the Marquesas See related article: Marquesas culture
Geography of the Marquesas See related article: Marquesas geography
Geology of the Marquesas See related article: Marquesas geology
Biology of the Marquesas See related articles: Marquesas zoology, Marquesas botany
See also
External links - Finding French Polynesia (http://www.southpacific.org/text/finding_tahiti.html)
- Dorillon's Marquesan Dictionary (http://jacbayle.club.fr/livres/Nouveau/Dordillon.html)
- Encarta Map (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/mapcenter/map.aspx?refid=701514510)
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