Marquesas Islands
Te Fenua ‘Enata/Te Henua Kenana

Detail
National motto: Mau‘u‘u ha‘e iti
Official languages	French, Tahitian
Political status	Dependent territory, administrative division of French Polynesia
Capital	Tai o Hae
Largest City	Tai o Hae
Area	1,274 km² ( 492 sq. mi.)
Population  - Total (2002)  - Density Image File history File links Flag info Flag of the Marquesas Islands. ... While this flag has not officially been adopted, it was first raised on December 14, 1980, upon the opening of the airport on Nuku Hiva, and has been regularly used since 1994. ... A motto is a phrase or collection of words intended to describe the motivation or intention of a sociological grouping or organization. ... An official language is a language that is given a unique status in the constitutions of countries, states, and other territories. ... Tahitian, a Tahitic language, is the official language of French Polynesia and is spoken throughout Oceania. ... As far as Political status is concerned, three categories are usually recognized in international law: independent countries e. ... Dependent areas are territories that for some reason do not enjoy full independence or sovereignty as states. ... In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Located at the head of a wide bay of the same name, on the south side of Nuku Hiva, Tai o Hae is the principal town of Nuku Hiva, as well as the capital of the Marquesas Islands. ... CITY Is A network of 5 Television Stations owned By CHUM Limited They Include CITY 57 Toronto CKVU 10 Edmonton 51 Calgary 5 Winnipeg 13 on December 1 CHUM Perchased the Fomer A-Channels Stations in Alberta and Manitoba Under the Banner of CITY-TV Everywhere. Broadcasting for the first... Located at the head of a wide bay of the same name, on the south side of Nuku Hiva, Tai o Hae is the principal town of Nuku Hiva, as well as the capital of the Marquesas Islands. ... This article explains the meaning of area as a physical quantity. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 1,000 km² and 10,000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Density (symbol: ρ - Greek: rho) is a measure of mass per unit of volume. ...	8,712 6.84/km²
Currency	CFP franc
Time zone	UTC -9.5
Internet TLD	.pf
Calling Code	689

The Marquesas Islands are a group of islands in French Polynesia. In French they are known as the Îles Marquises, and in Marquesan they are known variously as Te Henua (K)enana (North Marquesan) and Te Fenua `Enata (South Marquesan), which means "The Land of Men". (See also: Names of the Marquesas Islands.) The CFP franc (in French: franc Pacifique or franc CFP ; CFP stood for Colonies françaises du Pacifique (i. ... Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... UTC also stands for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, the basis for civil time, differs by an integral number of seconds from atomic time and a fractional number of seconds from UT1. ... A top-level domain (TLD) is the last part of an Internet domain name. ... .pf is the Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD) for French Polynesia. ... // At a glance In depth Zone 1 – North American Numbering Plan Area nanpa. ... Marquesan is a collection of East-Central Polynesian dialects, of the Marquesic group, spoken in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia. ... North Marquesan is the Marquesic, East Central Polynesian language spoken in the northern Marquesas Islands. ... South Marquesan is the Marquesic, East Central Polynsian language spoken in the southern Marquesas Islands, as well as on Ua Huka in the northern Marquesas. ... The Marquesas Islands were the first of the island groups discovered by European explorers in the Pacific. ...

Islands of the Marquesas

Map of the Marquesas Islands (modified from a screenshot of a map from MSMaps)

Marquesas Islands map, greatly modified from an original created using MSMaps Related Articles French Polynesia Marquesas Islands This is a screenshot of copyrighted computer software. ... Marquesas Islands map, greatly modified from an original created using MSMaps Related Articles French Polynesia Marquesas Islands This is a screenshot of copyrighted computer software. ...

Northern Marquesas

• Eiao
• Hatutu
• Motu Iti
• Motu `Oa
• Motu One
• Nuku Hiva
• Ua Huka
• Ua Pu

Eïao is the largest of the extreme northwestern Marquesas Islands. ... Hatutu (also called Hatuta‘a) is a small island approximately 3 km (2 mi. ... Motu Iti (sometimes also called Hatu Iti) is one of the northern Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. ... Motu ‘Oa (Long Rock) is a small island, 1 km (.6 mi. ... Motu One (Marquesan for Sand Island, in French the islands are called Îlots du Sable) is the name of two small sandy islands on the western edge of a coral reef. ... Nuku Hiva is the largest of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. ... Ua Pu (also known as Ua Pou) is the third largest of the Marquesas Islands, located about 50 km (30 mi. ...

Southern Marquesas

• Fatu Hiva
• Fatu Huku
• Hiva `Oa
• Moho Tani
• Motu Nao
• Tahuata
• Terihi

Fatu Hiva is one of the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. ... Fatu Huku is a small island in the Marquesas Islands, nearly halfway between Hiva ‘Oa and Nuku Hiva. ... Hiva `Oa is the second largest island in the Marquesas Islands, and the largest island of the southern group. ... Moho Tani (sometimes also called Motane) is a small island southeast of Hiva ‘Oa in the southern Marquesas Islands. ... Motu Nao is the Marquesan name for a small rock island in the southeastern Marquesas Islands, approximately 22 km (14 miles) northeast of Fatu Hiva. ... Map of Tahuata (modified from a screenshot of a map from MSMaps) Tahuata is the smallest of the inhabited Marquesas Islands. ... Terihi is a small, uninhabited, rocky island in the Marquesas Islands, approximately 1 km (.5 mi. ...

Seamounts in the Marquesas

There are also a number of seamounts or shoals, mostly located in the area of the northern Marquesas. Among these are: A seamount is a mountain rising from the seafloor that does not reach to the surface of the ocean. ...

• Clark Bank
• Hinakura Bank
• Lawson Bank

See related articles: Names of the Marquesas Islands Marquesas geology

The Marquesas Islands were the first of the island groups discovered by European explorers in the Pacific. ...

Government of the Marquesas

The center of government is Tai o Ha`e on Nuku Hiva, although the former capital, Atuona, on Hiva `Oa, still serves as the administrative center for the southern islands. Located at the head of a wide bay of the same name, on the south side of Nuku Hiva, Tai o Hae is the principal town of Nuku Hiva, as well as the capital of the Marquesas Islands. ... View of Atuona from Atuona Bay Photo Credit: Terry & Heidi Kotas Atuona, located on Hiva `Oa is the administrative center for the southern Marquesas Islands. ...

See related article: Marquesas Islands Government

Language of the Marquesas

See related article: Marquesan Language(s) Marquesan is a collection of East-Central Polynesian dialects, of the Marquesic group, spoken in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia. ...

History of the Marquesas

The first recorded settlers of the Marquesas were Polynesians, who, from archaæological evidence, are believed to have arrived before 100 CE. Ethnological and linguistic evidence suggests that they likely arrived from the region of Samoa. Polynesia (from Greek, poly = many and nesi = island) is a large grouping of over 1,000 islands in the central and southern Pacific Ocean. ... // Importance and applicability Most of human history is not described by any written records. ... -1... Ethnology (greek ethnos: (non-greek, barbarian) people) is a genre of anthropological study, involving the systematic comparison of the folklore, beliefs and practices of different societies. ... Historical linguistics (also diachronic linguistics or comparative linguistics) is primarily the study of the ways in which languages change over time, by means of examining languages which are recognizably related through similarities such as vocabulary, word formation, and syntax, as well as the surviving records of ancient languages. ...

The islands were given their name by Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira who reached them in 1595, visiting first Fatu Hiva and then Tahuata before continuing on to the Solomon Islands. Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira or Neyra (1541 - November 1595) was a Spanish navigator. ... Events January 30 - William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is performed for the first time May 24 - Nomenclator of Leiden University Library appears, the first printed catalog of an institutional library. ... Fatu Hiva is one of the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. ... Map of Tahuata (modified from a screenshot of a map from MSMaps) Tahuata is the smallest of the inhabited Marquesas Islands. ...

The American navigator Capt. Joseph Ingraham first visited the northern Marquesas in 1791, giving them the name Washington Islands. In 1813, Commodore David Porter claimed Nuku Hiva for the United States, but the United States Congress never ratified that claim, and in 1842, France, following a successful military operation on behalf of a native chief (named Iotete) who claimed to be king of the whole of the island of Tahuata, took possession of the whole group, establishing a settlement (abandoned in 1859) on Nuku Hiva. French control over the group was reestablished in 1870, and later incorporated into the territory of French Polynesia. 1791 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1813 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... David Porter (February 1, 1780 – March 3, 1843) was an officer in the United States Navy and later the commander-in-chief of the Mexican Navy. ... Nuku Hiva is the largest of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... A monarch is a type of ruler or head of state, whose titles and ascent are often inherited, not earned, and who represents a larger monarchical system which has established rules and customs regarding succession, duties, and powers. ... 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

The Marquesas Islands suffered the greatest population decline as a result of diseases brought by European and American explorers, reducing the estimated sixteenth century population of over 100,000 inhabitants, to about 20,000 by the middle of the nineteenth century, and to just over 2,000 by the beginning of the 1900s. During the course of the twentieth century, the population increased to about 8,500 by 2002, not including the Marquesan community residing on Tahiti. A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. ... World map showing location of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean, at 17°40′ S 149°30′ W. The island had a population of 169,674 inhabitants at the 2002 census. ...

See related article: Marquesas history

Demographics of the Marquesas

The population of the Marquesas Islands at the 2002 census was 8,712 inhabitants, which is on the rise, but still far lower than 16th century estimates which put the population at over 100,000. Much of the population was wiped out by Small pox between 1600 and 1900, when the population was counted at just under 2,000. 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Smallpox (also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera) is a highly contagious disease unique to humans. ...

See related article: Marquesan Demographics

Communications in the Marquesas

Airports

There are four airports in the Marquesas, one each on the islands of Nuku Hiva, Ua Pu, Ua Huka, and Hiva Oa.

Telecommunications

The Marquesas are served by telephone as well as by radio and television mainly from Tahiti. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean, at 17°40′ S 149°30′ W. The island had a population of 169,674 inhabitants at the 2002 census. ...

Culture of the Marquesas

The Marquesas Islands were once a major center of eastern Polynesian civilization. Polynesia is generally defined as the islands within the triangle Polynesia (from Greek, poly = many and nesos = island) is a large grouping of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. ...

See related article: Marquesan culture Pre-European Marquesan Culture The Marquesas Islands were colonized by sea-faring Polynesian as early as 300 A.D., most likely from the area of Samoa. ...

Geography of the Marquesas

The Marquesas Islands are the furthest island group in the world from any continent, lying 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 (Hatutaa), Motu One, and the islands centered around the large island of Nuku Hiva: Motu Iti (Hatu Iti), Ua Pou, Motu `Oa and Ua Huka, and the southern group of Fatu Uku, Tahuata, Moho Tani (Motane), Terihi, Fatu Hiva and Motu Nao (Thomasset Rock), clustered around the main island of Hiva `Oa. The equator is an imaginary line drawn around a planet, halfway between the poles. ... Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean, at 17°40′ S 149°30′ W. The island had a population of 169,674 inhabitants at the 2002 census. ... Eïao is the largest of the extreme northwestern Marquesas Islands. ... Hatutu (also called Hatuta‘a) is a small island approximately 3 km (2 mi. ... Hatutu (also called Hatuta‘a) is a small island approximately 3 km (2 mi. ... Motu One (Marquesan for Sand Island, in French the islands are called Îlots du Sable) is the name of two small sandy islands on the western edge of a coral reef. ... Nuku Hiva is the largest of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. ... Motu Iti (sometimes also called Hatu Iti) is one of the northern Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. ... Motu Iti (sometimes also called Hatu Iti) is one of the northern Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. ... Ua Pu (also known as Ua Pou) is the third largest of the Marquesas Islands, located about 50 km (30 mi. ... Motu ‘Oa (Long Rock) is a small island, 1 km (.6 mi. ... Fatu Huku is a small island in the Marquesas Islands, nearly halfway between Hiva ‘Oa and Nuku Hiva. ... Map of Tahuata (modified from a screenshot of a map from MSMaps) Tahuata is the smallest of the inhabited Marquesas Islands. ... Moho Tani (sometimes also called Motane) is a small island southeast of Hiva ‘Oa in the southern Marquesas Islands. ... Moho Tani (sometimes also called Motane) is a small island southeast of Hiva ‘Oa in the southern Marquesas Islands. ... Terihi is a small, uninhabited, rocky island in the Marquesas Islands, approximately 1 km (.5 mi. ... Fatu Hiva is one of the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. ... Motu Nao is the Marquesan name for a small rock island in the southeastern Marquesas Islands, approximately 22 km (14 miles) northeast of Fatu Hiva. ... Hiva `Oa is the second largest island in the Marquesas Islands, and the largest island of the southern group. ...

With a combined land area of 1,274 km² (492 sq. miles), the Marquesas are among the largest island groups of French Polynesia, Nuku Hiva being the second largest island in the entire territory, after Tahiti. Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean, at 17°40′ S 149°30′ W. The island had a population of 169,674 inhabitants at the 2002 census. ...

See related article: Marquesas geography

Geology of the Marquesas

With the exception of Motu One, all of the Marquesas Islands are high islands. Motu One is a low island, comprised of two small sand banks awash on a coral reef. Unlike the majority of the islands of French Polynesia, the Marquesas are not surrounded by protective fringing reefs. Except for at Motu One, and in bays and other protected areas, the only coral in the Marquesas is found in a rather strange place: on the top of the island of Fatu Huku. Motu One (Marquesan for Sand Island, in French the islands are called Îlots du Sable) is the name of two small sandy islands on the western edge of a coral reef. ... High Island is the name of several places in the United States: Communities High Island, Texas Islands High Island (Michigan) High Island (New York) High Island (Connecticut) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A low island is, in geology (and sometimes in archaeology), an island of coral origin. ... Orders see Anthozoa Corals are gastrovascular marine cnidarians (phylum Cnidaria; class Anthozoa) existing as small sea anemone-like polyps, typically forming colonies of many individuals. ... A reef surrounding an islet. ... Fatu Huku is a small island in the Marquesas Islands, nearly halfway between Hiva ‘Oa and Nuku Hiva. ...

The South Equatorial Current lashes the islands mercilessly, which has led to sea-caves dotting the islands' shores. Except for where the valleys empty into the small bays, the islands are remarkable for their mountain ridges, which end abruptly as cliffs where they meet the sea. The South Equatorial Current is a significant Pacific Ocean current that flows east-to-west between the equator and 10 degrees south. ... A Grotto is a small cave, usually near water and often flooded or liable to flood at high tide. ...

See related article: Marquesas geology

Rainforest on Fatu-Hiva

Download high resolution version (1020x812, 660 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1020x812, 660 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Biology of the Marquesas

The ecosystem of the Marquesas has been devastated in some areas by the activities of feral livestock. As a first step in preserving what remains, the Marquesan Nature Reserves were created in 1992. In ecology, an ecosystem is a naturally occurring assemblage of organisms (plant, animal and other living organisms—also referred to as a biotic community or biocoenosis) living together with their environment (or biotope), functioning as a loose unit. ... A feral animal or plant is one that has escaped from domestication and returned, partly or wholly, to its wild state. ... Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ... The Marquesan Nature Reserves are a network of small nature reserves in the Marquesas Islands. ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See related articles: Marquesas zoology, Marquesas botany The Marquesas Islands have a diverse aquatic zoölogy, and a rather limited endemic terrestrial zoölogy. ... The Marquesas Islands have a diverse flora, with a high rate of endemism. ...

The Marquesas Islands in Western Culture and Civilization

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. Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (June 7, 1848 - May 9, 1903) was a leading Post-Impressionist painter. ... Jacques Brel (April 8, 1929 – October 9, 1978) was a Belgian French-speaking author-composer, considered by many a poet as well, for the strong power of expression in his lyrics. ...

The Marquesas provided inspiration to American novelist Herman Melville, whose experiences in the Marquesas formed the basis for his novel Typee. Herman Melville (August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, essayist, and poet. ... Typee is American writer Herman Melvilles first novel, based on his actual experiences after having jumped ship in the Marquesas Islands. ...

Robert Louis Stevenson visited the Marquesas in 1888, and wrote about his experiences and impressions there in 1900, in a book called In the South Seas. Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis (Balfour) Stevenson (November 13, 1850 – December 3, 1894), was a novelist, poet, and travel writer. ... 1888 is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ...

Thor Heyerdahl wrote his book Fatu Hiva during a year-long stay on that island. Thor Heyerdahl (October 6, 1914 in Larvik, Norway–April 18, 2002 in Colla Micheri, Italy) was (originally) a Norwegian marine biologist with a great interest in anthropology, who became famous for his Kon-Tiki Expedition in which he sailed by raft 4,300 miles from South America to the Tuamotu...

The island group is also mentioned in passing in the Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young) song, The Southern Cross. Crosby, Stills, & Nash (at times known as Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young) are a pioneering folk rock/rock supergroup that formed out of the remnants of three 1960s bands: Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, and the Hollies. ...

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. Survivor: Marquesas was the fourth installment of the popular United States reality show Survivor. ... Survivor is a popular reality television program produced by many countries throughout the world. ...

See also

• Jacques Brel
• Paul Gauguin
• Islands controlled by France in the Indian and Pacific oceans

Jacques Brel (April 8, 1929 – October 9, 1978) was a Belgian French-speaking author-composer, considered by many a poet as well, for the strong power of expression in his lyrics. ... Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (June 7, 1848 - May 9, 1903) was a leading Post-Impressionist painter. ... Indian Ocean Islands The following islands are in the Indian Ocean Réunion - (Overseas department and region) Mayotte - (Overseas collectivity entitled departmental collectivity) Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean (all five have no permanent population) Bassas da India Europa Island Glorioso Islands Juan de Nova Island Tromelin Island French Southern...

External links

• Finding French Polynesia
• The Marquesas Online
• Effects of the 1946 Aleutian Tsunami on the Marquesas Is.
• Flora of the Marquesas Islands
• History of the Marquesas Islands
• Satellite Images of the Marquesas Islands
• Encarta Map
• WorldAtlas.com's map of the Marquesas--includes most of the islands
• Administrative divisions of the Marquesas Islands
• Pacific Islands Travel's Marquesas Page
• Marquesas Islands Homepage
• http://cecile.barbet.free.fr/ (in French)
• Polynesian Cultural Center's Marquesas Islands information page