Page 18 - French Polynesia

he Tuamotu Archipelago, occupying the largest region of century, subsequent to the upheaval of European contact, Polyne-
sians and Melanesians were widely believed to be on the verge of
T French Polynesia, is located to the east of the Society Islands extinction due to disease, the razzias to obtain cheap labor, and
the impact of Christianity which all but destroyed the pre-existing
and consists of eighty atolls. These are ring-shaped coral islands social structure.
surrounding a lagoon. The largest is Rangiroa, and the other main
atolls are Fakarava, Anaa, Kaukura, Taaroa and Tikehau. The Austral T he official languages of French Polynesia are French and Tahi-
Islands are five high islands to the south of Tahiti, separated from tian. Each island group has its own language, e.g. Tuamotuan in
each other by distances of 160 to 230 km. The islands present a the Tuamotus and Marquesan in the Marquesas. These languages,
sharp mountainous relief, and are each surrounded by a coral reef: together with Tahitian, are East Polynesian languages and mem-
either a fringing reef (at the coast level) or a barrier reef (at the bers of the vast Austronesian language family. Tahitian is by far the
ocean level). The island lying farthest away from Tahiti is Rapa, at a strongest of these. Originally the language of Tahiti and its neigh-
distance of 1500 km. from Papeete. The Marquesas are located 1500 bor islands in the Society group, Tahitian is now spoken on about
km. northeast of Tahiti. They comprise nine islands with hilly relief. 100 islands in French Polynesia. Its prominence is due to the facts
The Gambier Islands are a group of ten small, high islands extend- that Tahiti was the most populous island and the Tahitian language
ing to the southwest of the Tuamotus. chosen for missionary work. As the written word in Tahitian and
Christianity were spread by native pastors, this language more or
R acial intermarriage is common; so many Tahitians can claim less superseded the closely related local languages and dialects.
French, Chinese, American and Polynesian ancestry. It is said
that this accounts for the physical beauty of the inhabitants and
the absence of racial prejudice on all sides. In the nineteenth