Saturday, 22 June 2013
About Tahiti................!
Do you like this story?
Tahiti............!
Tahiti is the biggest island in
the Windward collection of French Polynesia (an overseas country of the French Republic), positioned
in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the monetary, artistic and political
centre of French Polynesia. The island was fashioned from volcanic activity and is high and rocky with close coral reefs. The populace
is 178,133 (2007 census),[1] making it the most heavily
populated island of French Polynesia and accounting for 68.6% of the group's
total population. Tahiti was formerly known as Otaheite.[2]
The capital, Papeete, is positioned on the northwest coast with the only
international airport in the region, Faa'a International
Airport, situated 5 km (3.1 mi) from the town centre.
Tahiti was initially settled by Polynesians between CE 300 and 800.
They comprise about 70% of the island's population with the rest made up of Europeans, Chinese and those of mixed
heritage. The island was proclaimed a colony of France in 1880 although it was not until 1946 that the
indigenous Tahitians were legally authorised
to be French citizens. French is the only official
language although the Tahitian language (Reo Maohi) is widely spoken. It was part of the Kingdom of Tahiti until its annexation by France in 1880.
Geography
Tahiti is
the maximum and largest island in French Polynesia deceitful close to Moorea island. It is located 4,400 km
(2,734 mi) south ofHawaii, 7,900 km (4,909 mi) from Chile and
5,700 km (3,542 mi) from Australia.
The
island is 45 km (28 mi) athwart at its widest point and cover an area
of 1,045 km2 (403 sq mi).
The highest peak is Mont Orohena(Mou'a 'Orohena) (2,241 m
(7,352 ft)). Mount Ronui (Mou'a Rōnui) in the southeast rises to 1,332 m
(4,370 ft). The island consists of two roughly round portions centred on
volcanic mountain and connected by a short isthmus named after the small town of Taravao,
situated there.
The northwestern
portion is known as Tahiti
Nui ("big
Tahiti"), while the much smaller southeastern portion is known as Tahiti Iti ("small Tahiti") or Tai'arapū. Tahiti Nui is a great deal populated along the coast,
especially around the capital, Papeete.
The
interior of Tahiti
Nui is almost
entirely uninhabited.[3] Tahiti Iti has remained isolated, as its southeastern
half (Te Pari) is accessible only to those travelling by boat or on foot.
The rest of the island is encircled by a main road which cuts between the
mountains and the sea.
A scenic
and winding interior road climbs past dairy farms and citrus groves with
panoramic views. Tahiti's landscape features lushrainforests and many streams, including the Papenoo River on the north side.
Climate
November
to April is the wet season, the wettest month of which is January with
13.2 in (340 mm) of rain in Papeetē. August is the driest with
1.9 in (48 mm).
The
average temperature ranges between 21 °C (70 °F) and 31 °C (88 °F) with little seasonal variation. The lowest
and highest temperatures recorded in Bibys are 16 °C (61 °F) and 34 °C (93 °F), respectively.[4]
Prehistoric colonization
of Tahiti
The first
Tahitians arrived in about 200 BCE,[5] after
a long migration from South East Asia or Indonesia, via the Fijian, Samoan and
Tongan Archipelagos. This hypothesis of an emigration from South East Asia is
supported by a number of linguistic, biological and archaeological proofs. For
example, the languages of Fiji and Polynesia all belong to the same Oceanic
sub-group, Fijian-Polynesian, which itself forms part of the great family of
the Austronesian Languages.
This
emigration, across several hundred kilometres of ocean, was made possible by
using outrigger canoes that were up to twenty or thirty meters long and could
transport families and domestic animals. In 1769, for instance, James Cook
mentions a great traditional ship (va'a)
in Tahiti that was 33 m (108 ft) long, and could be propelled by sail
or paddles.[6] In 2010, an expedition on a simple
outrigger canoe with a sail retraced the route back from Tahiti to Asia.[7]
Tahitian
society was composed of chiefdoms and territories based on kinship and military power among various
clans. A clan was led by a chief (Ali'i rahi), nobles (Ari'i) and
lesser chiefs. The Ari'i were believed to be descendants of Polynesian gods and invested with supernatural power (mana).
A symbol of their status were belts made of red feathers.
View of
Ra'iātea Mountain. The mummiesof
Tahitian rulers were formerly deposited on this mountain, traditionally
considered sacred (tapu).
However,
clan leaders did not hold absolute power, and their role included consulting
with general assemblies or councils, especially in times of war. The marae was a sacred place of worship
constructed of raised stone platforms in open ground, performing a cultural
function similar to such structures in other Polynesian
societies. The marae were at the centre of the spiritual
and social life of the clan. Here, gods were invoked and leaders enthroned. It
was also a place for ceremonies such as preparation for war, birth celebrations
as well as burial rituals. Types of marae ranged from simple family platforms to
larger edifices for leaders of high status, although all were considered tapu. Early
European contact saw the arrival of theLondon Missionary Society in 1797 who introduced Christianity and
documented the Tahitian language (Reo Maohi).
Civilization before the advent
of the Europeans
Before
the arrival of the Europeans the island was divided into different chiefdoms,
very precise territories dominated by a single clan. These chiefdoms were
linked to each other by allegiances based on the blood ties of their leaders
and on their power in war. The most important clan on the island was the Teva,[8] whose
territory extended from the peninsula in the south of Tahiti Nui. The Teva Clan
was composed of the Teva i Uta (Teva of the Interior) and the Teva i Tai (Teva
of the Sea), and was led by Amo and Purea.[9]
A clan
was composed of a chief (ari’i rahi), nobles (ari’i) and under-chiefs (
'Īato'ai). The ari’i, considered descendants of the Polynesian gods, were full
of mana (spiritual power). They traditionally
wore belts of red feathers, symbols of their power. The chief of the clan did
not have absolute power. Councils or general assemblies had to be called
composed of the ari’i and the 'Īato'ai, especially in case of war.[8] The
more unrelated the ari’i were to the chief of the clan, the more autonomous
they were, forming a counterweight to his authority.
The clans
were organized around marae,
open air cultic sites. These marae were at the heart of the religious and
social life of the clans: that is where the gods were invoked, where the chiefs
were enthroned, and where war and fishing expeditions were prepared, and where
births and deaths were celebrated. There was a hierarchy of marae, progressing
from simple family marae to royal marae. The size of any marae is proportional
to the influence of the family. One of the royal marae of Tahiti is Farepu’a,
built on the accession of Tetuana’e Nui. The marae were protected by tapu, an
absolute and sacred ban, transgressing which would bring on a curse. The term
passed into western languages as taboo.
First European visits
The
meeting between Wallis and
Oberea
Pedro Fernandes de Queirós,
serving the Spanish Crown, was perhaps the first European to set
eyes on the island of Tahiti; he sighted an inhabited island on 10 February 1606[10]which
he called Sagitaria (or Sagittaria). However, whether or not the island that he
saw really was Tahiti or not has not been proved with any certainty, and it has
been suggested that he actually saw the island of Rekareka to the south-east of Tahiti.[11].
According to other authors the discoverer of Tahiti was the Spanish explorer Juan Fernández in his expedition of 1576-1577 [12].
The first
European definitely to have visited Tahiti was thus lieutenant Samuel Wallis, who was circumnavigating the globe in HMS Dolphin,[13] and
landed on 17 June 1767[14] in Matavai Bay, situated on the
territory of the chiefdom of Pare (Arue/Mahina), governed by the female
chieftain "Oberea" (Purea). Wallis named the island King George
Island. The first contacts were difficult, since on the 24 and the 26 June 1767,[15] the
canoes tried to take the ship and beach it, maybe because they were afraid the
English had intentions of staying permanently, or maybe to take possession of
the metallic objects from the ship. In retaliation, the English sailors opened
fire on the canoes and on the crowds on the hills. In reaction to this powerful
counter-attack, the inhabitants of the bay laid down offerings for the English,
showing their wish for peace or to submit.[15] Following
this episode, Samuel Wallis was able to establish cordial relations with the
female chieftain “Oberea “ (Purea) and remained on the island until 27 July
1767.
Matavai
Bay, painted by William Hodges, member of an expedition by Cook
On 2
April 1768,[16] it was the turn of Louis-Antoine de
Bougainville, completing the first French circumnaviagation, to land
in the Bay of Matavai. He only stayed about ten days on the island, which he
called “Nouvelle-Cythère “, or "New Cythera", because of the warm welcome he had
received and the sweetness of the Tahitian customs. The account he gave of his
port of call would contribute to the creation of the myth of a Polynesian
paradise and nourished the theme of the good savage, so dear to Jean-Jacques
Rousseau, which was very much in fashion. Between this date right until the end
of the 18th century, the name of the island was spelled phonetically “Taïti”.
Beginning in the 19th century, the Tahitian orthography “Tahiti” became normal usage
in French and English.[17]
In July
1768, Captain James Cook was commissioned by the Royal Society and
on orders from the Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty to observe
the transit of Venus across the sun, a phenomenon that would be visible from
Tahiti on 3 June 1769.[18] He arrived in Tahiti on board HMS Endeavour in
April 1769 and remained on the island until August.[19] He set up camp at Matavai Bay along withCharles Green and Daniel Solander.The length of stay enabled them to
undertake for the first time real ethnographic and scientific observations of
the island. Assisted by the botanistJoseph Banks, and by the artist Sydney Parkinson, Cook gathered valuable information
on the fauna and flora, as well as the native society, language and customs.
Cook estimated the population to be 200,000 including all the nearby islands in
the chain.[20] This estimate was later lowered to
35,000 by anthropologist Douglas L. Oliver, the foremost modern authority on
Tahiti, at the time of discovery in 1767.[21] His crew moreover maintained friendly
relations with the cheftainess "Oberea" (Purea), whom they mistakenly
took to be the Queen of Tahiti. These exchanges created favorable conditions
for the rise of the Pōmare Dynasty.
Cook
returned to Tahiti between 15 August and 1 September 1773, and for the last
time between 13 August and 8 December 1777. On these visits Cook made harbour
at Tautira Bay, which is sometimes known as Cook's
Anchorage. During his final stay he accompanied the chief Tū (nephew of the
female chieftain "Oberea" (Purea)) on a warring expedition to Mo'orea
('Aimeo). Cook, however, refused to offer him military support and was content
with just visiting the island.
The Viceroy of Peru, Manuel de Amat y Juniet,
following the instructions of the Spanish Crown, decided to take possession of
the island in 1772, largely to limit the expansion of other countries and also
to evangelize. He sent two expeditions under the command ofDomingo de Bonechea within the period 1772-1775, but de
Bonechea died on 20 January 1775 in Tahiti, where his grave was rediscovered in
the 20th century. The Spanish mission on Tahiti was abandoned on 12 November
the same year and the whole enterprise came to an early end when Charles III of Spain finally cancelled the mission as a
consequence of his secular policy.[22] Most
notable of these expeditions was the drafting of a diary by a soldier of the
Marine named Maximo Rodriguez, covering a period of 12 months, revealing many
ethnological details about the Tahitians of the 18th century.
British influence and the
rise of the Pōmare
The
Mutineers of the Bounty
Bligh transplanting
breadfruit trees from Tahiti
On 26
October 1788, HMS Bounty, led by Captain William Bligh, landed in Tahiti with the mission of
carrying Tahitian breadfruit trees
('Uru) to the Caribbean. Sir Joseph Banks, the botanist from Cook’s first expedition, had come to the conclusion
essentially that this plant would be ideal to feed the African slaves working
on the Caribbean plantations at very little cost. The crew remained in Tahiti
for about five months, the time needed to transplant the seedlings of the
trees. Three weeks after leaving Tahiti on 28 April 1789, the crew mutinied on
the initiative of Fletcher Christian.
The mutineers seized the ship and set the captain and those members of the crew
who remained loyal to him adrift in a ship's boat. A group of mutineers then
went back to settle in Tahiti.
Although
various explorers had refused to get involved in tribal conflicts, the
mutineers from the Bounty offered their services as mercenaries
and furnished arms to the family which became the Pōmare Dynasty. The chief Tū knew
how to use their presence in the harbors favoured by sailors to his advantage.
As a result of his alliance with the mutineers, he succeeded in considerably
increasing his supremacy over the island of Tahiti.
In about
1790, the ambitious chief Tū took the title of king and gave himself the name
Pōmare. Captain Bligh explains that this name was an homage to his eldest
daughter Teriinavahoroa, who had died of tuberculosis, “an illness that made
her cough (mare) a lot, especially at night (pō) “. Thus he
became Pōmare I, founding the Pōmare Dynasty and
his lineage would be the first to unify Tahiti from 1788-1791. He and his
descendants founded and expanded Tahitian influence to all of the lands that
now constitute modern French Polynesia.
In 1791,
Captain Bligh landed in Tahiti in the hope of recovering the mutineers. The new
king Pōmare I handed the rebels over to him. The departure of Captain Bligh
marked the end of the adventure of the mutineers of the Bounty for the island of Tahiti, but their
presence there had already made a permanent mark in Tahitian history.
The
landings of the whalers
In the
1790s, whalers began landing at Tahiti during their
fishing expeditions in the southern hemisphere. The arrival of these whalers,
who were subsequently joined by merchants coming from the penal colonies in
Australia, marked the first major overturning of traditional Tahitian society.
The crews introduced alcohol, arms and illnesses into the island, and
encouraged prostitution, which brought with it venereal disease,
and the creation of distilleries. These first exchanges with westerners had
catastrophic consequences for the Tahitian population, which shrank rapidly,
ravaged by diseases. So many Tahitians were killed by disease in fact that by
1797, the population was only 16,000. Later it was to drop as low as 6,000.[23]
The
arrival of the missionaries
On 5
March 1797, representatives of the London Missionary Society landed at Point Venus (Mahina) on board HMS Duff, with the intention of
saving the native populations, just recently discovered by Cook, from paganism.
The arrival of these missionaries marked a new turning point for the island of
Tahiti, having a lasting impact on the local culture.
The first
years proved hard work for the missionaries, despite their association with the
Pōmare, the importance of whom they were aware of thanks to the reports of
earlier sailors. In 1803, upon the death of Pōmare I, his son Vaira'atoa
succeeded him and took the title of Pomare II. He allied himself more and more
with the missionaries, and from 1803 they taught him reading and the Gospels.
Furthermore the missionaries encouraged his wish to conquer his opponents, so
that they would only have to deal with a single political contact, enabling
them to develop Christianity in a unified country.[24] The conversion of Pōmare II to
Protestantism in 1812 marks moreover the point when Protestantism truly took
off on the island.
In about
1810, Pōmare II married Teremo'emo'e daughter of the chief of Raiatea,
in order to ally himself with the chiefdoms of theLeeward Islands.
On 12 November 1815, thanks to these alliances, Pōmare II won a decisive battle
at Fe’i Pī (Punaauia), notably against Opuhara,[25] the chief of the powerful clan of Teva.[26] This victory allowed Pōmare II to be
styled Ari’i Rahi, or the king of Tahiti. It was the first time that Tahiti had
been united under the control of a single family. It was the end of Tahitian
feudalism and the military aristocracy, which were replaced by an absolute
monarchy. At the same time, Protestantism quickly spread, thanks to the support
of Pōmare II, and replaced the traditional beliefs. In 1816 the London
Missionary Society sent John Williams as a missionary and teacher, and
starting in 1817, the Gospels were translated into Tahitian (Reo
Maohi) and taught in the religious schools. In 1818, the ministerWilliam Pascoe Crook founded the city of Papeete,
which became the capital of the island.
Tahitians
in missionary robes
In 1819,
Pōmare II, encouraged by the missionaries, introduced the first Tahitian legal
code, known under the name of the Pōmare Legal Code,[8] which
consists of nineteen laws. The missionaries and Pōmare II thus imposed a ban on
nudity (obliging them to wear clothes covering their whole body), banned dances
and chants, described as immodest, tattoos and costumes made of flowers.
In the
1820s, the entire population of Tahiti converted to Protestantism. Duperrey, who
berthed in Tahiti in May 1823, attests to the change in Tahitian society in a
letter dated 15 May 1823 : “The missionaries of the Royal Society of
London have totally changed the morals and customs of the inhabitants. Idolatry
no longer exists among them, and they generally profess the Christian religion.
The women no longer come aboard the vessel, and even when we meet them on land
they are extremely reserved. (…) The bloody wars that these people used to
carry out and human sacrifices have no longer taken place since 1816."[27]
When, on
7 December 1821, Pōmare II died, his son Pōmare III was only eighteen months
old. His uncle and the religious people therefore supported the regency, until
2 May 1824, the date on which the missionaries conducted his coronation, a
ceremony unprecedented in Tahiti. Taking advantage of the weakness of the
Pōmare, local chiefs won back some of their power and took the hereditary title
of Tavana (from the English word ‘governor’). The missionaries also took
advantage of the situation in order to change the way in which powers were
arranged, and to make the Tahitian monarchy closer to the English model of a
constitutional monarchy. They therefore created the Tahitian Legislative
Assembly, which first sat on the 23 February 1824.
In 1827,
the young Pōmare III suddenly died, and it was his half-sister, 'Aimata, aged
thirteen, who took the title of Pōmare IV. The Birmingham born missionary George Pritchard,
who was the acting British consul, became her main adviser and tried to
interest her in the affairs of the kingdom. But the authority of the Queen, who
was certainly less charismatic than her father, was challenged by the chiefs,
who had won back an important part of their prerogatives since the death of
Pōmare II. The power of the Pōmare had become more symbolic than real, time and
time again Queen Pōmare, Protestant and anglophile, sought in vain the
protection of England.[24]
Dupetit Thouars taking over Tahiti on 9 September
1842.
In
November 1835 Charles Darwin visited
Tahiti aboard HMS Beagle on
her circumnavigation, captained by Robert FitzRoy. He was impressed by what he perceived
to be the positive influence the missionaries had had on the sobriety and moral
character of the population. Darwin praised the scenery, but was not flattering
towards Tahiti's Queen Pōmare IV. Captain Fitzroy negotiated payment of
compensation for an attack on an English ship by Tahitians, which had taken
place in 1833.[28]
Queen Pōmare IV, 1813-1877.
In 1839
the island was visited by the United States Exploring
Expedition; one of its members,Alfred Thomas Agate,
produced a number of sketches of Tahitian life, some of which were later
published in the United States.
The
French protectorate and the end of the Pōmare kingdom
In 1836,
the Queen’s advisor Pritchard had two French catholic priests expelled, Caret
and Laval. As a result, in 1838 France sent Admiral Abel Aubert Dupetit-Thouars to get reparation. Once his mission
had been completed, Admiral Du Petit-Thouars sailed towards the Marquesas Islands, which he annexed in 1842.
Also in 1842, a European crisis involvingMorocco escalated between France and Great
Britain, souring their relations. In August 1842, Admiral Du Petit-Thouars
returned and landed in Tahiti. He then made friends with Tahitian chiefs who
were hostile to the Pōmare family and favorable to a French protectorate. He
had them sign a request for protection in the absence of their Queen, before
then approaching her and obliging her to ratify the terms of the treaty of protectorate.
The treaty had not even been ratified by France itself when Jacques-Antoine
Moerenhout was named
royal commissaire alongside Queen Pōmare.
Within
the framework of this treaty, France recognized the sovereignty of the Tahitian
state. The Queen was responsible for internal affairs, while France would deal
with foreign relations and assure the defence of Tahiti, as well as maintain
order on the island. Once the treaty had been signed there began a struggle for
influence between the English Protestants and the catholic representatives of
the French Republic. During the first years of the Protectorate, the
Protestants managed to retain a considerable hold over Tahitian society, thanks
to their knowledge of the country and its language. George Pritchard had been away at the time. He returned
however to work towards indoctrinating the locals against the Roman Catholic French.
Tahitian War of
independence (1844-7)
In 1843,
the Queen's Protestant advisor, Pritchard, convinced her to display the
Tahitian flag in place of the flag of the Protectorate.[29]By
way of reprisal, Admiral Dupetit-Thouars announced the annexation of the
Kingdom of Pōmare on the 6 November 1843 and set up the governor Armand Joseph Bruat there as the chief of the new colony.
He threw Pritchard into prison, and later sent him back to Britain. The
annexation caused the Queen to be exiled to the Leeward Islands, and after a
period of troubles, a real Franco-Tahitian war began in March 1844. News of
Tahiti reached Europe in early 1844. The French statesman François Guizot, supported by King Louis-Philippe of France, had denounced annexation of
the island.
The war
ended in December 1846 in favour of the French. The Queen returned from exile
in 1847 and agreed to sign a new covenant, considerably reducing her powers,
while increasing those of the commissaire. The French nevertheless still
reigned over the Kingdom of Tahiti as masters. In 1863, they put an end to the
British influence and replaced the British Protestant Missions with the Société
des missions évangéliques de Paris (Society of Evangelical Missions of Paris).
During
the same period about a thousand Chinese, mainly Cantonese,
were recruited at the request of a plantation owner in Tahiti, William Stewart,
to work on the great cotton plantation at Atimaono. When the enterprise
resulted in bankruptcy in 1873, a few Chinese workers returned to their
country, but a large number stayed in Tahiti and mixed with the population.
In 1866
the district councils were formed, elected, which were given the powers of the
traditional hereditary chiefs. In the context of the republican assimilation,
these councils tried their best to protect the traditional way of life of the
local people. In general terms though Tahitian traditional society had entered
a crisis that would last, the ancient social structures had been stolen piece
by piece, first under the influence of the missionaries and then by Republicans.
In 1877,
Queen Pōmare died after ruling for fifty years. Her son, Pōmare V, then
succeeded her on the throne. The new king seemed little concerned with the
affairs of the kingdom, and when in 1880 the governor Henri Isidore Chessé,
supported by the Tahitian chiefs, pushed him to abdicate in favor of France, he
accepted. On the 29 June 1880, he ceded Tahiti to France along with the islands
that were its dependencies. He was given the titular position of Officer of the
Orders of the Legion of Honour and Agricultural Merit of France. Having become a colony,
Tahiti thus lost all sovereignty. Tahiti was nevertheless a special colony,
since all the subjects of the Kingdom of Pōmare would be given French
citizenship.[30] On the 14 July 1881, among cries of
“Vive la République!” the crowds celebrated the fact that Polynesia now
belonged to France; this was the first celebration of the Tiurai (national and
popular festival). In 1890, Papeete became a commune of the Republic of France.
Tahitian
children, c. 1906
The
French painter Paul Gauguin lived
on Tahiti in the 1890s and painted many Tahitian subjects. Papeari has a small Gauguin museum.
In 1891 Matthew Turner,
an American shipbuilder from San Francisco, who had been looking for a fast
passage between the city and Tahiti built the Papeete. The
Papeete, a two-mastedschooner, made
the trip in seventeen days.
Twentieth century to
present
In 1903,
the Établissements Français d’Océanie (French Establishments in Oceania) were
created, which collected together Tahiti, the other Society Islands, the Austral Islands, the Marquesas Islands and the Tuamotu Archipelago.
In 1946,
Tahiti and the whole of French Polynesia became an overseas territory (Territoire d'outre-mer). Tahitians
were granted French citizenship,
a right that had been campaigned for by nationalist leader Pouvanaa a Oopa for
many years.[31] In 2003, French Polynesia's status was
changed to that of an overseas collectivity (Collectivité d'outre-mer) and in 2004
it was declared an overseas country (pays d'outre-mer or POM).
During
the First World War, the Papeete region of the island was attacked by two Germanwarships. A French gunboat as well as a captured German freighter
were sunk in the harbour and the two German warships bombarded
the colony. Between 1966 and 1996 the French Government conducted 193 nuclear
bomb tests above and below the atolls ofMoruroa and Fangataufa. The last test was conducted on 27 January
1996.[32]
In 2009, Tauatomo Mairau claimed
the Tahitian throne,
and has attempted to re-assert the status of the monarchy in court.
Politics
 |
Flag of
Tahiti
.png){kind=small}
Political
map of Oceania, EEZ borders
Tahitians
are French citizens with complete civil and political rights. French is the
official language but Tahitian and French are both in use. However, there was a
time during the 1960s and 1970s when children were forbidden to speak Tahitian
in schools. Tahitian is now taught in schools; it is sometimes even a
requirement for employment.
Tahiti is
part of French Polynesia. French Polynesia is a semi-autonomous territory of
France with its own assembly, president, budget
and laws. France's influence is limited to subsidies, education and
security. The former President of French
Polynesia, Oscar Temaru, advocates full independence from
France. However, only about 20% of the population is thought to be in favour.
During a
press conference on 26 June 2006 during the second France-Oceania Summit,
French President Jacques Chirac said
he did not think the majority of Tahitians wanted independence. He would keep
an open door to a possible referendum in
the future.
Elections
for the Assembly of French
Polynesia, the Territorial Assembly of French Polynesia, were held on
23 May 2004.
In a
surprise result, Oscar Temaru's pro-independence progressive coalition, Union for
Democracy, formed a government with a one-seat majority in the
57-seat parliament, defeating the conservative party, Tahoera'a Huiraatira,
led by Gaston Flosse. On 8 October 2004, Flosse succeeded in
passing a censure motion against the government,
provoking a crisis. A controversy is whether the national government of France
should use its power to call for new elections in a local government in case of
a political crisis.
Demographics
Further
information: Tahitians
The
indigenous Tahitians are of Polynesian ancestry comprising 70% of the
population alongside Europeans, East Asians (essentiallyChinese) and people of mixed heritage sometimes
referred to as Demis. They
make up the largest population in French Polynesia. Most people from metropolitan France live in Papeete and its suburbs,
notably Punaauia where they make up almost 20% of the
population.[citation
needed]
Historical population
|
1767
|
1797
|
1848
|
1897
|
1911
|
1921
|
1926
|
1931
|
1936
|
1941
|
|
16,000[33]
|
8,600
|
10,750
|
11,800
|
11,700
|
14,200
|
16,800
|
19,000
|
23,100
|
|
|
1951
|
1956
|
1962
|
1971
|
1977
|
1983
|
1988
|
1996
|
2002
|
2007
|
|
30,500
|
38,100
|
45,400
|
79,494
|
95,604
|
115,820
|
131,309
|
150,721
|
169,674
|
178,133
|
Administrative divisions
The
island consists of 12 communes, which,
along with Moorea-Maiao, make up the Windward Islands administrative
subdivision.
The
capital is Papeete and the largest commune by population is Faaa while Taiarapu-Est has
the largest area.
Communes of Tahiti
The
following is a list of communes and their subdivisions sorted alphabetically:[40]
|
Commune
|
Population
|
Area
|
Density
|
Subdivisions
|
Notes
|
|
9,494
|
21.45 km2(8.28 sq mi)
|
443 /km2(1,150 /sq mi)
|
Tetiaroa,
an atoll north of Arue belongs to the commune.
|
||
|
29,781
|
34.2 km2(13.2 sq mi)
|
871 /km2(2,260 /sq mi)
|
Largest commune (by population)
in Tahiti and French Polynesia.
|
||
|
8,691
|
218.2 km2(84.2 sq mi)
|
40 /km2(100 /sq mi)
|
The administrative centre of
the commune is the settlement of Hitiaa.
|
||
|
14,356
|
51.6 km2(19.9 sq mi)
|
278 /km2(720 /sq mi)
|
Close to the Papenoo River.
|
||
|
12,084
|
64.5 km2(24.9 sq mi)
|
187 /km2(480 /sq mi)
|
|||
|
10,634
|
92.5 km2(35.7 sq mi)
|
115 /km2(300 /sq mi)
|
|||
|
26,050
|
17.4 km2(6.7 sq mi)
|
1,497 /km2(3,880 /sq mi)
|
Capital of French Polynesia and
2nd largest city.
|
||
|
14,551
|
35.4 km2(13.7 sq mi)
|
411 /km2(1,060 /sq mi)
|
Located between Papeete and
Arue.
|
||
|
25,399
|
75.9 km2(29.3 sq mi)
|
335 /km2(870 /sq mi)
|
French painter Paul Gaugin
lived in Punaauia in the 1890s. Punaauia is the 3rd largest city in French
Polynesia.
|
||
|
11,538
|
218.3 km2(84.3 sq mi)
|
53 /km2(140 /sq mi)
|
An offshore island called Mehetia belongs to the commune.
|
||
|
7,007
|
104.3 km2(40.3 sq mi)
|
67 /km2(170 /sq mi)
|
Extends over half of the
peninsula of Tahiti Iti.
|
||
|
8,591
|
119.5 km2(46.1 sq mi)
|
72 /km2(190 /sq mi)
|
The administrative centre of
the commune is the settlement of Mataiea.
|
Economy
Tourism is a significant industry.
In July,
the Heivā festival in Papeete celebrates Polynesian culture and the commemoration of the storming of the Bastille in Paris. After the establishment of
the CEP (Centre d'Experimentation du Pacifique) in 1963, the standard of living
in French Polynesia increased considerably and many Polynesians abandoned
traditional activities and emigrated to the urban centre of Papeete. Even
though the standard of living is elevated (due mainly to French foreign direct investment),
the economy is reliant on imports. At the cessation of CEP activities, France
signed the Progress Pact with Tahiti to compensate the loss of financial
resources and assist in education and tourism with an investment of about
US$150 million a year from the beginning of 2006.
The main
trading partners are France for about 40% of imports and about 25% of exports,
the other main trading partners are the US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Tahitian pearl (Black
pearl) farming is also a substantial source of revenues, most of the pearls
being exported to Japan, Europe and the US. Tahiti also exports vanilla,
fruits, flowers, monoi, fish, copra oil, and noni.
Unemployment
affects about 13% of the active population, especially women and unqualified
young people.
Tahiti’s
currency, the French Pacific Franc (CFP, also known as XPF), is pegged to
the Euro at 1 CFP = EUR .00838 (approx. 94 CFP
to the US Dollar in June 2012). Hotels and financial
institutions offer exchange services.
Sales tax in
Tahiti is called Taxe sur la
Valeur Ajoutée (TVA or value added tax (V.A.T.)
in English). V.A.T. 2009 on tourist services is 10% and V.A.T. 2009 on hotels,
small boarding houses, food and beverages is 6%. V.A.T. on the purchase of
goods and products is 16%.
Culture
Tahitian
woman in festive costume c. 1906
See also: Music of Tahiti and Arioi
Tahitian
cultures included an oral tradition that involved the mythology of various
gods, such as 'Oro and beliefs, as well as ancient
traditions such as tattooing and navigation. The annual Heivā Festival in July is a celebration of
traditional culture, dance, music and sports including a long distance race
between the islands of French Polynesia, in modern outrigger canoes (va'a).
Situated
in Tahiti is the Paul Gauguin Museum,
dedicated to the life and works of French artist Paul Gauguin (1848–1903) who
painted famous works such as Two Tahitian Women,Tahitian Women on the Beach and Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?.
Located
at Punaauia is the Musée de Tahiti et des Îles (Museum of Tahiti and the Island). It
is an ethnographic museum
that was founded in 1974 to conserve and restore Polynesian artifacts and
cultural practices.
The Robert Wan Pearl Museum is the world's only museum dedicated
to pearls.
ThePapeete Market also
sells local arts and crafts.
Dance
Tahitians
wearing the Pareo wrap around garment and practicing a ʻupaʻupa
dance
One of
the most widely recognized images of the islands is the world famous Tahitian
dance. The 'ote'a,
sometimes written as otea,
is a traditional dance from Tahiti, where the dancers, standing in several
rows, execute different figures. This dance, easily recognized by its fast
hip-shaking, and grass skirts is often confused with the Hawaiian hula,
a generally slower more graceful dance which focuses more on the hands and
story telling than the hips.
The ʻōteʻa
is one of the few dances which already existed in pre-European times as a male
dance. On the other hand, the hura (Tahitian vernacular for hula), a dance for
women, has disappeared, and the couple's dance 'upa'upa is
likewise gone but may have reemerged as the tamure.
Nowadays, however, the ʻōteʻa can be danced by men (ʻōteʻa tāne), by women
(ʻōteʻa vahine), or by both genders (ʻōteʻa ʻāmui = united ʻō.). The dance is
with music only, drums, but no singing. The drum can be one of the different
types of the tōʻere, a laying log of wood with a longitudinal slit, which is
struck by one or two sticks. Or it can be the pahu, the ancient Tahitian
standing drum covered with a shark skin and struck by the hands or with sticks.
The rhythm from the tōʻere is fast, from the pahu it is slower. A smaller drum, the faʻatete,
can also be used.
The
dancers make gestures, reenacting daily occupations of life. For the men the
themes can be chosen from warfare or sailing, and then they may use spears or
paddles.
For women
the themes are closer to home or from nature, combing their hair, or the flight
of a butterfly for example. But also more elaborate themes can be chosen, for
example one where the dancers end up in a map of Tahiti, highlighting important
places. In a proper ʻōteʻa the story of the theme should pervade the whole
dance.
The group
dance called 'Aparima is
often performed with the dancers dressed in pareo and maro. There are two types of ʻaparima:
the ʻaparima hīmene (sung handdance) and the ʻaparima vāvā
(silent handdance), the latter being performed with music only, and no singing.
The
indigenous Tahitians are Polynesians, part of the greater family of Oceanic
peoples, noted in their history and culture for their navigation
skills, essential for trade and communications in their maritime environs.
In
Polynesian navigation, the star found directly above Tahiti's night sky, Sirius,
has served as a location beacon in traditional wayfinding during
open ocean travels.
Education
Tahiti is
home to the University of French
Polynesia (Université
de la Polynésie Française). It is a growing university, with 3,200 students and
62 researchers. Many courses are available such as law, commerce, science, and
literature. There is also the Collège La Mennais located in Papeete.
Transport
Air
Tahitian
coast
Faa'a International Airport is located 5 km (3.1 mi)
from Papeete in the commune of Faaa and is the only international airport in French Polynesia. Because of
limited level terrain, rather than levelling large stretches of sloping
agricultural land, the airport is built primarily on reclaimed land on the
coral reef just off-shore.
International
destinations such as Auckland, Hanga Roa, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Paris,Santiago
de Chile, Sydney and Tokyo are served by Air France, Air New Zealand, Air Tahiti Nui French
Polynesia's flag carrier, Hawaiian Airlines and LAN Airlines.
Flights
within French Polynesia and to New Caledonia are
available from Aircalin, Air Mooreaand Air Tahiti, the last two airlines have their
headquarters at the airport.
Ferry
Two
Tahitian girls with a hibiscus flower
The
Mo'orea Ferry operates from Papeete and takes about 45 minutes to travel to Moorea.
Other ferries are the Aremiti 5 and the Aremiti 7 and these two ferries sail to
Moorea in about half an hour. There are also several ferries that transport
people and goods throughout the islands. The Bora Bora cruiseline sails to Bora Bora about
once a week. The main hub for these ferries is the Papeete Wharf.
Streets
Tahiti
has a freeway that runs across the west coast. This freeway starts in Arue and continues across the Papeete urban
area. Then it continues along the west coast of Tahiti Nui through smaller
villages. The freeway turns east toward Taravao where Tahiti Nui meets Tahiti
Iti. Tahiti's west coast freeway keeps going until Teahupo'o where
the freeway becomes a thin paved road.
Sport
The
Tahitian national sport is Va'a.
In English, this paddle sport is also known as outrigger canoe. The Tahitians consistently achieve
record-breaking and top times as world champion in this sport.
Major
sports in Tahiti include rugby union and association football and the island has fielded a national basketball team,
which is a member of FIBA Oceania. Another sport is surfing,
with famous surfers such as Malik Joyeux and Michel Bourez.
Rugby union in Tahiti is governed by the Fédération Tahitienne de
Rugby de Polynésie Française which
was formed in 1989. The Tahiti national rugby union
team has been active
since 1971 but have only played 12 games since then.
Football in Tahiti is administered by the Fédération Tahitienne de
Football and was
founded in 1938. The Tahiti Division Fédérale is the top division on the island and
the Tahiti Championnat
Enterprise is the
second tier. Some of the major clubs are AS Manu-Ura, who play in Stade Hamuta, AS Pirae,
who play in the Stade Pater Te Hono Nui and AS Tefana, who play in the Stade Louis Ganivet.
Lesser clubs include Matavai and Tubuia.
In 2012, the national team won the OFC Nations Cup qualifying for the 2013 FIFA Confederations
Cup in Brazil and
becoming the first team non-Australian or New Zealand team to win it.
The Tahiti Cup is
the islands' premier football knockout tournament and has been played for since 1938.
The winner of the Tahiti Cup goes on to play the winner of the Tahiti Division
Fédérale in the Tahiti Coupe des Champions.
Tahiti
won the football 2012 OFC Nations Cup becoming the first team other than Australia and New Zealand to win the competition. In June 2013,
Tahiti took part in the 2013 FIFA Confederations
Cup.
In 2010,
Tahiti was chosen as the host of the 2013 FIFA Beach Soccer
World Cup, to be held in the September.
In 2011,
Tahiti was accepted into as a member of the Asia-Pacific Rugby League
Federation. Tahiti join as new members along with India, Philippines, Tokelau and American
Samoa in a meeting of
the federation in Auckland over December 5–6. This is a sign of
the growing popularity of Rugby League in
the Pacific Islands.[41][42]
Tahiti
has also been represented at the World Championship of Pétanque. They are the pre-eminent country in the
Oceania region for Pétanque, undoubtably due to their strong connections to
France.
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