diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'saved-articles/beautiful islands of the south pacific.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | saved-articles/beautiful islands of the south pacific.txt | 215 |
1 files changed, 215 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/saved-articles/beautiful islands of the south pacific.txt b/saved-articles/beautiful islands of the south pacific.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f3f974b --- /dev/null +++ b/saved-articles/beautiful islands of the south pacific.txt @@ -0,0 +1,215 @@ +--- +title: Beautiful Islands of the South Pacific +date: 2010-02-09T19:33:18Z +source: http://kathika.com/destinations/20091202-007408/ +tags: travel, islands + +--- + +Whether it’s the rich blue waters, clean +[beaches](/web/20100106230059/http://kathika.com/tag/beaches/), or +vibrant coral reefs the islands of the south pacific are becoming a +popular tourist destination for many of today’s modern travelers. Sit +back as we take you on a pictorial visit to 12 of the areas most popular +islands. + +[](/web/20100106230059/http://kathika.com/wp-content/uploads/bora-bora-tensaibuta186-ll.jpg "Bora Bora-tensaibuta186")[](/web/20100106230059/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ "Attribution License") +Photo credit: +[tensaibuta](/web/20100106230059/http://www.flickr.com/photos/97657657@N00/2092792187/ "name") + +Bora Bora + +Bora Bora is a tiny island located in the Pacific Ocean, part of the +Society Islands of French Polynesia. Only about 8,800 people call Bora +Bora home, while many thousands more visit the island and its many +resorts in order to experience the great natural beauty of Bora Bora’s +pristine beaches and crystal clear water. Because of its connection to +[France](/web/20100106230059/http://kathika.com/tag/france/), many of +the island’s citizens speak French and Tahitian, but those who are deal +with tourists do understand English. + +[](/web/20100106230059/http://kathika.com/wp-content/uploads/p1040781.jpg-richard-gifford386-ll.jpg "P1040781.JPG-Richard Gifford386")[](/web/20100106230059/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ "Attribution License") +Photo credit: [Richard +Gifford](/web/20100106230059/http://www.flickr.com/photos/rgifford/260587788/ "name") + +Fiji + +Fiji is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean, a political +grouping of about 322 islands and 522 islets. Out of these islands, only +106 of them are permanently inhabited. Viti Levu and Vanua Levu are the +primary population centers, the both of them supporting 87 percent of +the population. Because of its rich culture and beautiful beaches, this +exotic island nation has become extremely popular as the ideal vacation +and honeymoon destination for many tourists. + +[](/web/20100106230059/http://kathika.com/wp-content/uploads/ocean-color-diversity---huahine-landscape-tiarescott44-ll.jpg "Ocean Color Diversity - Huahine Landscape-tiarescott44")[](/web/20100106230059/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ "Attribution License") +Photo credit: +[tiarescott](/web/20100106230059/http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiarescott/43401833/ "name") + +Ocean Color Diversity + +Huahine is an island located among the Society Islands, a French +Polynesian archipelago. The island is relatively small, with a length of +about 9.9 miles and a maximum width of 8.1 miles. Two main islands make +up Huahine, both of them surrounding a fringing coral reef. Only a few +hundred yards of water separate the two islands with a sandspit +connected them during low tide. + +[](/web/20100106230059/http://kathika.com/wp-content/uploads/tahiti-beach---huahine---tahiti-pictures-tiarescott449-ll.jpg "Tahiti Beach - Huahine - Tahiti Pictures-tiarescott449")[](/web/20100106230059/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ "Attribution License") +Photo credit: +[tiarescott](/web/20100106230059/http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiarescott/33505225/ "name") + +Tahiti Beach - Huahine + +Tahiti is the largest island located in Windward group of islands of +French Polynesia. As of August 2007, the island was home to around +180,000 people, making it the most populous island in French Polynesia +by quite a distance. While Tahiti has a very rich culture and history, +thanks to its unique blend of indigenous and French cultures, the island +is most well known internationally because of its popularity as a +vacation destination. + +[](/web/20100106230059/http://kathika.com/wp-content/uploads/tikehau-archipel-des-tuamotus-benoit-mahe858-ll.jpg "Tikehau, archipel des Tuamotus-Benoit Mahe858")[](/web/20100106230059/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ "Attribution License") +Photo credit: [Benoit +Mahe](/web/20100106230059/http://www.flickr.com/photos/loulou/249803558/ "name") + +Tikehau, archipel des Tuamotus + +Tikehau is a coral atoll located in the Tuamotus Archipelago. +Specifically, Tikehau belongs to the Palliser subgroup of islands, which +is the westernmost group in the Tuamotus. A continuous coral reef +surrounds the lagoon, which contains a great density of fish and other +marine life. About 400 people inhabit the island, supported by a healthy +amount of coconut palms. Tourists resorts also dot the coasts of +Tikehau. + +[](/web/20100106230059/http://kathika.com/wp-content/uploads/the-island-of-moorea-eatatmarks906-ll.jpg "The island of Moorea-eatatmarks906")[](/web/20100106230059/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ "Attribution License") +Photo credit: +[eatatmarks](/web/20100106230059/http://www.flickr.com/photos/markjtaylor/2821984266/ "name") + +The island of Moorea + +Moorea Island is part of the Society Islands archipelago, which is in +turn located in French Polynesia. Located about nine miles northwest of +Tahiti, Moorea is home to about 17,000 residents. Moorea is a popular +tourist destination, especially for those who are already visiting +French Polynesia, and it has become especially associated with +honeymoons. One can find ads for vacations to Moorea in many wedding +magazines. + +[](/web/20100106230059/http://kathika.com/wp-content/uploads/kia-ora-rangiroa-tensaibuta384-ll.jpg "Kia Ora, Rangiroa-tensaibuta384")[](/web/20100106230059/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ "Attribution License") +Photo credit: +[tensaibuta](/web/20100106230059/http://www.flickr.com/photos/97657657@N00/3123351125/ "name") + +Kia Ora, Rangiroa + +Rangiroa is the largest atoll in the Tuamotus, which is a chain of +atolls that runs throughout French Polynesia, and it is one of the +largest in the world. About 250 islands, islets, and sandbars make up +the atoll, which is home to about 2,334 inhabitants. Avatoru is the +chief town of the Rangiroa. It is home to several administrative +offices, a post office, many churches and a small airport. + +[](/web/20100106230059/http://kathika.com/wp-content/uploads/vavau-yxo181-ll.jpg "Vavau-YXO181")[](/web/20100106230059/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ "Attribution License") +Photo credit: +[YXO](/web/20100106230059/http://www.flickr.com/photos/yxo/155767869/ "name") + +Vavau + +Vavau is an island chain consisting of one large island and forty +smaller ones, all of which are a part of Tonga. Vavau’s administrative +center, Neiafu, is the second-largest city in Tonga and it sits at what +is known as one of the best harbor in the entire world. Because of its +excellent harbor and abundant untouched seas, Vavau has gained +recognition as one of the world’s prime fishing spots. + +[](/web/20100106230059/http://kathika.com/wp-content/uploads/raiatea---motu-oatara-othanga443-ll.jpg "Raiatea - Motu Oatara-othanga443")[](/web/20100106230059/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ "Attribution License") +Photo credit: +[othanga](/web/20100106230059/http://www.flickr.com/photos/24324534@N02/2839561498/ "name") + +Raiatea - Motu Oatara + +Only second to Tahiti in size, Raiatea is the second-largest island in +the Society Islands group of French Polynesia. The most important town +in Raiatea is Utuora, which also serves as the administrative center for +the Leeward Islands group. Raiatea, which is enclosed by a coral reef, +is home to about 12,000 residents and is known as the center of +Polynesia. + +[](/web/20100106230059/http://kathika.com/wp-content/uploads/round-efate-vanuatu-trip-26-nov.-2006---nguna-from-paonangisi-beach-phillipc242-ll.jpg "Round Efate (Vanuatu) trip, 26 Nov. 2006 - Nguna from Paonangisi Beach-PhillipC242")[](/web/20100106230059/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ "Attribution License") +Photo credit: +[PhillipC](/web/20100106230059/http://www.flickr.com/photos/flissphil/311762598/ "name") + +Vanuatu + +Vanuatu is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean, one that +was first inhabited by Melanesian people and then subsequently settled +by Europeans in the 18th century. Vanuatu would change hands between +several European powers before finally establishing independence in 1980 +following a successful independence movement. About 222,000 people live +in Vanuatu, with thousands more people visiting the exotic island locale +each year. + +[](/web/20100106230059/http://kathika.com/wp-content/uploads/rockpools-and-cliff-at-niue-piawaugh65-ll.jpg "Rockpools and cliff at Niue-piawaugh65")[](/web/20100106230059/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ "Attribution License") +Photo credit: +[piawaugh](/web/20100106230059/http://www.flickr.com/photos/piawaugh/2762569296/ "name") + +Rockpools and cliff at Niue + +Niue, often referred to as “the rock of Polynesia,” is an island nation +located in the South Pacific Ocean. While Niue governs itself, it has a +free association with [New +Zealand](/web/20100106230059/http://kathika.com/new-zealand) and does +not actually have sovereignty, with Queen Elizabeth II serving as the +head of state. The country is in the process of refining its tourism +sector after having identified tourism as one of the best ways for the +country to create revenue. + +[](/web/20100106230059/http://kathika.com/wp-content/uploads/awesome-moment-tata_aka_t588-ll.jpg "Awesome Moment-tata_aka_T588")[](/web/20100106230059/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ "Attribution License") +Photo credit: +[tata\_aka\_T](/web/20100106230059/http://www.flickr.com/photos/12453467@N00/3824885116/ "name") + +Yap Island + +Yap is an island located in the Caroline Islands grouping, which is in +turn situated in the western Pacific Ocean. While many other neighboring +islands have begun to take on European attitudes, Yap has managed to +retain much of its indigenous culture. About 6,300 live in Yap, +according to a 2003 estimate, while tourism brings thousands more +visitors to Yap each year. + |