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Archipelago

    Pacific OceanFrance

    23°08′S 134°56′W

    Gambier Islands

    Archipel des Gambier

    The Gambier Islands (French: Îles Gambier or Archipel des Gambier) are an archipelago in French Polynesia, located at the southeast terminus of the Tuamotu archipelago.

    View on Mangareva island from Akamaru island on January 2 2014.
    View on Mangareva island from Akamaru island on January 2 2014.

    FRED / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Chart

    187 landforms

    Overview

    The Gambier Islands (French: Îles Gambier or Archipel des Gambier) are an archipelago in French Polynesia, located at the southeast terminus of the Tuamotu archipelago. They cover an area of 27.8 km2 or 10.7 sq mi, and are made up of the Mangareva Islands, a group of high islands remnants of a caldera along with islets on the surrounding fringing reef, and the uninhabited Temoe atoll, which is located 45 km (28 mi) south-east of the Mangareva Islands. The Gambiers are generally considered a separate island group from Tuamotu both because their culture and language (Mangarevan) are much more closely related to those of the Marquesas Islands, and because, while the Tuamotus comprise several chains of coral atolls, the Mangareva Islands are of volcanic origin with central high islands. Administratively, the Gambier Islands are inside the commune of Gambier, which also includes several atolls in the Tuamotu Archipelago. The town hall (mairie) of the commune of Gambier is located on Mangareva, which is the largest island in the Gambier Islands group. The population of the Gambier Islands was 1,431 people at the 2017 census, all living in the Mangareva Islands.

    From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Census, cataloged

    • Major islands14
    • Minor islands38
    • Islets101
    • Rocks & skerries34

    Major islands

    14
    • Mangareva

      Mangareva

      Area
      14 km²
      High point
      441 m

      Mangareva is the central and largest island of the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. It is surrounded by smaller islands: Taravai in the southwest, Aukena and Akamaru in the southeast, and islands in the north.

    • Taravai

      Taravai

      Area
      5 km²
      High point
      279 m

      Taravai is the second largest island in the Gambier Islands archipelago of French Polynesia, at 5.7 km2. Taravai is about 1.5 km southwest of Mangareva, the largest island of the whole Gambier group, and about 300 m north of the island of Angakauitai. Off its eastern shore lies the tiny rock Îlot Motu-o-ari.

    • Akamaru Island

      Akamaru Island

      Area
      2 km²
      High point
      240 m

      Akamaru is the third largest island in the Gambier Islands of French Polynesia. 0 sq mi). 3 mi) southeast of Mangareva, which is the largest island of the whole Gambier Islands archipelago. Akamaru's highest point rises to an elevation of 247 m (810 ft).

    • Matureivavao

      Area
      18 km²

      Matureivavao, or Maturei-vavao is an uninhabited atoll in the Acteon Group in the southeastern part of the Tuamotu Islands. It is the largest atoll within the Acteon Group, and like others in this group, is administratively part of the commune of the Gambier Islands.

    • Temoe

      Area
      12 km²

      Temoe, or Te Moe, is a small atoll of the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the far southeast of the Tuamotu group archipelago. It lies about 37 km southeast from the Gambier Islands and more than 1,700 kilometres (1,100 miles) southeast from Mataiva, at the other end of the Tuamotu archipelago.

    • Tenarunga

      Area
      10.5 km²
      High point
      16 m

      Tenarunga or Tenania, previously Narunga and formerly Minto Island, is a low, wooded atoll in the Acteon Group in the southeastern part of the Tuamotu Islands in French Polynesia. It is administratively a part of the Gambier Islands. The atoll has a population of between 10 and 50 people.

    • Vahanga

      Area
      9.8 km²
      High point
      14 m

      Vahanga is a small uninhabited atoll part of the Acteon Group in the Tuamotu archipelago, French Polynesia and belongs to the municipality of the Gambier Islands.

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      2.7 km²
      High point
      16 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      2.6 km²
      High point
      18 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      2.1 km²
      High point
      19 m

    • Tenararo

      Area
      2 km²

      Tenararo is the smallest atoll in the Acteon Group in the southeastern part of the Tuamotu Islands in French Polynesia. It is administratively a part of the Gambier Islands. It is uninhabited.

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      1.9 km²
      High point
      12 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      1.8 km²

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      1.6 km²
      High point
      15 m

    Minor islands

    38

    • Aukena

      Area
      1.5 km²
      High point
      189 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      1.3 km²
      High point
      17 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      1.1 km²
      High point
      17 m

    • Motu Manu

      Area
      0.88 km²
      High point
      14 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.83 km²
      High point
      14 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.78 km²
      High point
      18 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.77 km²
      High point
      12 m

    • Totegegie

      Area
      0.76 km²
      High point
      14 m

    • Angakauitai

      Area
      0.73 km²
      High point
      139 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.72 km²
      High point
      13 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.6 km²
      High point
      15 m

    • Kamaka

      Area
      0.47 km²
      High point
      148 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.38 km²
      High point
      11 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.28 km²

    • Gaioio

      Area
      0.24 km²
      High point
      10 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.23 km²

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.2 km²

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.18 km²

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.17 km²
      High point
      8 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.17 km²

    • Teauaone

      Area
      0.17 km²
      High point
      6 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.16 km²

    • Makaroa

      Area
      0.16 km²
      High point
      69 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.15 km²

    • Puaumu

      Area
      0.14 km²
      High point
      6 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.13 km²
      High point
      2 m

    • Motu Toru

      Area
      0.13 km²
      High point
      8 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      7 m

    • Teauaone

      Area
      0.11 km²
      High point
      5 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.1 km²
      High point
      9 m

    • Apou

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Papuri Island

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Tarauru Roa

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Teauotu

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Teohootepohatu

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Tepu Nui

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Tokorua

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Vaiatekeue

      Area
      —
      High point
      4 m

      size unknown

    Rocks & skerries

    34

    On the chart above, at its closest zooms.

    Listing 52 of 187; the rest are on the chart.

    Figures

    Comparative heights

    Sea level200 m400 m600 m441 mMangareva279 mTaravai240 mAkamaru189 mAukena148 mKamaka139 mAngakauitai69 mMakaroa16 mTenarunga14 mVahanga14 mMotu Manu14 mTotegegie10 mGaioio8 mMotu Toru6 mTeauaone
    High points by island, metres above sea level.

    Islands by area

    0.1110100Matureivavao: 18 km²MatureivavaoMangareva: 14 km²MangarevaTemoe: 12 km²TemoeTenarunga: 10.5 km²TenarungaVahanga: 9.8 km²VahangaTaravai: 5 km²TaravaiUnnamed island: 2.7 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 2.6 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 2.1 km²Unnamed islandTenararo: 2 km²TenararoAkamaru: 2 km²AkamaruUnnamed island: 1.9 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 1.8 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 1.6 km²Unnamed islandAukena: 1.5 km²AukenaUnnamed island: 1.3 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 1.1 km²Unnamed islandMotu Manu: 0.88 km²Motu ManuUnnamed island: 0.83 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.78 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.77 km²Unnamed islandTotegegie: 0.76 km²TotegegieAngakauitai: 0.73 km²AngakauitaiUnnamed island: 0.72 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.6 km²Unnamed islandKamaka: 0.47 km²KamakaUnnamed island: 0.38 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.28 km²Unnamed islandGaioio: 0.24 km²GaioioUnnamed island: 0.23 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.2 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.18 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.17 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.17 km²Unnamed islandTeauaone: 0.17 km²TeauaoneUnnamed island: 0.16 km²Unnamed islandMakaroa: 0.16 km²MakaroaUnnamed island: 0.15 km²Unnamed islandPuaumu: 0.14 km²PuaumuUnnamed island: 0.13 km²Unnamed island
    km², log scale. 8 without a known area.
    Matureivavao18 km²
    Mangareva14 km²
    Temoe12 km²
    Tenarunga10.5 km²
    Vahanga9.8 km²
    Taravai5 km²
    Unnamed island2.7 km²
    Unnamed island2.6 km²
    Unnamed island2.1 km²
    Tenararo2 km²
    Akamaru Island2 km²
    Unnamed island1.9 km²
    Unnamed island1.8 km²
    Unnamed island1.6 km²
    Aukena1.5 km²
    Unnamed island1.3 km²
    Unnamed island1.1 km²
    Motu Manu0.88 km²
    Unnamed island0.83 km²
    Unnamed island0.78 km²
    Unnamed island0.77 km²
    Totegegie0.76 km²
    Angakauitai0.73 km²
    Unnamed island0.72 km²
    Unnamed island0.6 km²
    Kamaka0.47 km²
    Unnamed island0.38 km²
    Unnamed island0.28 km²
    Gaioio0.24 km²
    Unnamed island0.23 km²
    Unnamed island0.2 km²
    Unnamed island0.18 km²
    Unnamed island0.17 km²
    Unnamed island0.17 km²
    Teauaone0.17 km²
    Unnamed island0.16 km²
    Makaroa0.16 km²
    Unnamed island0.15 km²
    Puaumu0.14 km²
    Unnamed island0.13 km²
    Motu Toru0.13 km²
    Unnamed island0.12 km²
    Teauaone0.11 km²
    Unnamed island0.1 km²

    Groups within

    1

    Sources

    Facts

    • Geometry, areas and high points: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Copernicus GLO-30, via Talus.
    • Wikidata
    • Talus
    • Wikipedia

    Photographs