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Archipelago

    Pacific OceanFrance

    8°54′S 139°36′W

    Marquesas Islands

    Îles Marquises

    Part of Polynesia

    The Marquesas Islands ( mar-KAY-səss; French: Îles Marquises or Archipel des Marquises or Marquises [maʁkiz]; Marquesan: Te Henua ʻEnana (North Marquesan) and Te Fenua ʻEnata (South Marquesan), both meaning "the land of men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean.

    Southern coastline of Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
    Southern coastline of Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia

    American at de.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0

    Chart

    573 landforms

    Overview

    The Marquesas Islands ( mar-KAY-səss; French: Îles Marquises or Archipel des Marquises or Marquises [maʁkiz]; Marquesan: Te Henua ʻEnana (North Marquesan) and Te Fenua ʻEnata (South Marquesan), both meaning "the land of men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. Their highest point is the peak of Mount Oave (French: Mont Oave) on Ua Pou island, at 1,230 m (4,035 ft) above sea level. Archaeological research suggests the islands were settled in the 10th century AD by voyagers from West Polynesia. Over the centuries that followed, the islands have maintained a "remarkably uniform culture, biology and language". The Marquesas were named after the 16th-century Spanish Viceroy of Peru, the Marquis of Cañete (Spanish: Marqués de Cañete), by navigator Álvaro de Mendaña, who visited them in 1595. The Marquesas Islands constitute one of the five administrative divisions (subdivisions administratives) of French Polynesia. The capital of the Marquesas Islands' administrative subdivision is the town of Taioha'e, on the island of Nuku Hiva. The population of the Marquesas Islands was 9,346 inhabitants at the time of the August 2017 census.

    From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Census, cataloged

    • Major islands5
    • Minor islands10
    • Islets54
    • Rocks & skerries504

    Major islands

    5
    • Nuku Hiva

      Nuku Hiva

      Area
      339 km²
      High point
      1,224 m

      Nuku Hiva (sometimes spelled Nukahiva or Nukuhiva) is the largest of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas country of France in the Pacific Ocean. It was formerly also known as Île Marchand and Madison Island.

    • Hiva Oa

      Hiva Oa

      Area
      308 km²
      High point
      1,266 m

      With its 320 square kilometres (124 square miles), Hiva Oa (Marquesan: Hivaʻoa) is the second largest island in the Marquesas Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is the largest island of the southern Marquesas group. Around 2,200 people reside on the island.

    • Ua Pou

      Ua Pou

      Area
      105 km²
      High point
      1,230 m

      Ua Pou (French: Ua Pou, North Marquesan: ’uapou) is the third-largest of the Marquesas Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean.

    • Ua Huka

      Ua Huka

      Area
      85.7 km²
      High point
      887 m

      Ua Huka is one of the Marquesas Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is situated in the northern group of the archipelago, approximately 40 km (25 mi) to the east of Nuku Hiva, at 8°54′S 139°33′W.

    • Tahuata

      Tahuata

      Area
      69.3 km²
      High point
      966 m

      Tahuata is the smallest of the inhabited Marquesas Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is located 4 km (2.5 mi.) to the south of the western end of Hiva Oa, across the Canal du Bordelais, called Ha‘ava in Marquesan.

    Minor islands

    10

    • Fatu-Hiva

      Area
      84.3 km²
      High point
      1,115 m

    • Eiao

      Area
      37 km²
      High point
      574 m

    • Mohotani

      Area
      12.7 km²
      High point
      503 m

    • Hatutu

      Area
      6 km²
      High point
      408 m

    • Fatu Huku

      Area
      0.67 km²
      High point
      354 m

    • Motu Oa

      Area
      0.37 km²
      High point
      103 m

    • Terihi

      Area
      0.24 km²

    • Motu Iti

      Area
      0.24 km²
      High point
      144 m

    • Motu Mokohe

      Area
      0.11 km²
      High point
      50 m

    • Hanakee

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    Rocks & skerries

    504

    On the chart above, at its closest zooms.

    Listing 15 of 573; the rest are on the chart.

    Figures

    Comparative heights

    Sea level500 m1,000 m1,500 m1,266 mHiva Oa1,230 mUa Pou1,224 mNuku Hiva1,115 mFatu-Hiva966 mTahuata887 mUa Huka574 mEiao503 mMohotani408 mHatutu354 mFatu Huku144 mMotu Iti103 mMotu Oa50 mMotu Mokohe
    High points by island, metres above sea level.

    Islands by area

    0.11101001,000Nuku Hiva: 339 km²Nuku HivaHiva Oa: 308 km²Hiva OaUa Pou: 105 km²Ua PouUa Huka: 85.7 km²Ua HukaFatu-Hiva: 84.3 km²Fatu-HivaTahuata: 69.3 km²TahuataEiao: 37 km²EiaoMohotani: 12.7 km²MohotaniHatutu: 6 km²HatutuFatu Huku: 0.67 km²Fatu HukuMotu Oa: 0.37 km²Motu OaTerihi: 0.24 km²TerihiMotu Iti: 0.24 km²Motu ItiMotu Mokohe: 0.11 km²Motu Mokohe
    km², log scale. 1 without a known area.
    Nuku Hiva339 km²
    Hiva Oa308 km²
    Ua Pou105 km²
    Ua Huka85.7 km²
    Fatu-Hiva84.3 km²
    Tahuata69.3 km²
    Eiao37 km²
    Mohotani12.7 km²
    Hatutu6 km²
    Fatu Huku0.67 km²
    Motu Oa0.37 km²
    Terihi0.24 km²
    Motu Iti0.24 km²
    Motu Mokohe0.11 km²

    Groups within

    2

    Sources

    Facts

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

    Photographs