Mangareva
Ma’areva
23°08′S 134°58′W
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.
Terrain
23°08′S 134°58′W
Overview
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. Mangareva has a permanent population of 1,239 (2012) and the largest village on the island, Rikitea, is the chief town of the Gambier Islands. The island is approximately eight kilometres (5 mi) long and, at 15.4 km2 (5+15⁄16 sq mi), it comprises about 56% of the land area of the whole Gambier group. Mangareva has a high central ridge which runs the length of the island. The highest point in the Gambiers is Mount Duff, on Mangareva, rising to 441 metres (1,447 ft) along the island's south coast. The island has a large lagoon 24 kilometres (15 mi) in diameter containing reefs whose fish and shellfish helped ancient islanders survive much more successfully than on nearby islands with no reefs.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Chart
Nearest islands
Also in Gambier Islands
Photographs
View from Kouaku Island across the lagoon to the Gambier Islands Akamaru, Mangareva and Aukena
View on Mangareva island from Akamaru island on January 2 2014.
NASA astronaut image of Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia
NASA Johnson Space Center - Earth Sciences and Image Analysis / Public domain
Palms on Mangareva (Gambier Islands), lagon and motu Totegegie in background
Bunker servant à abriter la population des Gambier lors des tirs d’essais nucléaires, improprement appelé "Blockhaus" par la population mangarévienne.
Bunker à Mangareva, îles Gambier servant à abriter les généraux de l'armée française lors des tirs d’essais nucléaires à Moruroa durant les années 1960 et 1970. Aujourd'hui démolit.
The original uploader was FRED at French Wikipedia. / CC BY-SA 3.0
Taravai, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
Blick auf Mangareva (links) und Aukena (rechts), Gambierinseln, Französisch-Polynesien
Sources
Facts
Photographs
- Akamaru.02.01.14.4. FRED / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kouaku. FRED at at fr.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mangareva. NASA Johnson Space Center - Earth Sciences and Image Analysis / Public domain
- Palmiers Mangareva. FRED / CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mangareva bunker public 2007. Alain de Tahiti / CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bunker Mangareva 2006. The original uploader was FRED at French Wikipedia. / CC BY-SA 3.0
- Taravai.3. FRED at French Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tour.de.guet.Aukena.2. FRED at French Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
- PanoMontDuff. FRED at fr.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mangareva.2006. FRED / CC BY-SA 3.0
- French Polynesia’s new protected marine area (Copernicus 2025-09-18). European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery / Attribution
- French Polynesia’s new protected marine area (Copernicus 2025-09-18). European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery / Attribution