An island group of southern French Polynesia in the southern Pacific Ocean south of Tahiti. Visited by Capt. James Cook in 1769 and 1777, the islands were annexed by France between 1850 and 1889.
Austral Islands
Dictionary:
Aus·tral Islands (ô'strəl)  also Tu·bu·a·i Islands
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Austral Islands (ô'strəl) , volcanic island group (2002 pop. 6,386), South Pacific, part of French Polynesia. They are sometimes known as the Tubuai Islands. The group comprises seven islands, plus islets, with a total land area of c.115 sq mi (300 sq km). Tubuai, the largest island (c.17 sq mi/44 sq km), was visited by Capt. James Cook in 1777 and was annexed by France in 1880. European diseases and slavers very nearly wiped out the native Polynesian population of the islands, especially on Rapa. In 1938, French authorities imposed strict regulations on immigration and tourism. Coffee, arrowroot, tobacco, and copra are produced on the islands.
| WordNet: Austral Islands |
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.
The noun has one meaning:
Meaning #1:
a chain of small islands in French Polynesia
Synonym: Tubuai Islands
| Wikipedia: Austral Islands |
Coordinates: 23°0′S 150°0′W / 23°S 150°W
| Native name: Îles Australes | |
 Flag of the Austral Islands |
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Archipelago | Polynesia |
| Total islands | 7 |
| Major islands | Îles Maria, Rimatara, Rapa Iti, Tubuai |
| Area | 148 km² |
| Country | |
| France | |
| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Largest city | Rurutu (2,088) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 6,310[1] (as of Aug. 2007 census) |
| Density | 43 /km² (110 /sq mi) |
The Austral Islands (French: Îles Australes or Archipel des Australes) are the southernmost group of islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the South Pacific. Geographically, the Austral Islands consist of two separate archipelagos. From northwest to southeast they are:
- The "Tubuai Islands" (French: Îles Tubuaï), named for one of the main islands. It consists of:
- Îles Maria (21°48′00″S 154°41′00″W / 21.8°S 154.683333°W) in the northwest, part of Rimatara municipality
- Rimatara (22°38′25″S 152°50′16″W / 22.64028°S 152.83778°W),
- Rurutu (22°29′04″S 151°20′03″W / 22.48444°S 151.33417°W),
- Tubuai (23°23′00″S 149°27′00″W / 23.383333°S 149.45°W),
- Raivavae or Raevavae (23°52′00″S 147°40′00″W / 23.866667°S 147.666667°W),
- The "Bass Islands" (French: Îles Bass), is composed of :
- the main island of Rapa (27°35′00″S 144°20′00″W / 27.583333°S 144.333333°W),
- the small Marotiri island (27°55′00″S 143°26′00″W / 27.916667°S 143.433333°W) in the southeast, part of Rapa municipality
The islands of Maria and Marotiri are not suitable for sustained habitation. Several of the islands have uninhabited islets or rocks off their coastlines.
In administrative terms, the Austral Islands (including the Bass Islands) constitute an administrative subdivision, the Austral Islands (subdivision administrative des (Îles) Australes), one of French Polynesia's five administrative subdivisions (subdivision administratives). Geographically, the administrative subdivision of the Austral Islands is identical with the electoral district of the Austral Islands (circonscription des Îles Australes), one of French Polynesia's six electoral districts (circonsriptions électorales) for the Assembly of French Polynesia.
The capital of the Austral Islands administrative subdivision is Tubuai.
See also
- French overseas departments and territories
- Administrative divisions of France
- Islands controlled by France in the Indian and Pacific oceans
- List of islands of France
- Politics of French Polynesia
References
- ^ (French) Institut Statistique de Polynésie Française (ISPF). "Recensement de la population 2007" (PDF). http://www.ispf.pf/(k1aciwf4z0fyap45ghzhgm55)/stat/demo/rp2007/pdfs/poplegales2007.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
External links
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more |
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| WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Austral Islands". Read more |
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Mentioned in
- French Polynesia (French overseas territory)
- marae (in archaeology)
- Emperor angelfish
- Marotiri
- Austral language
- Rapa
- Bass Islands (French Polynesia)
- Mele (island)
- Austral
- Tubuai (Austral Islands)
- Raivavae
- Hull Island
- Nuguria
- Music of the Austral Islands
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