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Austral Islands

 
Dictionary: Aus·tral Islands   (ô'strəl) pronunciation also Tu·bu·a·i Islands
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(tū-bwä'ē, tū'bū-ī')

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.

 

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Austral Islands
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Group of islands (pop., 2002: 6,386), southern French Polynesia. The southernmost part of French Polynesia (austral is Latin for "south"), the islands form a chain about 800 mi (1,300 km) long. They were sighted by Capt. James Cook in 1769 and 1777. They were taken over by the French in the late 19th century. The inhabited islands are Rimatara, Rurutu, Tubuai, Raevavae, and Rapa.

For more information on Austral Islands, visit Britannica.com.

 
Columbia Encyclopedia: Austral 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
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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
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Coordinates: 23°0′S 150°0′W / 23°S 150°W / -23; -150

Austral Islands
Native name: Îles Australes
Flag of the Austral Islands.svg
Flag of the Austral Islands
Geography
Fp-map.png
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 (pop. 2,088)
Demographics
Population 6,310[1] (as of Aug. 2007 census)
Density 43 /km2 (110 /sq mi)
Map of the Austral Islands

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 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

References

  1. ^ (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 2007-12-02. 

External links

v • d • e
French Polynesia Archipelagos of French Polynesia
v • d • e
Austral Islands of French Polynesia
Flag of the Austral Islands Flag of French Polynesia
Archipelagos of French Polynesia:  Australs • Gambiers • Marquesas • Societies • Tuamotus
v • d • e
Polynesia
Polynesian triangle
Polynesian outliers and
peripheral cultures


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Copyrights:

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
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
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
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Austral Islands".  Read more