Mehetia or Meetia is a volcanic island in the Windward Islands, in the east of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. This island is a very young active stratovolcano 110 kilometres (68.4 miles) east of Taiarapu Peninsula of Tahiti. It has an area of 2.3 square kilometres (0.89 square miles) and its highest point is 435 metres (1,427 ft). Mehetia's well-defined volcanic crater contains a very active hot point. In 1981 the island was the centre of earthquakes.
History
Mehetia was sighted by Spanish navigator Domingo de Boenechea on November 6 1772 on ship Aguila. He named this island "San Cristóbal". It was later sighted by Englishman Samuel Wallis in 1767.
Administration
Mehetia is administratively part of the commune (municipality) of Taiarapu-Est. The island is uninhabited and doesn't have much vegetation but has a small coral reef on the underwater slopes.
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