Bora Bora
- This article is about the island of Bora Bora. For the administrative commune which includes the island, see Bora-Bora. For other meanings, see Bora Bora (disambiguation).
Bora Bora | |
|---|---|
Location of  | |
| Land | Frankreich |
| Subdivision | Leeward Islands |
| Regierung | |
| • Mayor | Gaston Tong Sang |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 98714 / |
Bora Bora is in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The island, located about 230 km (140 miles) northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. In the center of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, the highest point at 727 m (2,385 ft). The original name of the island in the Tahitian language might be better rendered as Pora Pora, meaning "First Born"; an early transcription found in 18th- and 19th century accounts, is Bolabolla (or "Bollabolla").
The major settlement, Vaitape is on the western side of the island, opposite the main channel into the lagoon. The products of the island are mostly limited to what can be obtained from the sea and coconut trees, which were historically of economic importance for copra.
Administration
The island is administratively part of the commune (municipality) of Bora-Bora, itself in the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands.
During the August 2007 census, the population on the island was about 8,880 people.
The commune of Bora-Bora is made up of the island of Bora Bora proper with its surrounding islets emerging from the coral reef (29.3 km²/11.3 sq. miles in total) and of the atoll of Tupai (11 km2 (4.2 sq mi)*), located 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Bora Bora. The atoll of Tupai has no permanent population apart from some workers in the coconut plantations.
The INSEE Code of the commune is 98714 and its postal code 98730. The administrative centre of the commune is the settlement of Vaitape.
History
The Island was first inhabited by Polynesian settlers around the 4th century. Its previous Polynesian name was Vava'u.
The first European sighting was made by Jakob Roggeveen in 1722. James Cook sighted the island in 1769 and landed in 1777. A London Missonary Society arrived in 1820 and founded a protestant church in 1822.
In 1842 Bora Bora was made a protectorate of France following the actions of Admiral Abel Aubert Dupetit Thouars.
World War II
Following the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan, the United States entered World War II. The US chose Bora Bora as a South Pacific military supply base, and an oil depot, airstrip, seaplane base, and defensive fortifications were constructed. However, the island saw no combat as the American presence on Bora Bora went uncontested over the course of the war. Although the base was officially closed on June 2, 1946, many American personnel so loved the island and the people that they refused to leave. Some had to be forcibly removed following complaints from their families.[citation needed]
This World War II airstrip, which was never able to accommodate large aircraft, was French Polynesia's only international airport until Faa'a International Airport was opened in Papeete, Tahiti in 1962.
Heute
Today the island is mainly dependent on tourism. Over the last few years several high-end resorts have been built on motu (small islands) surrounding the lagoon.
Thirty years ago, Hotel Bora Bora built the first over-the-water bungalows on stilts over the lagoon and today, overwater bungalows are a standard feature of most Bora Bora resorts. These private bungalows offer stunning views of the lagoon and mountain, easy access into the lagoon and are very luxurious, spacious, and priced accordingly.
Bora Bora's main attraction is its calm and crystal-clear lagoon offering the full array of nautical activities, including Shark and Ray Feeding Excursions. There are also land excursion, such as by 4x4 up the hills to see the old WWII cannons and get a bird's-eye-view of the multicolored lagoon.
Air Tahiti has five or six flights daily to the airport on Moto Mute from Tahiti (as well as from other islands), at a cost of about 14,000 XPF one-way.
Although French and Tahitian are the main languages spoken by the inhabitants, people in contact with tourists generally have some command of English. Most visitors to Bora Bora are American, Japanese, or European.
Public transport on the island is limited, consisting of a single bus that goes halfway around the island and back approximately every hour. Bicycles are the recommended method of transport for tourists. There are also small fun-cars for hire in the little town of Vaitape.
Bora Bora is famous for snorkeling and scuba diving in and around its lagoon. Many species of sharks and rays can be seen in the transparent water. There are a few dive operators on the island offering manta ray dives and shark-feeding dives.
References
External links
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