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Bora Bora
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Bora Bora (16°26′40″S, 151°45′5″W) is an
island in the Leeward group of the Society
Islands of French Polynesia, about 260 km
northwest of the capital, Papeete. The island is
surrounded by a lagoon and a fringing reef. In
the center of the island are the remnants of an
extinct volcano, rising to two peaks, Mt. Pahia,
and the highest point, Mount Otemanu, reaching
727 meters (2,385 ft.).
As of 2000, the population was about 4,500
people. The major settlement, Vaitape is on the
western side of the island, opposite the main
channel into the lagoon.
The original name in the Tahitian language might
be better rendered as Pora Pora, meaning "First
Born".
The products of the island are mostly limited to
what can be obtained from the sea and coconut
trees.
History
The island was settled by Polynesian people
about the 4th century. While the island was
sighted by earlier explorers, James Cook led the
first group of Europeans to visit the island in
1777.
In 1842 Bora Bora was made a protectorate of
France.
World War II
During World War II, following the December 7,
1941 attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan, Bora Bora
was chosen as a South Pacific Military supply
base by the United States, 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. The base was officially closed on June
2, 1946, however so many American personnel
loved the island and the people that they
refused to leave. Some had to be forcibly
removed following complaints from their
families.
The development of the airstrip in World War II
meant that Bora Bora remained French Polynesia's
only international airport until Faa'a
International Airport was opened in Papeete,
Tahiti in 1962. The airstrip at Bora Bora was
never able to accommodate large-sized aircraft.
Today
Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort, Bora BoraToday the
island is mainly dependent on tourism. It has
many high-end resorts, mostly visited by
American and Japanese tourists. Many tourists
come to Bora Bora for a beach holiday, and are
surprised to learn it is a lagoon destination,
with relatively few, narrow beaches.
Air Tahiti has five or six flights daily to the
island from Papeete, at a cost of about 14,000
XPF one-way.
Although French is the official language of
French Polynesia, English is becoming more
widely spoken, especially among the younger
generation.
Public transport on the island is fairly
limited, consisting of a single bus that goes
halfway around the island and back every hour or
so. Bicycles are the recommended method of
transport for tourists, if your hotel will not
arrange your transport for you. There are also
small electric cars for hire in Vaitape.
Bora Bora is famous for scuba diving in and
around its beautiful lagoon. Many species of
sharks and rays can be seen in the water. There
are two dive operators on the island: Bora Bora
Dive Center, and Top Dive. Many of the
divemasters offer shark feeding excursions.
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Background:
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The French annexed various Polynesian island groups
during the 19th century. In September 1995, France
stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear
testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year
moratorium. The tests were suspended in January
1996. |
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Location:
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Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean,
about one-half of the way from South America to
Australia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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15 00 S, 140 00 W
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Map references:
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Oceania |
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Area:
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total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
water: 507 sq km
land: 3,660 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
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Climate:
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tropical, but moderate |
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Terrain:
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mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with
reefs |
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Ethnic groups:
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Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%,
metropolitan French 4% |
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Religions:
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Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no
religion 6% |
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Languages:
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French (official), Tahitian (official) |
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Currency:
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Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF); note -
may adopt the euro in 2003 |
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Currency code:
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XPF |
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Exchange rates:
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Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US
dollar - 135.04 (January 2002), 133.26 (2001),
129.44 (2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25 (1998), 106.11
(1997); note - pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to
the euro |
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