Bora Bora

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This article is about the island. For other uses, see Bora Bora (disambiguation)
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Bora Bora
BoraboraISS006-E-39815.PNG
NASA picture of the island of Bora Bora and its lagoon
Karta FP Societe isl.PNG
Geography
Location
Pacific Ocean
Archipelago
Society Islands
Area
29.3 km2 (11.3 sq mi)
Highest elevation
727 m (2,385 ft)
Highest point Mount Otemanu
Country
France
Overseas collectivity French Polynesia
Administrative subdivision
Leeward Islands
Largest settlement
Vaitape (pop. 4,927 inhabitants)
Demographics
Population
8,880[1] (as of August 2007 census)
Density 300 /km2 (800 /sq mi)
Bora Bora North-East view from Mt Pahia
Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French
ynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean. The island,
ated about 230 kilometres (143 miles) northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by
agoon and a barrier reef. In the centre of the island are the remnants of an
inct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, the highest
nt at 727 metres (2,385 feet).

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Bora Bora is a major international tourist destination, famous for its aqua-cent
ric luxury resorts. The major settlement, Vaitape, is on the western side of the
main island, opposite the main channel into the lagoon. Produce of the island i
s mostly limited to what can be obtained from the sea and the plentiful coconut
trees, which were historically of economic importance for copra. According to a
2008 census, Bora Bora has a permanent population of 8,880.
Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 World War II
2 Commune of Bora Bora
2.1 Administration
3 Tourism
4 Gallery
5 Climate
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
History[edit]
Main article: Kingdom of Bora Bora
Queen Teriimaevarua III and her maids of honor, c. 1899
The island was inhabited by Polynesian settlers around the 4th century AD. The f
irst European sighting was made by Jakob Roggeveen in 1722. James Cook sighted t
he island in 1770 and landed that same year. The London Missionary Society arriv
ed in 1820 and founded a Protestant church in 1890. Bora Bora was an independent
kingdom until 1888 when its last queen Teriimaevarua III was forced to abdicate
by the French who annexed the island as a colony.

World War II[edit]

In World War II the United States chose Bora Bora as a South Pacific military su
pply base, and an oil depot, airstrip, seaplane base, and defensive fortificatio
ns were constructed. Known as "Operation Bobcat", it maintained a supply force o
f nine ships, 20,000 tons of equipment and nearly 7,000 men. Seven artillery gun
s were set up at strategic points around the island to protect it against potent
ial military attack.
However, the island saw no combat as the American presence on Bora Bora went unc
ontested over the course of the war. The base was officially closed on June 2, 1
946. Only one former US serviceman, Fred Giles, returned to the island.[2] The W
orld War II airstrip, which was never able to accommodate large aircraft, was Fr
ench Polynesia's only international airport until Faa'a International Airport wa
s opened in Papeete, Tahiti, in 1960.[3]