Tahiti
Largest island of French Polynesia, settled by Polynesians by 1100 CE.
Tahiti is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is the economic, cultural, and political centre of French Polynesia, with its capital Papeʻete located on the northwest coast.
- Location
- Central Pacific Ocean, French Polynesia
- Official language
- French
- Capital
- Papeʻete
Lore & Background
Tahiti consists of two roughly circular land masses, Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Iti, joined by an isthmus. Both are eroded remnants of now-extinct shield volcanoes that were active between 0.25 and 1.67 million years ago. The terrain is mostly high and mountainous, with beaches and coral reefs supporting tourism and fishing. The interior of Tahiti Nui is almost entirely uninhabited, while Tahiti Iti's southeastern half is accessible only by boat or on foot.
Reader's Guide
Tahiti holds significance as the most populous island in French Polynesia, accounting for 68.7% of the collectivity's total population in 2017. It serves as the economic, cultural, and political hub, hosting the only international airport in the region, Faʻaʻā International Airport, near Papeʻete. Spanish expeditions under Domingo de Bonechea also attempted colonization in the 1770s. Today, those of Polynesian heritage represent about 70% of the population, with French as the sole official language, though Tahitian is widely spoken.
Did You Know?
- Tahiti was called Otaheite in earlier European documents, from the Tahitian phrase 'o Tahiti' meaning 'it is Tahiti'.
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