Taravai

Taravai is the second largest of the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. It is located 2 km southwest of Mangareva. Taravai is 5.7 km ², the highest point of the island is 256 m above sea level. The island has 9 inhabitants (2012 ), the only village is Agakono, situated on a bay on the east.

The island was discovered in 1797 by James Wilson. The relatively large church Saint Gabriel, built in 1868, is a remnant of the Catholic missionary of the Gambier Islands in the first half of the 19th century by the French Order " Pères et religieuses of Sacrés - Cœurs de Picpus " (or " Picpusiens ", named after the order established in the Picpus street in Paris ). On the now almost deserted island once lived 2,000 people. The lush vegetation is limited to the narrow coastal strip. With increasing height of the vegetation becomes sparser, the peaks of the highly profiled island are arid.