Atiu

Atiu (also called Enuamanu ) is an entity belonging to the Polynesian Cook Islands 27 km ² large island. It belongs to the southern group of islands in the Cook Islands and is located 187 km northeast of the main island of Rarotonga. On Atiu population of just under 570 inhabitants ( 2006 census ) in five villages. The population has been declining rapidly due to emigration to New Zealand and Australia; to the 2001 census had a population of 623 Atiu yet

Atiu is about 11 million years old and of volcanic origin. It stands out, in contrast to most other volcanic islands of the South Pacific, still up about 0.2 mm per year from the seabed. It emerged from a hot spot in the earth's crust, from which a submarine volcano created, but the faded before he could reach the sea surface. Due to the slow tectonic movement of the ocean floor it was (today Atiu ) increased over a period of 8 million years ago, along with the extinct volcano, so that the subsurface coral reef eventually emerged out of the water. The island consists almost exclusively of coral rock with only a few pockets of fertile soil on which agriculture is possible.