Disappointment Islands

The Îles du désappointement (English: Disappointment Islands, German: " Islands of disappointment " ) are a small group of atolls in the north east of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia.

The atolls hot Tepoto north (14 ° 06'20 "S, 141 ° 25'20 " W ) and Napuka (14 ° 10'28 "S, 141 ° 13'50" W), which form the community Napuka. Often Puka Puka (14 ° 49 ' S, 138 ° 48' W) is to be counted, the 260 km ( Napuka ) and 288 km ( Tepoto North ) lies to the southeast. The arid climate of the islands makes it a sparsely populated, inhospitable place.

Demography

The inhabitants are almost exclusively Polynesians. According to data from 2007 Tepoto North of 44, Napuka of 271 and Puka Puka is inhabited by 162 people.

History

Tepoto North and Nepuka were colonized by settlers from neighboring Tuamotus, Puka Puka, was settled in the early 20th century by Fakahina.

The islands were named after the legend in 1519 by Ferdinand Magellan, who could find there on the way to the Philippines no water source to replenish the ship's stores. More likely and occupied, however, is that the first known European explorers, John Byron, the islands in 1765 gave her name as he came there on a population that was hostile -minded Europeans.