Manihiki

Template: Infobox Atoll / Maintenance / height Missing

Manihiki is an atoll in the Cook Islands, which is known as the "Island of Pearls". The approximated triangular atoll located away from neighboring atoll 1160 km north of Rarotonga Rakahanga and about 44 km south.

History

It is believed that the Polynesians lived on the island since at least 1500. For Europeans, it was only discovered on 13 October 1822 by the U.S. ship Good Hope and christened by Captain Patrickson on Humphrey Iceland. The United States subsequently raised territorial claims to the island they ceded in 1980 to New Zealand.

From 1854 Manihiki was visited and evangelized by missionaries of the London Missionary Society.

Geography and Tourism

Manihiki is the tip of an undersea mountain, the 4,000 m rises above the seabed. The 4 -km-wide lagoon is 40 tiny reef islands ( motus ) with a total of 5.4 km ² edged. The reef is good for swimming and snorkeling.

The island is regarded as one of the best dive sites in the region. A permission must be obtained in the village Tauhunu. The open sea is a good fishing waters, including bonito be found. The island is known for its black pearls; in the lagoon there are several pearl farms. The largest farm holding 250,000 oysters. There are tours organized on the farms where you can learn the culture methods and can observe the exposure of mussels to breed. Tauhunu on the west coast is known for its pearls and the Schnitzer Fare Ariki - one of the few old buildings that survived the cyclone Martin in November 1997 - known.

The island can every Thursday from Rarotonga from be reached in about a four hour flight.

Population

The inhabitants speak Rakahanga - Manihiki. Administrative center is Tauhunu, the second village of the island is Tukao. At the 2001 census the island had 515 inhabitants.