Mataiva

Template: Infobox Atoll / Maintenance / height Missing

Mataiva or Matahiva, old name: Lasarev, is the northwesternmost island of the Tuamotu Archipelago and geographically belongs to the group of Palliser Islands ( Îles Palliser ).

Geography

The atoll with 8.5 times 3.6 kilometers in diameter has a shallow lagoon, 25 km ² covered. The volcanic island of the central geologically very old atoll is already sunk. As the last remnant lies in the lagoon or the so-called " Pito " ( Polynesian for navel), a few square meters large, black monolith of basalt, which stands out clearly from the surrounding coral rock and sand. An oval, almost closed ring of islands includes the already largely filled with sediment lagoon, which is divided by reaching almost to the surface of coral reefs in several " pools ". It is only limited by small boats to drive, a navigable Riffpassage there is not.

Flora

The floors of the existing coral sand and rubble - Motus are low in nutrients. The vegetation of the flat Tuamotu islands is not very rich in species. Due to the large-scale system of coconut plantations flora Mataivas was changed significantly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although many of the plantations have now been abandoned due to the decline of the copra price, the coconut palm is still the landscape formative plant today.

Remnants of the original vegetation are only some small motus, which separate the Tidenkanäle ( Hoa ) is obtained. It corresponds to the typical, occurring on other atolls of the Tuamotus low composition. The beach vegetation consists of creepers and bushy Guettarda speciosa and Scaevola taccada. The located landward subsequent forest consists mainly of Pisonia Grandis, Pemphis acidula, Heliotropium foertherianum (synonym: Tournefortia argentea ), coconut palms and pandanus trees together.

History

The inhabitants belong to Mihiroa language group, which is etymologically connected to Tahiti rather than with Paumotu, spoken on the other Tuamotu islands. This could be an indication that the far north was once inhabited location Mataiva from Tahiti. However, the timing of the initial colonization is unknown.

Evidence of an early settlement Mataivas by Polynesians is the Marae papiro (or marae of Tù ), a Zeremonialanlage unknown age on a headland at Tevaihara in the southeast of the atoll, directly on a Hoa. It was built from flat, vertical coral plates of 30 to 60 cm in height. The building consists of eight separate, rectangular boxes of different sizes. The center of the complex is a narrowed down field with stone slabs of 16.70 m length and 8.80 m width, in it a stone seat with a one -meter-high backrest and two armrests. According to legend, this is the throne of mythical giants and King Tù, the three steps could cross the entire island. Opposite, on the Motu Taae, some scattered slabs of stone are still visible, remnants of the Marae Taae who once 12,30 x 5,30 m measured.

On July 30, 1820, the atoll of Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen was discovered for Europe. He named the island " Lazarev " (also " Lazarev " written ) by Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev, the captain of his frigate Mirniy.

Beginning of November 1835 Charles Darwin visited during his world voyage on the Beagle and the Mativa Atoll. Their findings are published in 1842 influenced his theory on the origin of atolls.

Today Mataiva is a part of community ( commune associée ) of the municipality of Rangiroa and belongs politically to French Polynesia.

Infrastructure

Mataiva has 272 inhabitants ( as of 2012). The only village Pahua is in the northwest of Mataiva, on both sides of the non- navigable Riffpassage Passe Faratue that cuts through about one kilometer length of the atoll ring and is less than 60 meters wide at its narrowest point. The two parts are connected to a 1997/98 built concrete bridge with 120 meters, the longest bridge in Polynesia. Mataiva has since 1999 an airfield ( ICAO code: NTGV, IATA code: MVT ) with a 1,300 m ( 3,936 ft.) runway, which is accessible by light aircraft to the Air Tahiti lasting in a 1 ½ hour flight from Papeete. The airfield is located immediately west of the southern part of Pahua at the open ocean side of the island. The tourist infrastructure is poorly developed. There is no hotel, only two private pensions ( guest houses ) but no restaurant or bank.

The inhabitants live mainly on subsistence agriculture, fishing with fish traps still plays a significant role in food procurement. Exports are vanilla beans from a small plantation in the interior of the island and copra to a small extent. On the west side of the lagoon a significant phosphate deposit was discovered in 1976, with an estimated yield of 20-25 million tons. So far, the residents have, however, successfully defended against degradation.

Tourism

From time to time Mataiva is driven by cruise ships.

Others

• The island is mentioned under the sea under the name of " Lazarev " in Jules Verne's novel 20,000 miles.

• In 1980 undertook the Hokulea ( Hokule'a ), a replica of a traditional Polynesian double-hulled canoes, a journey from Hawaii to Tahiti. The captain Nainoa Thompson, who is descended from Hawaiian Native navigated without maps and instruments, only after traditional Polynesian methods. The Hokulea Mataiva reached on 14 April 1980 after a journey of 31 days.

• Gallery

Mataiva, one of the uninhabited islands ring

Mataiva