Tuamotu Islands (Tuamotu and Gambier Islands, French Polynesia)

Îles Tuamotu

Last modified: 2007-02-10 by ivan sache
Keywords: tuamotu | tuamotu and gambier islands | stars: 16 (blue) | stars: 8 (red) |
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• Geography of Tuamotu
• Flag of Tuamotu
• Kingdom of Tuamotu, 1832-1843

See also:

• French Polynesia
• Tuamotu and Gambier Islands (French Polynesia)
• Reao Pukaruha District (Tuamotu Islands)

Geography of Tuamotu

Quoting the website of the Presidency of French Polynesia:

Tuamotu is the biggest of the five archipelagos of French Polynesia. The Tuamotu Archipelago consists of 76 islands and atolls spread out over 20,000 square kilometers. Left to themselves for a long time, many of the atolls were brought back to life through the development of tourism and some 250 Tahiti cultured pearl farms. The keys to the success of both industries are the lagoons, whose ideal conditions are perfect for scuba diving and the harvesting of pearl oysters and pearls.
The modest homes found in the Tuamotu Archipelago are made charming by their typical whitewashed walls. They are made all the more charming by their special decorations, which include colorful patchwork pillows, cushions and tifaifai (quilts and walling hangings) as well as necklaces and many other objects made from shells. It is never rare to find a family fish park near the house, a real outdoor fish pantry, where beds of many different varieties of lagoon fish grow. Small sharks quickly become the "playmates" of children growing up on these atolls. The surface of the large lagoons is dotted with small jetties and pearl farm installations, which are often visited during tourist excursions for those curious to discover how Tahiti's famous cultured pearls are produced.
Remoteness does not necessarily mean isolation or an absence of creature comforts. Solar energy produces electricity and hot water. And these atolls have modern communications with Tahiti and the outside world. But fresh water is a precious commodity, requiring every possible means of collecting rainwater, particularly through the use of water tanks.

Far from bustling cities and towns, the Tuamotu islands and atolls offer their dreamlike lifestyles that appeal to the Robinson Crusoe adventurism that lies within most people. Life in this part of the world is a total change of scenery from the developed islands of French Polynesia. It provides an ideal relationship with the natural elements of the sea, the lagoon and the sky. It is a place where people can learn to live in another world.

Ivan Sache, 21 August 2005

Flag of Tuamotu

The Territorial Government decree of 4 December 1985 governing the display of the flag of French Polynesia stipulates that the flags of the archipelagos and islands of French Polynesia may be flown next to the Territorial and National flags.
The construction sheet for the flag and its explanation are available on the website of the representation of French Polynesia in China.

The flag of the Tuamotu, of ratio 2:3, is horizontally divided red-white-red (1:1:1) with a blue vertical stripe placed along the hoist and stretching over 2/7 of the flag length. Two rows of eight blue stars each are placed in the white stripe. The colours are prescribed as red Pantone 185c and blue Pantone 286.

The sixteen stars represent the sixteen municipalities forming the archipelago and not its number of islands and atolls. The red and white stripes recall the flag of French Polynesia, whereas the blue stripe recalls the French flag and represents also the sky and the sea.

Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, Santiago Dotor & Ivan Sache, 28 August 2005

This flag is shown in the Flags of Paradise chart [brt96]. The Flags of Aspirant Peoples chart [eba94] shows the flag in the same design but with ratio 1:2.

Ivan Sache, 21 August 2005

Translating Saquet [saq98]:

Recent flag of 1975, this flag flies above many city halls of the Tuamotu achipelago, except of Anaa, the birthplace of the Pomare royal family. The 16 stars placed on the white stripe represent the 16 municipalities of the archipelago.

Gunter Zibell, translated by Pascal Gross, 25 January 2001

Kingdom of Tuamotu, 1832-1843

According to the Flags of Paradise chart [brt96], the flag of the Kingdom of Tuamotu is in ratio 3:5, horizontally divided red-white-red with a vertical blue stripe along the hoist and a row of eight red stars in the white stripe.

Ivan Sache, 19 August 1998