Travel the Pacific - Tahiti

TAHITI and her islands may number more than 100 and be spread across five far-flung archipelagos, but they have their own very individual character whose inhabitants blend the 21st century to the ancestral rhythms of sun and sea. Their Polynesian hospitality is legendary and the scenery of spectacular rich green mountains, sapphire blue sea and white coral sands is simply stunning.

Issue 21 Travel Feature
Photo Essay: Te Wa - The traditional Canoe of Kiribati

Anthropologist TONY WHINCUP has spent more than 30 years photographing in Kiribati. In our latest photo essay, courtesy of Pacificfocus.org we present his documentation of the traditional canoe from the vast atoll nation.
Read more

TAHITI and her 118 volcanically formed islands cover 40,145 km2, an ocean territory the size of Western Europe. All were born from eruptions occurring in a Pacific 'hot spot' millions of years ago.

There are five archipelagos altogether forming a galaxy of atolls. These are the Society Islands of TAHITI, Moorea and Bora Bora; the Austral Islands, the Marquesas, the Tuamotu atolls and the Gambier Islands.

The myriad of islands contrast each others natural splendour; from the Tuamotus, whose coral strands can be no more then 5 meters above sea level, to the vastly mountainous grandeur of the Marquesas Islands.

In the centre of this vast ocean region lies Tahiti, known for its alluring blend of French, Polynesian and Asian culture. The islands hold a population of approximately 250,000, with 86% living on the Society Islands and the capital Papeete.

TAHITI consists of two roughly circular areas, Tahiti nui (big Tahiti) and Tahiti Iti (small Tahiti) or Taiarapu, centred on volcanic mountains and connected by a short isthmus named Taravao.

TAHITI is thought to be originally inhabited by migrants from Southeast Asia, travelling through Samoa between 2000 and 1000AD.

Before European contact, the islands were run through a chiefly system and divided into districts.

During the 18th Century the islands were visited by early explorers including Bougainville, Wallis, Vancouver and Captain Cook.

The islands were colonised by the French during this period and in 1957 it was declared a French overseas territory.

Traditional Tahitian culture was communal, with a spiritual and hierarchical base. A variety of Gods were acknowledged, worship expressed through the sacred stone platform of the Marae. The communities worked together to raise crops of taro, breadfruit, bananas and sweet potatoes, fishing from the bounty of the surrounding lagoons and ocean. Carving and tool making from available raw materials was a necessity, and these artefacts can be found today made from stone, bone, shell and wood. A vital cultural element was tattoo, their bodies strikingly decorated.

Today, Tahitian culture thrives with the acts of carving, dancing, singing, drumming, drama, language and tattoo still widely practiced and respected. TAHITI has earned a reputation for the skill, creativity and rhythm of their dancers, an area that has grown rapidly since it was banned in the 1880s. While creatively adapting the traditional to a modern time, and adopting the cultural influence of France and Asia, it remains the focus of cultural expression and pride.

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