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Tuamotu Archipelago

Tuamotu Archipelago

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Tuamotu Archipelago or Low Archipelago, coral island group (2002 pop. 14,876), South Pacific, part of French Polynesia . They comprise c.80 atolls in a 1,300-mi (2,092-km) chain, with a total land area of c.330 sq mi (850 sq km). Rangiroa is the largest island; Fakarava is the most important commercially. The islands have coconut, pandanus, and breadfruit trees and produce cultured pearls, pearl shell, and copra. The islands were visited by the Spanish in 1606, came under a French protectorate in 1844, and were annexed by France in 1881. A small part of the group is governed with the Gambier Islands ; Makatea Island is under the administration of the Society Islands . The Tuamotu group was formerly called Paumotu, or Dangerous Archipelago, because hundreds of ships have been wrecked on its reefs and atolls. Some islands of the group were used for French nuclear experiments.

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"Tuamotu Archipelago." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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Tuamotu Archipelago

The Oxford American College Dictionary | 2009 | Copyright

Tu·a·mo·tu Ar·chi·pel·a·go / ˌtoōəˈmōtoō/ a group of about 80 coral islands that form part of French Polynesia, in the South Pacific Ocean; pop. 12,000. It is the largest group of coral atolls in the world.

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"Tuamotu Archipelago." The Oxford American College Dictionary. 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O997-tuamotuarchipelago.html

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Tuamotu Archipelago images
Tuamotu Archipelago. Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

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