Hienghène

Hienghène (French pronunciation: [jɛ̃ɡɛn] ^ⓘ,^[3][4]; Fwâi: Hyehen)^[5] is a commune in the North Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is located on a bay called Hienghène Bay, known for its eroded limestone islets.^[6]

Hienghène
Commune
"La Poule" (the hen) cliff in Hienghène
Location of the commune (in red) within New Caledonia
Location of Hienghène
Coordinates: 20°41′39″S 164°55′20″E
Country	France
Sui generis collectivity	New Caledonia
Province	North Province
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Bernard Ouillatte[1]
Area 1	1,068.8 km2 (412.7 sq mi)
Population  (2019 census)[2]	2,454
• Density	2.3/km2 (5.9/sq mi)
Ethnic distribution
• 2019 census	Kanaks 94.17% Europeans 2.36% Wallisians and Futunans 0.12% Mixed 2.61% Other 0.73%
Time zone	UTC+11:00
INSEE/Postal code	98807 /98815
Elevation	0–1,628 m (0–5,341 ft) (avg. 20 m or 66 ft)
1 New Caledonia Land Register (DITTT) data, which exclude lakes and ponds larger than 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) as well as the estuaries of rivers.

The islets are remnants of a limestone and silica formation that once covered the whole of the bay, some 40 million years ago.^[6] Erosion from wind and water carved away the softer limestone, leaving the harder silica behind in eye-catching formations. Several of these formations have been given fanciful names, such as the Sphinx, the Towers of Notre Dame, and the Hen (pictured).^[6]