Maria Est

This article is about Maria Atoll in the Gambier Islands (French Polynesia). For the island in the Austral Islands (French Polynesia), see Îles Maria.

Maria Atoll^[2] is an uninhabited small atoll of the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. It is located in the far southeast of the archipelago, about 72 km (45 mi) southwest from Marutea Sud. Maria's closest neighbour is the small atoll of Matureivavao of the Acteon Group, 56 km (35 mi) to the northwest.

Maria Est

NASA picture of Maria Est Atoll
Maria Est
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	22°01′S 136°11′W
Archipelago	Tuamotus
Area	7 km2 (2.7 sq mi) (lagoon) 3.75 km2 (1 sq mi) (above water)
Length	5.6 km (3.48 mi)
Width	2.9 km (1.8 mi)
Administration
France
Overseas collectivity	French Polynesia
Administrative subdivision	Îles Tuamotu-Gambier
Commune	Gambier
Demographics
Population	Uninhabited[1] (2012)

Maria Atoll is oval in shape and bound by a continuous reef. It is 5.6 km long and 2.9 km wide. Its islands are low and flat and the lagoon is hypersaline.

This atoll is mostly called "Maria Est" in order to avoid confusion with another small atoll called Maria (Nororotu) in the Tubuai (Austral Islands) division of French Polynesia.

History

The first recorded European who arrived at Maria Est was Jacques-Antoine Moerenhout [fr] in 1829. On some maps, Maria Atoll appeared as "Moerenhout Island".^[2]

Administration

Administratively, Maria Est belongs to the commune of the Gambier Islands.