Palliser Islands

The Palliser Islands or Pallisers are a subgroup of the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. They are located in the very northwest of the main group of atolls.^[1]

Pallisers

Location of the Palliser Islands in the Pacific Ocean

Map of the Tuamotus; the Pallisers are located northwest-most in the main Tuamotu atoll cluster.

Atolls

The group includes:

• Apataki
• Arutua
• Fakarava
• Kaukura
• Mataiva
• Rangiroa
• Makatea
• Tikehau
• Toau

Administration

• Administratively, Arutua, Apataki and Kaukura atolls belong to the commune of Arutua, with a total population of 1510 inhabitants.
• Toau and Fakarava, belong to the commune of Fakarava. The total population is of 1800 inhabitants.
• The commune of Rangiroa consists of 3 atolls: Rangiroa itself, Tikehau and Mataiva, and a separate island (Makatea). The total population is of 3467 inhabitants.

History

The Palliser Islands were named "Palliser's Isles" by Captain James Cook, who was the first European to sight them, on 19 April and 20 April 1774; naming them as such in honour of Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser.^[2]