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Vairaatea is a small atoll of the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. Geographically Vairaatea Atoll is part of the East-central subgroup of the Tuamotus, which includes Ahunui, Amanu, Fangatau, Hao and Nukutavake. Nukutavake, the closest land, lies 38 km to the east. Vairaatea Atoll measures 8 km in length and its width is about 4 km. Its reef has a roughly triangular shape. There are two long islands on it. The reef completely encloses a 13 km² lagoon. Landing on this atoll is difficult on account of the surf and the lack of a safe anchorage. In 1989 Vairaatea was inhabited by eight families living in a village at the northern end of Puka Runga, the only inhabited island. According to the 2012 census there were 57 people living in Vairaatea, a drop from 70 in 1996. ==History== The first recorded European who arrived to Vairaatea was the Spanish explorer Pedro Fernández de Quirós on the 9 February of 1606. He named this atoll ''San Miguel Arcángel''. However his captains Prado y Tovar and Vaéz de Torres refer to it as ''Santa Polonia'' as it was sighted on the day of this Christian martyr.〔Maude, H.E. ''Spanish discoveries in the Central Pacific. A study in identification'' Journal of the Polynesian Society, Wellington, LXVIII, 1959, p.284-326.〕 Englishman Samuel Wallis visited Vairaatea in 1767. He named it "Lord Egmont". In some maps it also appears as "Industriel". 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Vairaatea」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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