Society Islands

Archipelago in French Polynesia, divided into the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands; area 1,685 sq km/650 sq mi; population (1995 est) 178,000. The administrative headquarters is Papeete on Tahiti. The Windward Islands (French Iles du Vent) have an area of 1,200 sq km/460 sq mi and a population (1995 est) of 151,000. They comprise Tahiti, Moorea (area 132 sq km/51 sq mi), Maio (or Tubuai Manu; 9 sq km/3.5 sq mi), and the smaller Tetiaroa and Mehetia. The Leeward Islands (French Iles sous le Vent) have an area of 404 sq km/156 sq mi and a population of 27,000 (1995 est). They comprise the volcanic islands of Raiatea (including the main town of Uturoa), Huahine, Bora-Bora, Maupiti, Tahaa, and four small atolls. The islands were named after the Royal Society by Captain Cook, who visited them in 1769. Claimed by France in 1768, the group became a French protectorate in 1843, and a colony in 1880. Products include copra, phosphates, mother-of-pearl, and vanilla.