Rimatara


Rimatara is the westernmost inhabited island in the Austral Islands of French Polynesia. It is located south of Tahiti and west of Rurutu. The land area of Rimatara is, and that of the Maria islets is. Its highest point is. Its population was 893 at the 2022 census.
Rimatara is a circular volcanic plateau surrounded by a reef with a height of. The main villages are Amaru, Anapoto and Mutuaura.
Rimatara was one of the last Polynesian islands to receive European visitors. Captain Samuel Pinder Henry discovered the island in 1811. Two Tahitian missionaries from Bora Bora arrived in 1822 and established a Protestant mission. France established a protectorate in 1889 and annexed Rimatara in 1901.

Notable people

The commune of Rimatara consists of the island of Rimatara, and the uninhabited Maria Islets. Rimatara consists of the following associated communes:
  • Amaru
  • Anapoto
  • Mutuaura