Takaroa

Takaroa, Taka-roa or Takapua, is an atoll in the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. It has a length of and a width of ; its land area is.
The nearest land is Takapoto Atoll, located to the southwest.
Fine pearls, including black pearls, were obtained in the lagoon of Takaroa.
Geographically Takaroa is part of the King George Islands subgroup, which includes Ahe, Manihi, Takapoto, Takaroa and Tikei.
Takaroa Atoll has 537 inhabitants. The main village is Teavaroa.
Takaroa is the northernmost atoll in French Polynesia.
Takaroa is located in the Tuamotu Islands.

History

The first recorded Europeans to arrive to Takaroa were Dutch explorers Jacob le Maire and Willem Schouten on 14 April 1616 during their Pacific journey. They called this atoll "Sondergrond Island".
Captain Cook visited the island in 1774.
Takaroa territorial airport was inaugurated in 1986.

Takaroa has a tropical rainforest climate, bordering upon a tropical monsoon climate. The average annual temperature in Takaroa is. The average annual rainfall is with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in March, at around, and lowest in August, at around. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Takaroa was on 20 January 1998; the coolest being on 10 January 1976.

The commune of Takaroa consists of the islands of Takaroa, Takapoto and Tikei.