Last modified: 2006-01-14 by ivan sache
Keywords: austral islands | iles australes | stars: 5 (blue) |
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Quoting the website of the Presidency of French Polynesia:
The Austral Islands comprise five high islands: Raivavae (16 sq. km); Rurutu (32.3 sq. km); Tubuai (45 sq. km); Rimatara (8.6 sq. km); and Rapa (40 sq. km). There also are two uninhabited low islands: Maria (or Hull) and the Marotiri Rocks (or Bass).
This group is called the Austral Islands because of their location, which gives them the most southern latitude of any islands in French Polynesia. That puts them on both sides of the Tropic of Capricorn.
The Austral Islands became part of French Oceania in 1880.
Their official census population was 6,563 in 1996. There are very few Europeans and Chinese. People in the Austral Islands are attracted to the big city of Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, where they regroup in certain neighborhoods, such as the "Quartier Rurutu" at Vaininiore.
The Polynesians living in the Austral Islands were converted to Christianity by Protestant missionaries. Today they live off their main crops of taro and vegetables, potatoes and coconut palm plantations. The Austral Islands also grow coffee, which is shipped to Tahiti along with market gardening products and various fruits. Lagoon fishing and deep-sea fishing are fairly active.
Ivan Sache, 22 August 2005
The Territorial Government decree of 4 December 1985 governing the display of the flag of French Polynesia stipulates that the flags of the archipelagos and islands of French Polynesia may be flown next to the Territorial and National flags.
The construction sheet for the flag and its explanation are available on the website of the representation of French Polynesia in China.
The flag of the Austral Islands, of ratio 2:3, is vertically divided red-white-red (1:3:1) with a blue emblem in the white stripe. The emblem is made of a penu surrounded by five blue stars. The colours are prescribed as red Pantone 185c and blue Pantone 286c.
The five stars represent the five high islands constituting the Austral Islands and the penu is the symbol of the archipelago. The red stripes recall that the archipelago is part of French Polynesia.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, Santiago Dotor & Ivan Sache, 28 August 2005