| Anaa is an atoll in the Tuamotu archipelago, in French Polynesia. It is located in the northwest of the archipelago, 350 km to the east of Tahiti. It oval in shape, 29.5 km in length and 6.5 km wide, with a total area 38 km˛. The atoll is made up by eleven small barren islands with deeper and more fertile soil than other atolls in the Tuamotus. The lagoon is shallow, without entrance, and formed by three main basins. Although it does not have any navigable entrance, the water of the lagoon renews by several small channels that can be crossed walking.
The main village is Tukuhora, also called Anaa, with a total population of 435 according to the census of 2002. The other small villages like Temarie, Otepipi, Mania and Tematahoa were uninhabited according to the census. The population subsists mainly on the fishing, the cultivation of nacre and the production of copra.
The atoll of Anaa was known by the legendary cruelty of its soldiers who in the 17th century, dominated the northwest of the Tuamotus. The first European to discover the atoll was James Cook, in 1769. Because of its shape, he called it Chain Island. Later, it was visited by Domingo Bonaechea, on November 1 of 1772, who called it Island of All Saints. At the beginning of the 19th century, control of the island went to the Pomaré of Tahiti. Around 1850 it was an active center of the nacre commerce and copra, with a maximum population of 2,000. The missionary competition between Mormons of North America and French Catholics led to a revolt in 1852, and an intervention by French colonial troops. In 1878 and 1906 the island suffered severe hurricane damages and was completely flooded. After the hurricane of 1983, the only village was moved and reconstructed, incorporating a refuge shelter with capacity for all its population.
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