Bora Bora is an island in French Polynesia known for its turquoise lagoon and overwater bungalow resorts. The island was originally inhabited by Polynesians and later colonized by France in the late 19th century. During World War II, the United States developed the island into a military base, though it saw no combat. Today, Bora Bora's economy depends almost entirely on tourism, with visitors attracted by the island's beautiful beaches and opportunities for water activities like snorkeling in the lagoon.

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2. Bora Bora
French Polynesia

4. Bora Bora
• Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of
French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean.
The original name of the island in the Tahitian language might be better
rendered as Pora Pora, meaning "First Born"; an early transcription found
in 18th- and 19th-century accounts, is Bolabolla or Bollabolla. The island,
located about 230 kilometres (140 mi) northwest of Papeete, is
surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. In the center of the island are
the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and
Mount Otemanu, the highest point at 727 meters (2,385 ft).
• Bora Bora is a major international tourist destination, famous for its aqua-
centric luxury resorts. The island is served by Bora Bora Airport on Motu
Mete in the north, with Air Tahiti providing daily flights to and from
Papeete on Tahiti. The major settlement, Vaitape is on the western side of
the main island, opposite the main channel into the lagoon. Produce of
the island is mostly limited to what can be obtained from the sea and the
plentiful coconut trees, which were historically of economic importance
for copra. According to a census performed in 2008, the permanent
population of Bora Bora is 8,880.

5. Matira Beach and Lagoon

6. Administration
• The island is administratively part of the commune
(municipality) of Bora-Bora, itself in the administrative
subdivision of the Leeward Islands. The commune of Bora-
Bora is made up of the island of Bora Bora proper with its
surrounding islets emerging from the coral reef, 29.3 km²
(11.3 sq mi) in total, and of the atoll of Tupai (11 km2/4.2 sq
mi), located 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Bora Bora. The
atoll of Tupai has no permanent population apart from about
50 workers in the coconut plantations. President of French
Polynesia Gaston Tong Sang is the current mayor of Bora Bora
in addition to being the President.

7. Maohi Protestant Church in Anau

8. History
• The island was first inhabited by Polynesian settlers around
the 4th century. Its previous Polynesian name was Vava'u. As
there is no B in the Tahitian language, it is actually called Pora
Pora, but early visitors misheard it. The first European sighting
was made by Jakob Roggeveen in 1722. James Cook sighted
the island in 1770 and landed that same year. The London
Missionary Society arrived in 1820 and founded a Protestant
church in 1890. Bora Bora was an independent kingdom until
1888 when its last queen Teriimaevarua III was forced to
abdicate by the French who annexed the island as a colony.

9. Mount Otemanu

10. World War II
• Following the 7 December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan, the
United States entered World War II. The U.S. chose Bora Bora as a South
Pacific military supply base, and an oil depot, airstrip, seaplane base, and
defensive fortifications were constructed. Known as "Operation Bobcat",
it maintained a supply force of nine ships, 20,000 tons of equipment and
nearly 7,000 men. Seven massive naval cannons were set up at strategic
points around the island to protect it against potential military attack.
• However, the island saw no combat as the American presence on Bora
Bora went uncontested over the course of the war. Although the base was
officially closed on June 2, 1946, many American personnel chose to
remain on the island.[citation needed] The World War II airstrip, which
was never able to accommodate large aircraft, was French Polynesia's
only international airport until Faa'a International Airport was opened in
Papeete, Tahiti in 1960.

11. Mount Otemanu

12. Commune of Bora Bora
• The commune of Bora-Bora is made up of the island of Bora Bora proper
with its surrounding islets emerging from the coral reef, 29.3 km² (11.3 sq
mi) in total, and of the atoll of Tupai (11 km2/4.2 sq mi), located 20
kilometres (12 mi) north of Bora Bora. The atoll of Tupai has no
permanent population apart from some workers in the coconut
plantations.
• The surrounding islets include: Motu Tapu, Motu Ahuna, Tevairoa, Motu
Tane, Motu Mute, Motu Tufari, Motu Pitiaau, Sofitel Motu, Motu Toopua
and Toopuaiti.
• The commune is in the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands
and divided into 3 districts: Vaitape, Faanui and Anau.
• The administrative centre of the commune is the settlement of Vaitape,
on the island of Bora Bora.

14. Tourism
• Today the island is almost entirely dependent on tourism. Over the last few years
several resorts have been built on motu (small islands, from Tahitian) surrounding
the lagoon. Thirty years ago, Hotel Bora Bora built the first over-the-water
bungalows on stilts over the lagoon and today, over-water bungalows are a
standard feature of most Bora Bora resorts. The quality of those bungalows ranges
from comparably cheap, basic accommodations to very luxurious and expensive
places to stay. Most of the tourist destinations are aqua-centric; however it is
possible to visit attractions on land such as WWII cannons. Air Tahiti has five or six
flights daily to the Bora Bora Airport on Motu Mute from Tahiti (as well as from
other islands).
• Although French and Tahitian are the main languages spoken by the inhabitants,
people in contact with tourists generally have some command of English. Most
visitors to Bora Bora are American, Japanese, or European.Public transport on the
island is non-existent. Rental cars and bicycles are the recommended method of
transport. There are also small fun-cars for hire in Vaitape. Snorkeling and scuba
diving in and around the lagoon of Bora Bora are popular activities. Many species
of sharks and rays inhabit the surrounding body of water. There are a few dive
operators on the island offering manta ray dives and also shark-feeding dives.
• In addition to the existing islands of Bora Bora (called motu), the new man-made
motu of Motu Marfo has been added in the north-eastern corner of the lagoon on
the property of the St. Regis Resort.

30. Mount Otemanu

31. Mount Otemanu

33. Mount Otemanu

38. Mount Otemanu

41. Nikos
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