Ahe, Ahemaru or Omaru, is a coral atoll in the northern Tuamotu Archipelago, 14 km to the west of Manihi, in French Polynesia. Its ring shape is broken by only a single small passage into the lagoon. It has a land area of approximately 12 km2 and a lagoon area of 138 km2. , Ahe Atoll had 553 inhabitants. The only village in Ahe is Tenukupara with approximately 100 inhabitants. It is located on an island in the south side of the Atoll.

The Atoll is part of the King George Islands (Iles du Roi Georges) subgroup, which includes Ahe, Manihi, Takapoto, Takaroa and Tikei. There are several pearl farms in Ahe's lagoon.

History The first recorded Europeans to arrive to Ahe Atoll were Dutch mariners Willem Schouten and Jacob Le Maire in 1616. Ahe was later visited by the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838–1842.United States Exploring Expedition Charles Wilkes called the atoll "Peacock Island" after one of the ships of the expedition. This atoll has sometimes suffered damage caused by cyclones.

In the late 1970s, sailor Bernard Moitessier lived on Ahe for two years.Bernard Moitessier, Tamata and the Alliance (Sheridan Publishing, 1995)

Demographics Population of Ahe: 1977 1983 1988 1996 2002 2007 2012 109 142 162 377 441 566 552 Sources ISPF,ISPF, Démographie Mairie de AheMairie de Ahe,* : estimation

Administration Ahe Atoll belongs to the commune of Manihi, which consists of the atolls of Manihi and Ahe.Tahiti Tourisme

People Notable people affiliated with Ahe include Titouan Bernicot.

See also Ahe Airport

References

External links

Shuttle Image ISS008-E-17141 (Astronaut Photography)

Tuamotu Atolls List (Pacific Image) TX5EG Amateur Radio DX Expedition to Ahe Atoll