Hao (French Polynesia)
NASA picture of Hao Atoll | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 18°4′31″S 140°56′43″W / 18.07528°S 140.94528°W |
| Archipelago | Tuamotus |
| Area | 720 km2 (280 sq mi) (lagoon) 35 km2 (14 sq mi) (above water) |
| Length | 50 km (31 mi) |
| Width | 14 km (8.7 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Administration | |
France | |
| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Administrative subdivision | Îles Tuamotu-Gambier |
| Commune | Hao |
| Largest settlement | Otepa |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 1009 (2022) |
Hao | |
|---|---|
Location of Hao | |
| Coordinates: 18°04′31″S 140°56′43″W / 18.0753°S 140.9453°W | |
| Country | France |
| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Subdivision | Îles Tuamotu-Gambier |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Yseult Butcher |
Area 1 | 65.0 km2 (25.1 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | 1,227 |
| • Density | 19/km2 (49/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−10:00 |
| INSEE/Postal code | 98720 /98767 |
| Elevation | 0–3 m (0.0–9.8 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Hao, or Haorangi, is a large coral atoll in the central part of the Tuamotu Archipelago. It has c. 1000 people living on 35 km2 (14 sq mi). It was used to house the military support base for the nuclear tests on Mururoa. Because of its shape, French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville named it "Île de la Harpe" (Harp Island).