Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The island, located about 230 kilometres 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 metres . 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 .
The major settlement, Vaitape is on the western side of the island, opposite the main channel into the lagoon. The products of the island are mostly limited to what can be obtained from the sea and coconut trees, which were historically of economic importance for copra.
During the August 2007 census, the population on the island was about 8,880 people.
Administration
Location of Bora Bora commune within the Leeward Islands.
The island is administratively part of the commune 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 and of the atoll of Tupai , located 20 kilometres north of Bora Bora. The atoll of Tupai has no permanent population apart from about 50 workers in the coconut plantations.
History
The Island was first inhabited by Polynesian settlers around the 4th century. Its previous Polynesian name was Vava'u.
The first European sighting was made by Jakob Roggeveen in 1722. James Cook sighted the island in 1769 and landed in 1777. A London Missionary Society arrived in 1820 and founded a Protestant church in 1822.
In 1842 Bora Bora was made a protectorate of France following the actions of Admiral Abel Aubert Dupetit Thouars
