Takaroa, Taka-roa or Takapua, is an atoll in the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. It is long and wide; its land area is .
The nearest land is Takapoto Atoll, located to the southwest.
Fine pearls, including black pearls, were obtained in the lagoon of Takaroa.
Geographically, Takaroa is part of the King George Islands (Iles du Roi Georges) subgroup, which includes Ahe, Manihi, Takapoto, Takaroa and Tikei.
Takaroa Atoll has 537 inhabitants (2022). The main village is Teavaroa.
Takaroa is the northernmost atoll in French Polynesia.
Takaroa is located in the Tuamotu Islands.
History The first recorded Europeans to visit Takaroa were the Dutch explorers Jacob le Maire and Willem Schouten, who arrived on 14 April 1616 during their Pacific journey. They called this atoll "Sondergrond Island".
Captain Cook visited the island in 1774.
Takaroa territorial airport was inaugurated in 1986.
Geography Climate Takaroa has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af), bordering upon a tropical monsoon climate (Am). The average annual temperature in Takaroa is . The average annual rainfall is with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in March, at around , and lowest in August, at around . The hottest temperature ever recorded in Takaroa was on 20 January 1998; the coolest being on 10 January 1976.
Administration The commune of Takaroa consists of the islands of Takaroa, Takapoto and Tikei.Décret n°72-407 du 17 mai 1972 portant création de communes dans le territoire de la Polynésie française, Légifrance
See also Takaroa Airport
References
Atoll names le Maire & Schouten
External links Atoll list (in French)