Largest atoll archipelago
- Who
- Tuamotu Archipelago
- What
- 75 total number
- Where
- French Polynesia
- When
- 0700
The Tuamotu Archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean contains 75 atolls as well as one raised coral atoll and many shallow coral reefs and sandy islets along a chain around 1,450 km long. The biggest atoll in the chain is Rangiroa, which covers an area of around 1,640 km2 (633 sq mi), of which only 79 km2 (30 sq mi) of that is dry land. The highest point on Rangiroa is just 12 m above sea level. Governed by France as part of French Polynesia, the Tuamotu Archipelago is home to approximately 16,000 people.
The islands were first settled in around 700 CE and first encountered by Europeans by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.