Ouvéa Island

Ouvéa Island is one of the Loyalty Islands, in the archipelago of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The island is part of the commune (municipality) of Ouvéa, in the Loyalty Islands Province of New Caledonia.

Geography

The crescent-shaped island, which belongs to a larger atoll, is 50 km (31 mi) long and 7 km (4.3 mi) wide. It lies north east of Grande Terre, New Caledonia's mainland.

Demographics

Ouvéa is home to around 3,000 people who are organized into tribes divided into Polynesian, Melanesian and Walisian by ethnic descent. The Iaai language is spoken on the island.

Flora and fauna

Ouvéa has rich marine resources and is home to many sea turtles, species of fish, coral as well as a native parrot, the Uvea parakeet, that can only be found on the island of Ouvéa.

A large crustacean called the coconut crab or crabe de cocotier can also be found on the islands. The large blue crabs live in palm tree plantations and can grow to several kilos in size. They are a land based species and do not venture into the ocean.

Ouvéa

Ouvéa (local pronunciation: [uˈve.a]) is a commune in the Loyalty Islands Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The settlement of Fayaoué [faˈjawe], on Ouvéa Island, is the administrative centre of the commune.

Geography

Ouvéa is made up of Ouvéa Island, the smaller Mouli Island and Faiava Island, and several islets around these three. All lie among the Loyalty Islands, to the northeast of New Caledonia's mainland.

History

In April 1988, a hostage taking took place on Ouvéa. Four gendarmes were killed and twenty-seven were held hostage in a cave by supporters of the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front. Twelve of the captured gendarmes were released after a while, but six members of a French anti-terrorist squad were also taken hostage. When negotiations to release the hostages did not succeed, French security forces besieged the cave and freed them. Eighteen Kanaks and two gendarmes were left dead. In the aftermath it was alleged that three Kanaks had been executed or left to die after being arrested.

Ouvéa (ship)

Ouvéa, named after Ouvéa Island, was the name of a yacht used by three DGSE agents to import the naval mines used to sink the Greenpeace protest yacht Rainbow Warrior in 1985, killing photographer Fernando Pereira. The Ouvea was sailed to Norfolk Island after the bombing, from where one of the bombers flew to Australia, narrowly escaping arrest. After New Zealand Police arrested two other agents still in New Zealand, the Ouvéa set to sea and was scuttled, while the crew transferred to the French submarine Rubis, to make their escape.

See also