Papeete
Pape'etē (French: Papeete; Tahitian: Papeʻete, pronounced [pa.pe.ʔe.te]) is the capital city of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of the French Republic in the Pacific Ocean. The commune of Papeʻetē is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, of which Papeʻetē is the administrative capital. Both the President of French Polynesia and French High Commissioner reside in Papeʻetē.
Papeʻetē | |
|---|---|
Top: Aerial view of Pape'etē; Middle: Cathedral of Notre Dame of Papeʻetē, Presidential palace; Bottom: Pape'etēTown Hall, Bougainville Park | |
Location of the commune (in red) within the Windward Islands | |
Location of Papeʻetē | |
| Coordinates: 17°32′06″S 149°34′11″W | |
| Country | France |
| Overseas collectivity | French Polynesia |
| Subdivision | Windward Islands |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Michel Buillard |
| Area 1 | 17.4 km2 (6.7 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 299.5 km2 (115.6 sq mi) |
| Population (2017) | 26,926 |
| • Density | 1,500/km2 (4,000/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 136,771 |
| • Urban density | 460/km2 (1,200/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−10:00 |
| INSEE/Postal code | 98735 /98714 |
| Elevation | 0–621 m (0–2,037 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
It is the primary center of Tahitian and French Polynesian public and private governmental, commercial, industrial and financial services, the hub of French Polynesian tourism and a commonly used port of call. The Windward Islands are themselves part of the Society Islands. The name Papeʻetē, sometimes also spelled Papeete in languages other than Tahitian, means "water from a basket". The urban area of Papeʻetē had a total population of 136,771 inhabitants at the August 2017 census, 26,926 of whom lived in the commune of Papeʻetē proper.