THE EASTERN POLYNESIAN CHAINS The first chain. The first eastern Polynesian chain may be taken to include the island of Niue (Savage I.) the Cook (Hervey) Is. and Austral (Tubuai) Is.
Niue (Savage island) 40 m. in circumference; pop. 3,949, eastward from the Friendly group, and nearer to that than to any of the other groups, is a dependency of New Zealand since 1900. The whole island (in 19° 10' S., 169° 47' W.) is an old coral reef upheaved 200 ft., honey-combed with caves and seamed with fissures, through which the abundant rainfall drains into caverns having communication with the sea. The natives (all Christians) are of mixed Polynesian and Melanesian race, are certainly less cultured than the Tongans or the Samoans, are industrious and friendly, and certainly do not seem to deserve to be regarded as especially "savage." Niue, no longer administered under the Cook Islands, is now under the Minister of External Affairs for New Zealand. A little copra and fungus is exported.
The Cook (or Hervey) islands lie between 155° and 16o° E. and about 20° S. The group comprises partly volcanic, partly coralline islands the most important of which is Rarotonga, 20 m. in circumference (pop. [1926] 3,906). This island has several, cones 30o to 40o ft. high above which towers the Rarotonga vol cano (2,92o ft.). The land is fertile and well watered. The other important islands are Mangaia (Mangia) (pop. [1926] 1,249) and Aitutaki, 21 M. in circumference (pop. [1926] 1,431). These islands have luxuriant coconut palm groves. The island of Atiu has 933 inhabitants, Mitiero 238, and Mauki (Parry Island) 511. The total land area is about III sq.m. The climate is tempered by oceanic influences, but the reefs make the islands difficult of access. The natives are Polynesians possessing legends of their emigration from Samoa. The group was discovered by Captain Cook in 1777. Missionary work has been in progress since 1823, the population being almost entirely Protestant. Since 1890 laws for the islands have been drawn up by a general legislature and administered by an executive council of which Arikis, or native chiefs, are members. At Rarotonga there is a New Zealand resi dent commissioner who has a veto over all laws. In 1915 New Zealand included a minister of the Cook islands, charged with their administration as a member of its own executive council.
The new act provided also for the constitution of island councils, courts of justice, and the establishment of public schools.
The chief products of the Cook islands are bananas, oranges, tomatoes, coco-nuts, copra, shells and hats. A wireless station is es tablished at Rarotonga, with other stations at Atiu, Niue, Aitutaki, and Mangaia.
The Tubuai or Austral is., belonging to France are situated be tween 21° 49' and 27° 41' S., and 144° 22' and 154° 51' W. The total land area is about 110 sq.m. and about 2,955 inhabitants. They are a scattered group of five principal islands surrounded by fringing coral-reefs, the islet-bearing coral atoll known as Hull or Maria island, and, of more importance, four islands forming a curved broken chain from N.W. to S.E., namely Rimitara, Ru rutu, Tubai (area 4o sq.m.), Vavitao, and, at a distance of 38o m. from Tubuai, Rapa or Oparo islands. Tubuai, Vavitao, and Rapa are volcanic and reach considerable elevations (2,077 ft. in Rapa). The islands are well watered and fertile. The natives are Poly nesians and were once much more numerous than they now are. Captain Cook visited Rurutu in 1769 and Tubuai in 1777. Rapa was discovered by Vancouver in 1791 and Vavitao at different times. The French protection and subsequent annexation was carried out spasmodically between the middle of the 19th century and 1889. The islands are politically dependent on Tahiti.
The second chain includes the Society islands. The Society archipelago, now commonly called Tahiti, is another group of nigh volcanic islands—with a few coral atolls—lying between 16° and 18° S., 148° and 155° W. with a total area of 657 sq.m. belonging to France. The "Society islands" is a double group, separated by a clear channel of 6o m. in breadth ; the north-west or Leeward group including the islands of Huaheine, Raiatea and others, and the south-east or Windward group containing the famous island of Tahiti (600 sq.m.). Pop. (1931) 16,781—on which is Papeete (pop. [1924] 4,601, of whom 2,126 are French) the capital of the French possessions in those parts—and a few small islands.