Eïao is the largest of the extreme northwestern Marquesas Islands. It is located at 8.3°S latitude and 140.68°W longitude.
The center of the island is a high plateau, rising on the east side to 576 m (1,890 ft.), much of which has been devastated by herds of feral goats. There is one good anchorage, on the west side of the island, at Vaitahu .
In the 1970s, the island was the site of extensive French military activity, while it was being explored as a possible site for nuclear testing. It was at one time briefly used as a prison island. The island and its surrounding rocks were declared the Eiao Island Nature Reserve in 1992, as a first step toward protecting the ecosystem, as well as a number of endangered species, some of which are endemic.
In pre-European times, the bodies of chiefs from parts of Te I'i were transported to Eïao for burial.
It was at one time home to a Marquesan tribe called the Tuametaki .
Stone tools, especially adzes, made from Eïao basalt have been found in archaeological sites on other islands, providing evidence for prehistoric interisland voyaging within the chain.
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Last updated: 05-27-2005 00:32:19
