Marquesas Islands

The Marquesas Islands are a group of <a href="/facts/Volcano/c2M5upml">volcanic</a> islands in <a href="/facts/French_Polynesia/cMytpeeC">French Polynesia</a>, an <a href="/facts/Overseas_collectivity/2sYLElGE">overseas collectivity</a> of <a href="/facts/France/CxIeIKM3">France</a> in the southern Pacific Ocean. Their highest point is the peak of <a href="/facts/Mont_Oave/xATfHShW">Mount Oave</a> (French: Mont Oave) on <a href="/facts/Ua_Pou/uHlGu0J1">Ua Pou</a> island, at 1,230 m (4,035 ft) above sea level.
Archaeological research suggests the islands were colonized in the 10th century AD by voyagers from West Polynesia. Over the centuries that followed, the islands have maintained a "remarkably uniform culture, biology and language". The Marquesas were named after the 16th-century Spanish <a href="/facts/Viceroy_of_Peru/5PIUVYXW">Viceroy of Peru</a>, the <a href="/facts/Garc%25C3%25ADa_Hurtado_de_Mendoza%2c_5th_Marquis_of_Ca%25C3%25B1ete/3PAMyJYt">Marquis of Cañete</a> (<a href="/facts/Spanish_language/95BgYNfv">Spanish</a>: Marqués de Cañete), by navigator <a href="/facts/%25C3%2581lvaro_de_Menda%25C3%25B1a_de_Neira/SgdAv1oo">Álvaro de Mendaña</a>, who visited them in 1595.
The Marquesas Islands constitute one of the <a href="/facts/Administrative_divisions_of_French_Polynesia/Pml8rCf9">five administrative divisions</a> (subdivisions administratives) of French Polynesia. The capital of the Marquesas Islands' administrative subdivision is the town of <a href="/facts/Taioha%2527e/JlCpyQsK">Taioha'e</a>, on the island of <a href="/facts/Nuku_Hiva/JYPLDQKo">Nuku Hiva</a>. The population of the Marquesas Islands was 9,346 inhabitants at the time of the August 2017 census.

Marquesas Islands open-in-new

Marquesas Islands