# Takaroa

Takaroa, Taka-roa or Takapua, is an atoll in the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. It has a length of 27.4 kilometres (17.0 miles) and a width of 7 km (4 mi); its land area is 20 square kilometres (8 square miles).
The nearest land is Takapoto Atoll, located 10 kilometres (6 miles) to the southwest.
Fine pearls, including black pearls, were obtained in the lagoon of Takaroa.
Geographically Takaroa is part of the King George Islands (Iles du Roi Georges) subgroup, which includes Ahe, Manihi, Takapoto, Takaroa and Tikei.
Takaroa Atoll has 537 inhabitants (2022). The main village is Teavaroa.
Takaroa is the northernmost atoll in French Polynesia.
Takaroa is located in the Tuamotu Islands.

## History

The first recorded Europeans to arrive to Takaroa were Dutch explorers Jacob le Maire and Willem Schouten on 14 April 1616 during their Pacific journey. They called this atoll "Sondergrond Island".
Captain Cook visited the island in 1774.
Takaroa territorial airport was inaugurated in 1986.

## Geography
### Climate

Takaroa has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Am). The average annual temperature in Takaroa is 27.9 °C (82.2 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,528.6 mm (60.18 in) with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in March, at around 28.8 °C (83.8 °F), and lowest in August, at around 26.7 °C (80.1 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Takaroa was 35.6 °C (96.1 °F) on 20 January 1998; the coldest temperature ever recorded was 19.5 °C (67.1 °F) on 10 January 1976.
Climate data for Takaroa (1991–2020 averages, extremes 1951−present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 35.6 (96.1) | 35.3 (95.5) | 35.0 (95.0) | 33.5 (92.3) | 33.8 (92.8) | 33.3 (91.9) | 31.6 (88.9) | 32.1 (89.8) | 31.9 (89.4) | 33.0 (91.4) | 33.0 (91.4) | 33.8 (92.8) | 35.6 (96.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.7 (87.3) | 30.8 (87.4) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.0 (87.8) | 30.4 (86.7) | 29.5 (85.1) | 28.9 (84.0) | 28.8 (83.8) | 29.1 (84.4) | 29.7 (85.5) | 30.3 (86.5) | 30.5 (86.9) | 30.1 (86.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 28.3 (82.9) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.8 (83.8) | 28.8 (83.8) | 28.3 (82.9) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.0 (80.6) | 26.7 (80.1) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.9 (82.2) | 28.1 (82.6) | 27.9 (82.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 25.8 (78.4) | 26.0 (78.8) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.1 (79.0) | 25.5 (77.9) | 25.0 (77.0) | 24.7 (76.5) | 24.8 (76.6) | 25.1 (77.2) | 25.5 (77.9) | 25.6 (78.1) | 25.6 (78.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 19.5 (67.1) | 20.9 (69.6) | 21.6 (70.9) | 21.3 (70.3) | 21.2 (70.2) | 20.2 (68.4) | 20.0 (68.0) | 20.9 (69.6) | 20.6 (69.1) | 20.3 (68.5) | 20.9 (69.6) | 20.7 (69.3) | 19.5 (67.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 197.4 (7.77) | 170.9 (6.73) | 128.6 (5.06) | 115.9 (4.56) | 109.6 (4.31) | 92.6 (3.65) | 65.1 (2.56) | 65.9 (2.59) | 83.3 (3.28) | 121.7 (4.79) | 158.5 (6.24) | 219.1 (8.63) | 1,528.6 (60.18) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 16.3 | 14.5 | 13.3 | 10.9 | 11.4 | 11.0 | 10.4 | 9.4 | 10.0 | 12.3 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 149.7 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 223.4 | 212.9 | 238.5 | 233.9 | 223.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 213.1 | — |
| Source 1: Météo-France ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: Meteociel (sunshine 1981-2010) ||||||||||||||

## Administration

The commune of Takaroa consists of the islands of Takaroa, Takapoto and Tikei.