Punaʻauia

{{short description|Commune in French Polynesia, France}} {{Infobox French commune |name = Puna{{okina}}aui{{okina}}a |commune status = [[Communes of France|Commune]] | image = Papeete - Marina Taina.JPG | caption = Puna{{okina}}aui{{okina}}a, in the southern suburbs of [[Pape'ete|Pape{{okina}}ete]] |map size = 270 |adjustable map = Punaauia.png |map caption = Location of the commune (in red) within the Windward Islands |administrative subdivision=[[Windward Islands (Society Islands)|Windward Islands]] |utc offset = −10:00 |INSEE = 98738 |postal code = 98718 |mayor = [[Simplicio Lissant]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=13 September 2022|language=fr}}</ref> |term = 2020–2026 |coordinates = {{coord|-17.63|-149.60|format=dms|display=inline,title}} |elevation m = |elevation min m = 0 |elevation max m = 2241 |area km2 = 75.9 |population = 28781 |population date = 2022 |population footnotes = <ref name=pop2022>{{cite web|url=https://www.ispf.pf/content//uploads/RP_2022_Decret_n_2022_1592_du_20_decembre_2022_authentifiant_les_resultats_du_recensement_de_la_population_2022_JOPF_778cd9be0e.pdf|title= Les résultats du recensement de la population 2022 de Polynésie française|language=fr|trans-title=Results of the 2022 population census of French Polynesia|publisher=Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française|date=January 2023}}</ref> |arrondissement=|intercommunality=}}

'''Puna{{okina}}aui{{Okina}}a''' is a [[commune in France|commune]] in the suburbs of [[Pape'ete|Pape{{okina}}ete]] in [[French Polynesia]], an overseas territory of [[France]] in the [[Pacific Ocean]]. Puna{{okina}}auia is located on the island of [[Tahiti]], in the [[French Polynesia#Administrative divisions|administrative subdivision]] of the [[Windward Islands (Society Islands)|Windward Islands]], themselves part of the [[Society Islands]].<ref name="#2005-1611">[https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/eli/decret/2005/12/20/DOMA0500013D/jo/texte Décret n° 2005-1611 du 20 décembre 2005 pris pour l'application du statut d'autonomie de la Polynésie française], [[Légifrance]]</ref> In the late 1890s, the French painter [[Paul Gauguin]] lived in Puna{{okina}}aui{{Okina}}a. Here he painted his masterpiece ''[[Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?]]''. The commune borders [[Faʻaʻā]] on the north and [[Pā'ea|Pā{{okina}}ea]] on the south.

==History== Like many of the other communes and islands of [[French Polynesia]], the area was first settled by early Polynesians from [[Asia]] around 1,000 years ago. These people have already settled on the [[Marquesas Islands]] and then they traveled on their sea canoes to the [[Society Islands]]. They had lived off of the fish and fruits of [[Tahiti]]. Most of the early Polynesians had built houses on the beach. Later on, they had built houses further inland because of high tide.

Captain [[James Cook]] came on his expedition to chart the Pacific islands during 1770. He also came with explorer Englishman [[Samuel Wallis]] to explore. James Cook later went to [[Australia]]. [[Charles Darwin]] came to the [[Society Islands]] in the 1800s from the western Pacific. Puna{{okina}}aui{{Okina}}a experienced a major population boom in the late 1990s. At the 2022 census it had a population of 28,781, making it the second most populous commune in French Polynesia.<ref name="pop2022"/>

==Geography== ===Climate=== Puna{{okina}}aui{{Okina}}a has a [[tropical monsoon climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Am''). The average annual temperature in Puna{{okina}}aui{{Okina}}a is {{cvt|26.6|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|1677.0|mm}} with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in March, at around {{cvt|27.7|C}}, and lowest in August, at around {{convert|25.1|C}}. The highest temperature ever recorded in Puna{{okina}}aui{{Okina}}a was {{cvt|35.5|C}} on 25 March 2016; the coldest temperature ever recorded was {{cvt|17.0|C}} on 16 August 1997. {{Weather box | location = Puna{{okina}}auia (1991–2020 averages, extremes 1997−present) | metric first = Y | single line = Y | collapsed = Y | Jan record high C = 35.0 | Feb record high C = 35.5 | Mar record high C = 35.5 | Apr record high C = 33.6 | May record high C = 33.2 | Jun record high C = 32.5 | Jul record high C = 32.0 | Aug record high C = 32.5 | Sep record high C = 32.5 | Oct record high C = 33.9 | Nov record high C = 34.5 | Dec record high C = 35.2 | year record high C = 35.5 | Jan high C = 31.3 | Feb high C = 31.4 | Mar high C = 31.5 | Apr high C = 31.3 | May high C = 30.3 | Jun high C = 29.3 | Jul high C = 28.9 | Aug high C = 29.0 | Sep high C = 29.7 | Oct high C = 30.1 | Nov high C = 30.8 | Dec high C = 31.2 | year high C = 30.4 | Jan mean C = 27.5 | Feb mean C = 27.5 | Mar mean C = 27.7 | Apr mean C = 27.5 | May mean C = 26.6 | Jun mean C = 25.6 | Jul mean C = 25.2 | Aug mean C = 25.1 | Sep mean C = 25.8 | Oct mean C = 26.2 | Nov mean C = 26.9 | Dec mean C = 27.4 | year mean C = 26.6 | Jan low C = 23.7 | Feb low C = 23.7 | Mar low C = 23.8 | Apr low C = 23.8 | May low C = 22.9 | Jun low C = 22.0 | Jul low C = 21.5 | Aug low C = 21.2 | Sep low C = 21.8 | Oct low C = 22.3 | Nov low C = 23.1 | Dec low C = 23.6 | year low C = 22.8 | Jan record low C = 19.7 | Feb record low C = 21.0 | Mar record low C = 20.4 | Apr record low C = 21.0 | May record low C = 18.2 | Jun record low C = 17.0 | Jul record low C = 17.1 | Aug record low C = 17.0 | Sep record low C = 17.8 | Oct record low C = 19.0 | Nov record low C = 18.8 | Dec record low C = 20.0 | year record low C = 17.0 | precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation mm = 262.4 | Feb precipitation mm = 269.1 | Mar precipitation mm = 208.0 | Apr precipitation mm = 133.2 | May precipitation mm = 119.2 | Jun precipitation mm = 78.3 | Jul precipitation mm = 48.3 | Aug precipitation mm = 43.3 | Sep precipitation mm = 38.2 | Oct precipitation mm = 71.2 | Nov precipitation mm = 128.4 | Dec precipitation mm = 277.4 | year precipitation mm = 1677.0 | unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm | Jan precipitation days = 15.4 | Feb precipitation days = 13.6 | Mar precipitation days = 11.8 | Apr precipitation days = 8.7 | May precipitation days = 7.0 | Jun precipitation days = 5.4 | Jul precipitation days = 4.7 | Aug precipitation days = 4.4 | Sep precipitation days = 5.0 | Oct precipitation days = 7.3 | Nov precipitation days = 9.9 | Dec precipitation days = 15.3 | year precipitation days = 108.4 | source 1 = [[Météo-France]]<ref>{{cite web | url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_98738006.pdf | title=Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records | language = fr | publisher = [[Météo-France]] | access-date = August 27, 2022}}</ref> | source = }}

==Transport== The Aremiti ferry is the main ferry that sails to Moʻorea and a few other [[Society Islands]]. The ferry is white with red stripes. The other is the Moorea Ferry which is white on the top and blue on the bottom.

==Twin towns – sister cities== {{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Oceania}} Puna{{okina}}auia is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Dumbéa, ville jumelle|url=https://www.punaauia.pf/dumbea-ville-jumelle|website=punaauia.pf|publisher=Punaauia|language=fr|accessdate=2020-07-20}}</ref> *{{flagdeco|NCL|FLNKS}} [[Dumbéa]], New Caledonia

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Puna'auia| ]] [[Category:Communes of French Polynesia]]