nPosted on March 5, 2020
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Key points
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nThere are more than 100 islands in the South Pacific that belong to France, halfway across the world. Together, these islands are referred to as French Polynesia.
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| Here, the islands of French Polynesia are circled in red. |
nYou have probably heard of at least one of the islands of French Polynesia:
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nTahiti.
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nThe island of Tahiti accounts for close to two-thirds of the population of French Polynesia, and for that reason the capital of French Polynesia is located here (in Papeete).
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nMarch 5 marks the anniversary of members of the London Missionary Society landing on Tahiti in 1797.
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nThe British missionaries converted the king, Pōmare II, and the Protestant Christian religion spread across the island – and to nearby islands – quickly.
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nEven when the islands became a French protectorate and were eventually annexed by France, and even though France is majority Catholic, not Protestant, Protestantism remains the religion of the majority of French Polynesians.
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nTake a look at some of the islands and peoples of French Polynesia:
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nTahiti
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nBora Bora
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nNuku Hiva
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nTaha’a
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nFrench Polynesians
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nAlso on this date:
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nNational Cheese Doodle Day
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nGeographer Gerard Mercator’s birthday
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nZoologist Sir Charles Thomson’s birthday
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nNametag Day
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n(Thursday of the first full week of March)
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nSaint Piran’s Day in Cornwall
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nPlan ahead:
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nCheck out my Pinterest boards for:
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nMarch holidays
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nMarch birthdays
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nAnd here are my Pinterest boards for:
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nApril holidays
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nApril birthdays
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nHistorical anniversaries in April
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