Rangiroa (meaning Vast Sky in Tuamotuan) or Te Kokōta (Hyades in Māori), is the largest atoll in the Tuamotus, the largest in Polynesia and one of the largest in the world. It is the administrative center of a commune of islands. The atoll consists of about 415 motus, islets and sandbars comprising a total land area of about 170 km². There are approximately one hundred narrow passages, called hoa, in the fringing reef. The atoll has a flattened elliptic shape, with 80 km in length and a width ranging from 5 to 32 km wide. The width of land reaches 300 to 500 meters wide and its circumference totals up to 200 km. The lagoon has a maximum depth of 35 m and its surface is 1446 km². It is so large that it has its own horizon. On account of its shallow depth, the currents that come in and out through the passes and with the winds can sometimes create interior storms. Only two islands, located on the northern end of the atoll, are permanently inhabited. As of 2007, the total population on the atoll of Rangiroa was 2,473 inhabitants. The chief town is Avatoru, located in the northwestern part of the atoll.
It is believed the first settlers arrived on Rangiroa around the 10th century AD and established several villages. The first recorded Europeans to arrive to Rangiroa were Dutch explorers Jacob le Maire and Willem Schouten during their 1615-1616 Pacific journey. The first European Catholic missionaries settled here in 1851 and encouraged the population to plant coconut trees for copra, which ushered Rangiroa into the colonial era. Rangiroa benefited from the economic and urban growth of Tahiti in the 1950’s. Then, the economy of Rangiroa was driven by fishing and the production of copra. The inauguration of the Rangiroa Airport in 1965 allowed rapid development of the tourism industry as diving facilities and hotels were built. Diving, fishing and other water sports remain a large piece of the tourism economy here.
There are other interesting economic ventures here as well. Pearl farming is done in more than 30 atolls of French Polynesia and is the main activity for numerous families in the Tuamotu archipelago. Breeding of pearl oysters in the lagoon can produce black pearls. In fact, black pearls (meaning the marine cultured pearls produced from the black lip pearl oyster shell, Pinctada margaritifera) are abundant in the atolls of French Polynesia. These pearls, which have a wide range of natural colors, from white to dark and all kind of grey, are the only cultured pearls in the world with so many different natural colors. In Rangiroa, a few farms use about 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) of water surface in the lagoon loan by the Tahitian government. The biggest farm, Gauguin's Pearl employed more than 50 local workers, with a strong impact on the economy. A school dedicated to the pearl farming techniques and a research center on pearl oysters are also implanted on the atoll of Rangiroa, which make it a center for this industry.
The atoll of Rangiroa is also known for it’s vineyards, which are unique in the world. The vines grow on the edge of a lagoon beside coconuts, and produce two harvests per year. The winery is located in the heart of the village of Avatoru. The atoll of Rangiroa was selected for the following reasons: absence of grapevine pest such as defoliating insects and its proximity to Tahiti. The varietals grown on the atoll include Carignan, Italia and Black Muscat. However, other fruit is very scarce on the island and the inhabitants appreciate when cruise ship visitors bring them fruit. References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangiroa; http://www.com.univ-mrs.fr/IRD/atollpol/irdpoly/ukrangi.htm