Geography of The Society Islands
Society Islands, an island group in the South Pacific Ocean. It is a part of French Polynesia. The group consists of 15 volcanic and coral islands, divided into the Windward and Leeward islands. The group's total land area is about 650 square miles (1,683 km2). Tahiti is the largest island, followed by Raiatea, Moorea, and Bora Bora. Papeete, on Tahiti, is the chief port and air terminal and the capital of French Polynesia. The islanders numbered 162,573 in 1988; most are Polynesians. They live by fishing and by raising tropical crops. Tourism is important to the economy.
The Windward Islands were discovered by Samuel Wallis in 1767. Captain James Cook discovered the Leewards in 1769 and named the entire group for the Royal Society, which sponsored his voyage. The islands came under French protection in 1842 at the request of Tahiti. They were made part of a colony in 1880 and an overseas territory in 1946.