Tahiti Snapshots, including introduction, tourist attractions, and photographs.

With crystalline waters, palm-fringed beaches, exquisite sunset view, and unique Polynesian culture, Tahiti and its archipelagoes every year attract worldwide tourists to come for unforgettable romantic vacations.

Located in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from South America to Australia, Tahiti and its archipelago of French Polynesian Islands are some of the most beautiful islands on Earth.

French Polynesian Islands, including Tahiti, has total land area of 3,660 square kilometers, slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut State of the U.S. Tahiti is 10 hours behind GMT, 2 hours behind US Pacific Standard Time and 20 hours behind Australian Eastern Standard Time.

This French Polynesia consists of five archipelagoes: the Society Islands, Austral Islands, Marquesas Islands, Tuamotu atolls, and the Mangareva Islands. These islands are sprinkled over four million square kilometers of ocean in the eastern South Pacific.

Based on July 2004 estimate, French Polynesia has 266,339 population, including Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%. French and Tahitian are both official national languages in this French Polynesia.

Tahiti, known as the Island of Love, is the largest of the cluster of more than 100 Society Islands which include Bora Bora, Taha'a, Raiatea, Moorea and coral atoll of Tetiaroa. With waterfalls cascading into rivers, colorful tropical flowers spread over fields, Tahiti Island offers visitors miles of beautiful beaches and breathtaking panoramic view from mountains.

Papeete, capital of French Polynesia, is located on Tahiti. This modern city is the center of government offices, healthcare, finance, commerce, telecommunications and transportation.

Bora Bora lies 150 miles northwest of Tahiti in the Leeward Society Islands. With world-famous turquoise lagoons, white sandy beaches, warm and blue Pacific water, this paradise island offers tourists one of the most romantic and pristine setting for a unforgettable vacation.