Austral Islands lie south of Tahiti in the Pacific Ocean. They are also called the Tubuai Islands. The group is part of French Polynesia, a possession of France. The Austral Islands consist of five inhabited islands, Rimatara, Rurutu, Tubuai, Raivavae, and Rapa; an uninhabited island group, Ilots de Bass (Marotiri); and an uninhabited atoll, Maria. The Austral Islands have a total land area of about 55 square miles (145 square kilometers).
About 6,600 people, chiefly Polynesians, live on the islands. Farmers raise a variety of fruit and vegetables, as well as livestock.
The earliest inhabitants of the Austral Islands were Polynesians who came there from Asia hundreds of years ago. James Cook, a British explorer, was the first European to sight the islands. He reached most of them in 1769 and 1777. George Vancouver, another Briton, arrived at Rapa Island in 1791. France annexed the islands of the Austral group between 1880 and 1901.
