Bora Bora

Bora Bora (French: Bora-Bora; Tahitian: Pora Pora) is a French island group in the Leeward Islands, comprising the western part of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of the French Republic in the South Pacific. Bora Bora has a total land area of 30.55 km2 (12 sq mi). The main island, located about 230 kilometres (125 nautical miles) northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. In the center of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano, rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu; the highest point is at 727 m (2,385 ft). Bora Bora is part of the commune of Bora-Bora, which also includes the atoll of Tupai (or Tūpai). The main languages spoken in Bora Bora are Tahitian and French. However, owing to significant tourist movement, many natives of Bora Bora have learned to speak English. Bora Bora is a major international tourist destination, renowned for its seaside (and even offshore) luxury resorts. Its major settlement, Vaitape, is on the western side of the main island, opposite the main channel leading into the lagoon. Produce on the island is mostly limited to what can be obtained from the sea and from the plentiful coconut trees, which were historically of economic importance for the production of copra.