Bora Bora
island in French Polynesia
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.
The public source identifies “Bora Bora” as island in French Polynesia. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Bora, island and French.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Bora Bora”, the useful work is to connect “island in French Polynesia” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q183113. VIAF identifies the subject as 237456468. The Library of Congress control number is sh85015795. Authority coordinates are -16.498, -151.736. 2 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
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Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
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- Expand the search: follow Bora Bora primary sources, Bora Bora archive and Bora research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Bora Bora” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.