Fakahina, Atoll in French Polynesia, France

Fakahina is an atoll in French Polynesia located near Fangatau. The area surrounds an isolated coral formation with a closed lagoon that has no direct passage to the ocean.

The atoll formed over millions of years as coral reefs grew on a volcanic base that gradually sank into the ocean. This process created the ring-shaped island with its enclosed lagoon that exists today.

The atoll's Polynesian name was Niuhi, "island of coconut palms", before it took the name Fakahina, also called Kaīna. In the late 19th century the missionary Albert Montiton had the village of Hokikakika and the first chapel, Saint-Nicolas, built. The church of Saint-Athanase, attached to the diocese of Papeete, was built between 1988 and 1990.

Fakahina has a small airfield with an 850-metre runway on the western part of the atoll, in service since 1985 and handling about 100 flights and 500 passengers a year. The lagoon has no pass to the ocean, so boats cannot enter it from the sea. The main village is Tarione, in the west, near the airfield; the old village of Hokikakika is the other settlement.

What sets this atoll apart is that its inner lagoon is completely cut off from the sea, making it a rare example of a closed lagoon system. This isolation creates unusual conditions within the lagoon that differ from typical atoll environments.