Mangaia
Native name: A'ua'u | |
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NASA picture of Mangaia Island | |
Map of Mangaia Island | |
Mangaia Location of Mangaia Island in the Pacific Ocean | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Central-Southern Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 21°55′S 157°57′W / 21.917°S 157.950°W |
| Archipelago | Cook Islands |
| Area | 51.8 km2 (20.0 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Villages |
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| Demographics | |
| Demonym | Mangaian |
| Population | 499 (2016) |
Mangaia (traditionally known as A'ua'u Enua, which means "terraced island") is the most southerly of the Cook Islands and the second largest, after Rarotonga. It is a roughly circular island, with an area of 51.8 square kilometres (20.0 mi2), 203 kilometres (126 mi) from Rarotonga. Originally heavily populated, Mangaia's population has dropped by 75% in the last 50 years, mainly due to the decline of the pineapple industry in the 1980s and a subsequent economic crisis in 1996.