Fangataufa is a Atoll located in the Archipel of Tuamotu in French Polynésie, this one was used as ground of experimentation for the French nuclear bombs with another site of the Pacific, the atoll of distant Moruroa of 45 kilometers.

This island discovered in 1826 by the British captain Frederick William Beechey, was attached to French Polynesia in 1881. Occupied episodically during the 20th century, the territorial Parliament then yields it in 1964 at the French State in the search of site intended to take the succession of Reggane in the the Algerian Sahara .

August 4th, 1947, the crew of the Kon-Tiki touches ground in this atoll.

Five air nuclear explosions were carried out there between 1966 and 1970 of which the August 24th 1968, the first French test of Bombe H (Opération Canopus), and 10 underground explosions.

The island now uninhabited by the man is the object, since 1998, of a radiological monitoring with an annual sampling campaign in the environment carried out by personnel of the Défense, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (ECA) and Polynesians.

October 15th, 2006, the Parliament of Polynesia adopts a report/ratio on the consequences of the nuclear tests which concludes that the nuclear tests had an major impact on health, the environment, the company and the Polynesian economy . The Economic council, social and cultural at the origin of this report/ratio recommends that the State recognizes the nuclear fact and assumes its full responsibility consequently.

See too

Internal bonds

• French Nuclear tests
• Moruroa

External bonds

• Fangataufa : the little brother of Moruroa