ABSTRACT
Alaska and west f r o m L a Paz, B o l i v i a w o u l d intersect the group . Con-
ven t iona l ly the Societies are d i v i d e d i n t o two groups Math reference to
the p r e v a i l i n g southeasterly t radewinds: the live W i n d w a r d Islands i n
the southeast, and the nine leeward islands i n the northwest . A l l are
of volcanic o r i g i n . T a h i t i and Mo'orea i n the W i n d w a r d G r o u p , and
H u a h i n e , Ra'iatea, Taha 'a and Borabora i n the Leeward G r o u p are
classic examples of h igh , volcanic islands sur rounded by lagoons and
f r ing ing coral reefs. T h e r e m a i n i n g islands are coral atolls b u i l t on a
volcanic base, except for Ma i ' ao and M a u p i t i w h i c h combine a h igh ,
volcanic core w i t h a s u r r o u n d i n g coral l ine r i n g characteristic of an
a to l l . T a h i t i dominates the Societies: its m o u n t a i n center rises almost
8,000 feet above the ocean surface, and i n area i t accounts for two-
th i rds of the approx ima te ly 600 square miles i n the ent i re g roup .
