Gambier Islands

Gambier Islands, also Mangaréva Islands, group of small coral islands in French Polynesia. The Gambier Islands are in the south-eastern part of the Tuamotu Archipelago, in the southern Pacific Ocean. Mangaréva, the group's largest island, is the site of the chief settlement, Rikitea. Other islands include Akamaru, Aukéna, and Taravai; together the islands have an area of 16 sq km (6 sq mi). Copra is the principal product. The islands were visited by the British in 1797 and were annexed by France in 1881. Population (1988) 582.