View source for Faʻaʻā

{{short description|Commune in French Polynesia, France}}
{{Other uses|FAAA (disambiguation)}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2022}}
{{use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name = Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā
|commune status         = [[Communes of France|Commune]]
| image                 = {{Photomontage
| photo1a                 = Sofitel Tahiti Maeva Beach Resort - panoramio (12).jpg
| photo2a                 = Airport_Hotel_-_panoramio.jpg
| photo2b                 = Aéroport international Tahiti Faa'a.JPG
| photo3a                 = Marae_Taumata_Faaa.jpg
| photo3b                 = Prison_de_Nuutania.jpg
| spacing                 = 2
| position                = center
| color_border            = white
| color                   = white
| size                    = 280
| foot_montage            = Top: Faʻaʻā coastline; Middle: Tahiti Airport Hotel, [[Faa'a International Airport]]; Bottom: Marae Taumata, Faʻaʻā-Nuutania Prison
}}
|map size = 270
|adjustable map = Fa'a'ā.svg
|map caption = Location of the commune (in red) within the Windward Islands
|administrative subdivision=[[Windward Islands (Society Islands)|Windward Islands]]
|utc offset         = −10:00
|INSEE = 98715
|postal code = 98704
|mayor = [[Oscar Temaru]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=13 September 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
|term = 2020&ndash;2026
|coordinates = {{coord|-17.551|-149.5974|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m = 7
|elevation min m = 0
|elevation max m = 1493
|area km2 = 34.2
|population = 29826
|population date = 2022
|population footnotes   = <ref name=pop2022>{{cite web|url=https://www.ispf.pf/content//uploads/RP_2022_Decret_n_2022_1592_du_20_decembre_2022_authentifiant_les_resultats_du_recensement_de_la_population_2022_JOPF_778cd9be0e.pdf|title= Les résultats du recensement de la population 2022 de Polynésie française|language=fr|trans-title=Results of the 2022 population census of French Polynesia|publisher=Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française|date=January 2023}}</ref>
}}

'''Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā''' (also '''Faaa''', '''Faa'ā''' or '''Fa'ā'''; {{IPA|fr|fa.ʔa.ˈʔaː|IPA}}) is a [[Communes of France|commune]] in the suburbs of [[Papeete|Pape{{okina}}ete]] in [[French Polynesia]], an [[overseas country]] of [[France]] in the [[Pacific Ocean]]. Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā is located on the island of [[Tahiti]], in the [[French Polynesia#Administrative divisions|administrative subdivision]] of the [[Windward Islands (Society Islands)|Windward Islands]],<ref name=#2005-1611>[https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/eli/decret/2005/12/20/DOMA0500013D/jo/texte Décret n° 2005-1611 du 20 décembre 2005 pris pour l'application du statut d'autonomie de la Polynésie française], [[Légifrance]]</ref> themselves part of the [[Society Islands]]. At the 2022 census Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā had a population of 29,826, making it the most populous commune on Tahiti and in French Polynesia.<ref name=pop2022/> Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā has many mountains inland that can reach {{convert|5000|ft|abbr=on|disp=flip}}. Mount Marau is an extinct volcano in the inland limits and can be seen from nearby [[Moorea|Mo{{okina}}orea]]. The area of Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā is {{Convert|30|ft|abbr=on|disp=flip|0}} above [[mean sea level]] on average.

Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā has a long history. Captain [[James Cook]] landed on Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā when he came to Tahiti in 1769 on his first expedition to the Pacific. The commune is the political stronghold of independence leader [[Oscar Temaru]] who has served three times as president.

== Demographics ==
{{main|Demographics of French Polynesia}}
In 1988 Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā overtook [[Pape'ete|Pape{{okina}}ete]] as the most populated commune in the urban area of Pape{{okina}}ete and in French Polynesia. Despite this change in population, the urban area as a whole is named Pape{{okina}}ete and Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā is still considered a suburb, due to Pape{{okina}}ete's historical importance and its status as administrative capital of French Polynesia. The Pape{{okina}}ete Urban Area has a population of about 130,000.

{{Historical populations
|align=left
|2002|28182
|2007|29851
|2012|29719
|2017|29506
|2022|29826
}}
{{clear-left}}

==Politics==
The municipality of Faʻaʻā is administered by a 35-member municipal council, headed by a mayor assisted by 10 deputies. The council regulates the affairs of the commune through its deliberations and responds to the wishes of its population through the services of the town hall, which has five directorates headed by a general directorate.

===List of mayors of Fa'a'ā ===
* [[Francis Sanford]] (1965–1977)
* Alfred Helme (1977–1983)
* [[Oscar Temaru]] (1983–present)

==Transportation==
{{main|Transportation in French Polynesia}}

=== Air ===
[[Faa'a International Airport]] is located in the north of Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā commune, some {{convert|5|km|abbr=on}} southwest of the center of Pape{{okina}}ete. The airport is the only international airport in French Polynesia. Travellers from other islands must come to this airport for international flights. Some of the international flights from the airport go to [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]; [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]; and [[Auckland]], [[New Zealand]]. The airport is easily accessible from downtown Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. Airport shuttles and Tahiti buses come to the parking lot. There are coconut trees and a [[Tiki]] in the parking lot. Flowers from local farms are sent to the airport to be given to arriving passengers.

=== Freeways and roads ===
Tahiti's West Coast freeway runs through the commune from Pape{{okina}}ete to Teahupo{{okina}}o. There are many other roads in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. The Tahiti transportation bus runs around the Pape{{okina}}ete area. There is little road traffic in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. There are bridges over the many canals and small rivers that flow through Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. Most of the streets are paved.

== Location and geography ==
{{main|Geography of French Polynesia}}
Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā is located in northwestern Tahiti. Just {{convert|4|mi|disp=flip|0|sp=us}} south of the town center of Pape{{okina}}ete, the runway for Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā International Airport is built on [[coral reef]] since there is limited flat land. There is a slight bay south of the airport where the roads and freeways move inland. Downtown Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā is about {{Convert|20|ft|abbr=on|disp=flip|0}} above mean sea level. Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā is in northwestern French Polynesia. The [[Papenoo River|Papeno{{okina}}o River]] is fairly close. Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā extends inland about {{Convert|15|km|abbr=on|0}}. Mount Orohena is in the mountains of Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. The mountain is the highest point in French Polynesia at {{Convert|7300|ft|abbr=on|disp=flip}}. Tahiti Iti is just to the southeast of the commune. Mo{{okina}}orea, which is Tahiti's sister island, is located just {{convert|15|km|abbr=on}} across the Pacific Ocean. Many people can see [[Mount Tohivea]] which is the tallest mountain on Mo{{okina}}orea at nearly {{Convert|4000|ft|abbr=on|disp=flip}}. Los Angeles, California is located {{Convert|4111|mi|abbr=on|disp=flip}} northeast, [[Santiago]], [[Chile]] is {{Convert|2100|mi|abbr=on|disp=flip}} east, Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā [[Sydney]], [[Australia]] is located {{Convert|2000|mi|abbr=on|disp=flip}} west. [[Easter Island]] is not too far east of Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. There are some viewpoints in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā to see Mo{{okina}}orea. Mo{{okina}}orea appears as a gray mound with mountains across the Pacific Ocean. The ''Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā Nature Park'' is a major park in the mountains. [[New Caledonia]] is located not too far to the west of Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā.

=== Nearby communes ===
[[Moorea-Maiao|Mo{{okina}}orea-Maiao]] on Mo{{okina}}orea is located just across the Pacific Ocean {{convert|15|km|abbr=on}} away. [[Vaitape]], Bora Bora is {{convert|218|km|abbr=on}} away and is the largest commune of Bora Bora. [[Uturoa]] is a closer commune on [[Raiatea]]. Pape{{okina}}ete borders Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā on the north and Paperā borders Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā on the south.

== Climate ==
Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā lies in a [[tropical monsoon climate]] zone and thus experiences very little seasonal variation.

[[Cyclones]] have struck Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā about 10 times, causing major damage to the neighborhoods low and flat.{{citation needed|date=January 2016}} Houses flipped over and some flooding took place in downtown Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā . The surges were about {{Convert|29|ft|abbr=on|disp=flip|0}} tall.{{citation needed|date=January 2016}}
 
{{Clear}}
{{Meteo France
|Town=Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā 
|Sunshine= 2,660.4
|Rain=1,687.7
|Snow=0
|Storm=36.9
|Fog=0.1
}}
<br>
{{Weather box|width=auto
|location = Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1957−present)
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|Jan record high C = 34.1
|Feb record high C = 34.5
|Mar record high C = 34.5
|Apr record high C = 34.5
|May record high C = 33.3
|Jun record high C = 32.7
|Jul record high C = 31.9
|Aug record high C = 31.6
|Sep record high C = 31.7
|Oct record high C = 32.4
|Nov record high C = 33.9
|Dec record high C = 33.2
|Jan record low C = 19.5
|Feb record low C = 18.9
|Mar record low C = 20.5
|Apr record low C = 19.2
|May record low C = 18.8
|Jun record low C = 15.9
|Jul record low C = 16.3
|Aug record low C = 14.9
|Sep record low C = 15.8
|Oct record low C = 15.8
|Nov record low C = 18.1
|Dec record low C = 19.5
|Jan high C = 31.0
|Feb high C = 31.1
|Mar high C = 31.5
|Apr high C = 31.3
|May high C = 30.4
|Jun high C = 29.6
|Jul high C = 29.2
|Aug high C = 29.0
|Sep high C = 29.3
|Oct high C = 29.7
|Nov high C = 30.4
|Dec high C = 30.6
|year high C = 30.3
|Jan mean C = 27.7
|Feb mean C = 27.8
|Mar mean C = 28.1
|Apr mean C = 27.9
|May mean C = 27.0
|Jun mean C = 26.1
|Jul mean C = 25.6
|Aug mean C = 25.4
|Sep mean C = 25.8
|Oct mean C = 26.3
|Nov mean C = 27.2
|Dec mean C = 27.5
|year mean C = 26.9
|Jan low C = 24.4
|Feb low C = 24.5
|Mar low C = 24.7
|Apr low C = 24.5
|May low C = 23.6
|Jun low C = 22.6
|Jul low C = 22.1
|Aug low C = 21.9
|Sep low C = 22.3
|Oct low C = 23.0
|Nov low C = 23.9
|Dec low C = 24.3
|year low C = 23.5
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 267.6
|Feb precipitation mm = 244.5
|Mar precipitation mm = 166.5
|Apr precipitation mm = 99.2
|May precipitation mm = 104.1
|Jun precipitation mm = 74.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 44.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 41.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 50.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 102.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 105.1
|Dec precipitation mm = 279.1
|year precipitation mm = 1578.8
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 12.8
|Feb precipitation days = 12.1
|Mar precipitation days = 9.6
|Apr precipitation days = 8.1
|May precipitation days = 7.5
|Jun precipitation days = 5.1
|Jul precipitation days = 4.5
|Aug precipitation days = 4.7
|Sep precipitation days = 4.5
|Oct precipitation days = 7.0
|Nov precipitation days = 8.3
|Dec precipitation days = 14.1
|year precipitation days = 98.2
|Jan sun = 209.9
|Feb sun = 188.0
|Mar sun = 228.7
|Apr sun = 223.2
|May sun = 223.3
|Jun sun = 221.4
|Jul sun = 237.6
|Aug sun = 240.6
|Sep sun = 232.1
|Oct sun = 232.6
|Nov sun = 224.1
|Dec sun = 199.0
|year sun = 2660.4
|source 1 = [[Météo-France]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_98715002.pdf
|title=Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records
| publisher = [[Météo-France]]
| access-date = 25 August 2022}}</ref><ref name=MFclimat1>{{cite web
| url = http://www.meteofrance.com/climat/france/station/98715002/normales
| title = Données climatiques de la station de Faaa
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 16 December 2014
| archive-date = 3 March 2016
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230638/http://www.meteofrance.com/climat/france/station/98715002/normales
| url-status = dead
}}</ref><ref name=MFclimat2>{{cite web
| url = http://www.meteofrance.com/climat/outremer/polynesie/polynesie/normales
| title = Climat Polynésie française
| publisher = Meteo France
| access-date = 16 December 2014
| archive-date = 25 March 2017
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170325061959/http://www.meteofrance.com/climat/outremer/polynesie/polynesie/normales
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>}}

== Education ==
The [[University of French Polynesia]] is in central Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. Students from many other islands come to this university since it is the only one in the territory. It is a relatively small university with around 2,000 students. There are elementary, middle, and high schools located inland in the neighborhoods. Most of the schools are in separate buildings, each of them being one class. There are about five classes per grade at elementary schools. Some families have their children go to school in other countries like the [[United States]] or New Zealand. If they were to have their students go to California for education, they would usually go to the [[University of California, Los Angeles]] in Los Angeles. The main subject at the schools in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā is mathematics.

== History of Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā ==

=== Early settlers ===
Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā was first settled by travelers from [[Asia]] who arrived in canoes in the year 700. {{cn|date=June 2024}} At that time, the settlers from Asia made small houses from grass and wood. Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā had only 400 residents. They fished from the beach and from their canoes. The settlers made spears from the charcoal on the beach. Soon, many more settlers came from Asia, swelling the population to 700 by the year 1220. Some of the people fed on breadfruit and bananas from banana trees. The settlers kept moving inland from the beach. They looked across the ocean and saw Mo{{okina}}orea, which had also been settled. Some of the settlers on Tahiti paddled their canoes to visit Mo{{okina}}orea. By 1300, Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā had about 1,000 residents. Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā had many grass houses along the beach, many close to one another. Some of the residents left open spaces to let their kids play. Some of the early [[Tahitians]] made small fires from leaves to stay warm during winter. By the 1330s, 1,300 residents had settled in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. Most of the settlers moved their houses inland as the beachfront was flooded during cyclones and high tides. The Tahitians moved into the small valleys close to Mount Orohena. Many of the early Polynesians had canoed to Mo{{okina}}orea and back many times. They had been careful of the many [[Synanceia|stonefish]] in the water.{{Citation needed|date=December 2015}}

=== European contact ===
European settlers came during the 1500s. In 1769 Captain James Cook became the third European visitor to Tahiti. The Tahitians were all wondering who he was and why he was here. Then he left Tahiti and went exploring other islands in the Pacific Ocean. He later reached New Zealand and the eastern coast of Australia. Then [[Charles Darwin]] came on his expedition to Tahiti. During the late 1800s, Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā had a population of 2,000 residents. Some of the residents went to California to go to the [[California Gold Rush]] to search for a new life. Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā was part of the [[Kingdom of Tahiti]] until the annexation of 1880. Many buildings made from wood were along the coast of Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. Some small markets selling bananas and other fruits were busy. Residents from Mo{{okina}}orea came to get fruits from the markets. Farms could be found in the mountains of Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā.

=== Modern Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā ===
During the early 1900s, Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā's population had grown to 5,000. Many markets had more choices and even some toys for kids. Some bigger boats were made for the new Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā Port. The boats sailed from Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā onward to other communes on Tahiti such as [[Arue, French Polynesia|Arue]] and Teahupo{{okina}}o. Downtown Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā was very busy and public beaches were formed on the waterfront of Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. There was a big field in the north of Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā and Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā International Airport was built here in 1962. One of the first airplanes was [[Air Tahiti]], which first went to other islands in French Polynesia. The international airlines such as [[Air Tahiti Nui]] were incorporated in the late 1990s. [[Air Moorea|Air Mo{{okina}}orea]] runs several flights daily between Tahiti and Mo{{okina}}orea. In 2007 one flight crashed into the lagoon and 20 people died. [[Don the Beachcomber]] lived here part of his life. The Mo{{okina}}orea ferry was also created after the flight and still sails to Mo{{okina}}orea each day. Today, Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā has a population of nearly 30,000 inhabitants.

=== Dates ===
;700: The area of Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā is first settled by early Polynesians
;900: Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā has many grass houses along the beach and inland
;1600: Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā's population grows to 1,500
;1767: Captain [[Samuel Wallis]] is the first European to land on Tahiti
;1768: [[Louis-Antoine de Bougainville]] is the second European to land on Tahiti
;1769: Captain James Cook is the third European to land on Tahiti
;1855: Many Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā residents leave for the California Gold Rush
;1910: Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā has more than 5,000 residents
;1962: Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā International Airport opened
;1998: Air Tahiti Nui is founded
;2007: Air Mo{{okina}}orea crashes while going to Mo{{okina}}orea

== Parks and recreation ==
There is one long coastal beach park with 3 playgrounds per kilometer and concrete spaces where Tahitian dancers perform. Coconut trees dot the coastline and can be up to {{convert|40|ft|disp=flip}} tall. There are many more parks in the neighborhoods of Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. The usual park in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā has a playground, open grass spaces, and trees and only a few have [[Basketball]] courts. School parks have mainly open grass spaces and a few trees. There are about 170 parks in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. Hiking trails can be found in the mountains of Tahiti. It is part of the ''Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā Nature Park''. There are viewing points viewing the Pape{{okina}}ete Area. The harbor can also be seen with the ''Aremiti Ferry'' coming in and out of the harbor. [[Inocarpus fagifer|Mape trees]] grow in the park. The hiking trails are made of dirt and are {{Convert|4|ft|abbr=on|disp=flip}} wide. Sometimes the mape tree roots grow on the trails making them dangerous at those points. Many birds fly over the trails and some rivers run through the park. Birdwatching is very popular among the tourists. There is a visitor center near which starts the main hiking trail. Mo{{okina}}orea can be seen across the Pacific Ocean from some of the viewing points. Souvenir shops are found in the mountain parks. Postcards are very popular for the tourist coming to Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. Other souvenirs at the shop include towels, small [[tiki]]s, and Tahitian card games. There are also hiking trails in nearby communes of Tahiti and Mo{{okina}}orea.

== Economy ==
[[Image:Carrefour at Puna'auia, French Polynesia.jpg|thumb|The Carrefour market, located in the commune]]
{{main|Economy of French Polynesia}}
Air Tahiti has its head office on the airport property in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. There are many supermarkets in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. The supermarkets mainly sell bread, milk, fruits, and ice cream. There is also one of the largest malls in French Polynesia in downtown Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. It has a clothing store a market, and a souvenir shop.<ref>"[http://www.airtahiti.aero/articles.php?id=191&cat=64&etabid=8 Préambule] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120716202357/http://www.airtahiti.aero/articles.php?id=191&cat=64&etabid=8 |date=2012-07-16 }}" Air Tahiti. Retrieved on 2 February 2011. "Société Air Tahiti Société Anonyme au capital de 2 760 000 000 CFP Siège social : aéroport de Tahiti - Faaa BP 314 - 98713 Papeete – Tahiti – Polynésie Française ."</ref> The now defunct Air Mo{{okina}}orea had its head office in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā.<ref>"[http://www.airmoorea.pf/groupeairtahiti/compagnie.php La Compagnie] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903131447/http://www.airmoorea.pf/groupeairtahiti/compagnie.php |date=2011-09-03 }}." Air Moorea. Retrieved on 26 February 2010.</ref> Many people that work in other communes such as Pape{{okina}}ete or Teahupo{{okina}}o live in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. There are businesses like McDonald's that are close to the public beach. The port of Pape{{okina}}ete has many workers that live in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. Many other people that work in Pape{{okina}}ete or Teahupo{{okina}}o live in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. The port of Pape{{okina}}ete has many workers who live in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. There is a [[Carrefour]] market in the commune.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tahiti-infos.com/Pacific-Plaza-le-centre-commercial-et-le-Carrefour-Auae-ouvrent-mardi_a115362.html |title=Pacific Plaza : le centre commercial et le Carrefour Auae ouvrent mardi |publisher=Tahiti Infos |language=fr |date=28 November 2014 |access-date=24 October 2022}}</ref>

=== Agriculture ===
Farms in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā are usually found in the mountains to the east. The farms are all more than {{convert|1,000|ft|m|disp=flip|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} above mean sea level far from the coastline. The farms in the mountains have Tahitian flowers growing in the fields. The flowers get picked and are usually sent to Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā International Airport to greet the passengers that have just arrived. There are many tractors on the fields that plow the dirt. Banana trees are plentiful throughout Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā and also a major export to other islands. The main islands that get imported from Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā are Mo{{okina}}orea, [[Huahine]], and Raiatea. Many strawberries are also found in the farms. Potatoes, apples, and raspberries are all other major fruits grown at the farms of Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. School lunches usually contain fruits from these farms. The Mo{{okina}}orea juice factory is a major juice factory on Mo{{okina}}orea that exports its juice to Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā.

== Sports ==

===World Championship Tour===
The surfing world champions of Teahupo{{okina}}o have been to Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. Teahupo{{okina}}o is a [[Surf break|reef break]], making big waves. The swells usually break to the left but sometimes break to the right. The big swells cause Teahupo{{okina}}o to become a major place for the World Championship Tour (WCT). People such as Mike Stewart and Ben Severson are the [[Bodyboarding|boogieboarding]] champions of Teahupo{{okina}}o. The first surfing champion of Teahupo{{okina}}o to win an award was in 1999.

===Other sports===
Soccer games (in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā, it's called football) is a major sport played at the school parks. The parks have chairs set in a field and people can easily see the game. The soccer fields are relatively small.

Other major sports played in Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā are tennis and basketball.

== Name ==
The official spelling of the French Commune is ''Faaa''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/article_lc/LEGIARTI000006399440/2009-02-12 |title=Loi organique n° 2004-192 du 27 février 2004 portant statut d'autonomie de la Polynésie française (1). |publisher=Legifrance |language=fr |access-date=24 October 2022}}</ref> However, it is more frequently spelled as ''Faa'a'' or ''Fa'a'a'', using the apostrophe to represent the [[glottal stop]], as promoted by the ''[[Tahitian Academy|Académie Tahitienne]]'' and accepted by the territorial government.<ref>{{cite web|author=I.S.S. - www.iss.pf - teiva, kaimana |url=http://www.farevanaa.pf/theme_detail.php?id=5 |title=Académie Tahitienne - Fare V?na'a |publisher=Farevanaa.pf |access-date=2010-10-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031105183046/http://www.farevanaa.pf/theme_detail.php?id=5 |archive-date=5 November 2003}}</ref>

== Music of Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā ==
{{main|Music of Tahiti}}
The [[nose flute]] (''vivo'') is a popular instrument throughout French Polynesia. Tahitian drums (''toere'') are also popular and are made from hollow trunks of trees and animal skins. The residents of Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā can take lessons at the University of French Polynesia.

==Art==
There are art museums in the mountains of Fa{{okina}}a{{okina}}ā. The mountains of Tahiti and other islands have inspired [[Paul Gauguin]]. Some paintings can be found in the museums which are a very popular tourist attraction. The ''Musée de la Perle'' is a major art museum in nearby Pape{{okina}}ete. The house of [[James Norman Hall]] used to be a mansion in Arue. It is now a renowned museum that is a major tourist attraction. Art galleries are found throughout the island of Tahiti and there are 10 in Pape{{okina}}ete.

== See also ==
{{Portal|Geography}}
* [[Demographics of France]]
* [[Demographics of French Polynesia]]
* [[Mahina, French Polynesia]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Faaa}}

{{Communes of Tahiti}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fa'a'a}}
[[Category:Communes of French Polynesia]]
[[Category:Populated places in Tahiti]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 8th century]]