has also been written as Ua Pu, Hua Pu and Ropo. It is considered that the real European explorer was the French circumnavigator Étienne Marchand (1755-1793), who arrived shortly after, on June 20, 1791, anchored with his ship Solide first in Vaiehu Bay, on the west coast, and then off Hakahau. He remained off the island for a total of three days, but contacts with the inhabitants during the brief excursions ashore were limited. Marchand named the island "Île Marchand," after his own surname. The arrival of the U.S. whaling ship Tuscan from Nantucket on March 4, 1835, was a prelude to other encounters with whalers, adventurers, and shady traders in the following years, who brought firearms and alcohol to the tribes. The year of Ua Pou's final submission to French rule is considered to be 1880, when Rear Admiral Abel Bergasse Dupetit-Thouars (adopted son of Abel Aubert Du Petit-Thouars), forcibly removed the last resistance. The Marquesas then became a French colony. Geography It is located about 50 km (30 mi.) south of Nuku Hiva, in the northern Marquesas. The center of the island is characterized by four high basalt pillars that reach high above the surrounding mountains. The highest of these pillars, Mount Oave (Mont Oave), reaches to above sea level and is the highest elevation in the Marquesas. The island covers an area of , and is located just northwest of the small island of Motu Oa. The largest settlement is Hakahau, on Hakahau Bay, on the northeast coast. Demographics With 2200 inhabitants in the 2002 census, and 2,213 at the 2017 census, it is the most densely populated island of the archipelago. The main village is Hakahau located in the northwest of the island with the main port and close to the airport. The population is known for the innate artistic qualities of artisans, sculptors and tattoo artists, as well as traditional singers and dancers. The Matava'a festival is held periodically and is an important center of Marquesan culture. Geology Geologically, Ua Pou is part of the Marquesas linear volcanic chain, which formed from a hot spot on the Pacific Plate and is moving WNW at a rate of 103–118 mm per year. The island's igneous rocks are between 2.54 and 4.86 million years old. Climate Ua Pou is located in the Earth's tropical belt. The climate varies from hot and humid in the coastal areas to