Inverse Pyramid
As soon as I arrived I was struck by how de-populated the main island of Nuka Hiva was. An enormous de-population that went down after the arrival of the first Europeans, added to the difficulty of constructing any kind of infrastructure because of the nature of the terrain, has all combined to retain the authentic native feel of these islands and their inhabitants. The first explorers to arrive here estimated the population at about 100,000. The dramatic effects of the germs and diseases that the explorers brought with them dragged that down to 6,000 by 1872, 3,000 in 1911, and no more than 2200 in 1930. Today, the population is back up to 8,000. There’s no overcrowding here, no pollution problems or ugly concrete developments. The Marquesians have learned how to retain their way of life and protect the natural beauty of their islands. The cultural life and ancestral traditions have been protected too.
