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Bora Bora was once a self-ruled kingdom Protected by its island warriors, Bora Bora resisted European
colonisation and was an independent kingdom with its own royalty until the year 1888. During that year,
Bora Bora’s last queen Teriimaevarua III was forced to abdicate by the French, under the leadership of
Admiral Abel Aubert Dupetit Thouars, who annexed various Polynesian island groups including Bora
Bora as a colony.
Bora Bora belongs to France Another historical fact is that in 1958 this entire archipelago became known
as French Polynesia. French Polynesia, which includes Bora Bora, is officially a semi-autonomous
territory of France. The country has been working towards independence from France, but this is a long
and gradual process that is expected to take years to complete.
Bora Bora was a once a WW2 American supply base Referred to as Operation Bobcat, the
United States chose Bora Bora as their military supply base in the South Pacific during World
War II from 1942 to 1946. Around 6,000 U.S. military personnel, nine ships, and over 20 000
tons of equipment were brought here including the construction of seven massive cannons and a
number of forts along the perimeter of the island. An aviation runway of over 6,000 ft (2,000m)
was also built and remained French Polynesia’s only international airport until the opening of
Faa’a International Airport on Papeete in Tahiti in 1962.