Hienghène ([jəŋ.ɡɛːn];[3][4] Fwâi: Hyehen) is a commune in the North Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is located on a bay called Hienghène Bay, known for its eroded limestone islets.[5]
The islets are remnants of a limestone and silica formation that once covered the whole of the bay, some 40 million years ago.[5] Erosion from wind and water carved away the softer limestone, leaving the harder silica behind in eye-catching formations. Several of these formations have been given fanciful names, such as the Sphinx, the Towers of Notre Dame, and the Hen (pictured).[5]
References
- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
- ^ Population, ménages et logement par commune, en 2019, Institut de la statistique et des études économiques Nouvelle-Calédonie
- ^ Wallis, Mary Davis (25 June 1994). The Fiji and New Caledonia Journals of Mary Wallis, 1851-1853. editorips@usp.ac.fj. ISBN 9789820200951 – via Google Books.
- ^ Stanley, David (3 December 2004). Moon Handbooks South Pacific. David Stanley. p. 858. ISBN 9781566914116 – via Internet Archive.
Hienghène pronunciation.
- ^ a b c Scheffel, Richard L.; Wernet, Susan J., eds. (1980). Natural Wonders of the World. United States of America: Reader's Digest Association, Inc. p. 179. ISBN 0-89577-087-3.
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