Moorea is an island of volcanic origin in French Polynesia (an overseas collectivity of France, located in the South Pacific Ocean), one of the Windward Islands, part of the Society Islands, 17km northwest of much more known Tahiti. The true spelling of Moorea is Mo'ore'a, which means "yellow lizard" in Tahitian. From above, the shape of the island vaguely resembles a heart, with its two nearly symmetrical bays opening to the north side of the island. It has about 16km in width from the west to the east, and its highest point is Mount Tohi'e'a, which dominates the vista from the two bays and can be seen from Tahiti. Because of its stunning scenery and accessibility to Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, the island is visited by many western tourists, being especially popular as a honeymoon destination.
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