Atiu, also known as Enuamanu (meaning land of the birds), is an island 187 km northeast of Rarotonga, in the Southern Islands group of the Cook Islands. It is a raised volcanic island surrounded by a reef from which rise 6m high cliffs of fossilized coral (makatea), which forms a mile-wide ring round the island, creating a virtual plateau. Erosion at the innerside of the ring has formed dip of about 30m into fertile land, which gradually rises again to a central 70m high flat-topped hill. In common with most islands in the southern group, Atiu has only a small, shallow lagoon. The most settlements are concentrated on the central hill. In 2003, the population of Atiu was 571, in five villages radiating out from the island's centre, giving the appearance of a human figure.
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