Group of islands (pop., 1996: 6,563), southern French Polynesia .
The southernmost part of French Polynesia ( austral is Latin for "south"), the islands form a chain about 850 mi (1,370 km) long. They were sighted by Capt. James Cook in 1769 and 1777. They were taken over by the French in the late 19th century. The inhabited islands are Rimatara, Rurutu, Tubuai, Raevavae, and Rapa.