Bora Bora is more than the blue-water image that made it famous. The island belongs to the Society Islands of French Polynesia, where a steep volcanic interior rises above a ring of lagoon, reef and small coral islets known as motu. Vaitape is the principal village; other communities and districts, including Anau, Faanui and Nunue, give the island a lived-in geography beyond its resorts.
The municipality’s official site describes Bora Bora as about 40 square kilometres and lists 10,760 residents; treat that as its published figure, not a dated census. The lagoon is a working maritime environment shaped by currents, reef passes, fishing, transport and conservation rules. Boats use marked channels through its navigable opening rather than crossing shallow coral.