Tahiti of ocean, was made possible by using outrigger canoes that were up to twenty or thirty meters long and could transport families as well as domestic animals. In 1769, for instance, James Cook mentions a great traditional ship ("va'a") in Tahiti that was long, and could be propelled by sail or paddles. In 2010, an expedition on a simple outrigger canoe with a sail retraced the route back from Tahiti to Asia. Before the arrival of the Europeans the island was divided into different chiefdoms, very precise territories dominated by a single clan. These chiefdoms were linked to each other
Tahiti and connected by a short isthmus named after the small town of Taravao which is situated there. The northwestern portion is known as "Tahiti Nui" ("big Tahiti"), while the much smaller southeastern portion is known as "Tahiti Iti" ("small Tahiti") or "Tai'arapū". "Tahiti Nui" is heavily populated along the coast, especially around the capital, Papeete. The interior of "Tahiti Nui" is almost entirely uninhabited. "Tahiti Iti" has remained isolated, as its southeastern half ("Te Pari") is accessible only to those travelling by boat or on foot. The rest of the island is encircled by a main road which cuts between