Marquesas Islands

The Marquesas Islands, not to be confused with the Marquesas Keys of Florida, are a group of islands in French Polynesia. In French they are known as the Îles Marquises or Archipel des Marquises or Marquises, and in Marquesan they are known variously as Te Henua (K)enana (North Marquesan) and Te Fenua `Enata (South Marquesan), which means "The Land of Men". (See also: Names of the Marquesas Islands.)

The Marquesas Islands in Western Culture and Civilization

Famous French painter Paul Gauguin and Belgian singer Jacques Brel spent the last years of their lives in the Marquesas, and are buried there. Brel composed a famous song, Les Marquises, about the Marquesas Islands, his last home.

Related Topics:
Paul Gauguin - Jacques Brel

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The Marquesas provided inspiration to American novelist Herman Melville, whose experiences in the Marquesas formed the basis for his novel Typee.

Related Topics:
Herman Melville - Typee

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Robert Louis Stevenson visited the Marquesas in 1888, and wrote about his experiences and impressions there in 1900, in a book called In the South Seas.

Related Topics:
Robert Louis Stevenson - 1888 - 1900

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Thor Heyerdahl wrote his book ' during a year-long stay on that island.

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The island group is also mentioned in passing in the Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young) song, The Southern Cross.

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The Marquesas Islands temporarily received an international spotlight in the United States when the reality TV show ' was filmed there. It was the fourth installment of the TV series Survivor.

Related Topics:
United States - Survivor

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