Editing Marquesas Islands (section)

==Government and politics==
The Marquesas Islands form one of the [[administrative divisions of French Polynesia|five administrative divisions]] (''{{lang|fr|subdivisions administratives}}'') of French Polynesia. French and Tahitian are the official languages of government. The capital of the Marquesas Islands administrative subdivision is the settlement of [[Taioha'e]] on the island of [[Nuku Hiva]].

The sparsely populated Marquesas Islands are located {{convert|1371|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Tahiti]]. With 183,645 inhabitants (2012 census), Tahiti is the most populous island of French Polynesia, containing 68.5% of the total population of the grouping.<ref>[http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=G267:47/1 ''Chart of the Island Otaheite, by Lieut. J. Cook 1769''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101208150535/http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=G267%3A47%2F1 |date=8 December 2010 }}. National Maritime Museum. nmm.ac.uk</ref>

Residents of the Marquesas have chafed at Tahiti's overwhelming dominance, complaining of neglect by politicians based in Tahiti, and leaders have suggested developing a direct relationship with the metropole, the government in Paris, instead of depending on [[Papeete]].<ref name="secession">[http://www.rue89.com/2007/12/23/polemique-a-tahiti-les-marquises-veulent-se-rapprocher-de-paris?page=0 Polémique à Tahiti: les Marquises veulent se rapprocher de Paris] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302115403/http://rue89.com/2007/12/23/polemique-a-tahiti-les-marquises-veulent-se-rapprocher-de-paris?page=0 |date=2 March 2008 }}, Rue 89, 23 December 2007</ref> As sentiment was rising in Tahiti in the 21st century for independence from France, several prominent Marquesan political leaders in 2007 floated the idea of the Marquesas Islands separating from French Polynesia but remaining within the French Republic.<ref name="secession"/> This has generated controversy in Tahiti, where pro-independence Tahitian leaders have accused the French central government of encouraging the separation of the Marquesas Islands from French Polynesia.<ref name="secession"/>