(If you're curious, the alliterative title of this post is the name of a musical written in 1952 by American composer Leonard Bernstein. It wasn't set in Tahiti at all, but California...)
Anyway, if you've ever found yourself wondering exactly where Tahiti is, you'll be interested to hear that it's in France. No, really: Tahiti is part of the Windward Islands group, which is itself part of French Polynesia. France has traditionally handled oversea possessions differently from other imperial powers, such as the British. Even at the height of the Raj the Brits didn't decide that the whole Indian subcontinent was simply a suburb of London. The French on the other hand - assuming, in their typically Gallic way, that everyone on the planet harbors a secret desire to live in France - have always made their overseas territories politically, if not geographically, part of France itself.
This constitutional settlement has altered somewhat in recent years, with Tahiti and other islands being redesignated "overseas countries" rather than territories. The locals have always been French citizens, though there is some debate over whether they want to remain that way. On a couple of occasions in the past few years there have been minor episodes of civil unrest over the issue of independence, though it seems the majority of the population wish to remain French. Just a couple of days ago, the French President, Jacques Chirac, indicated that he thought it unlikely Tahiti or any of the other Windward Islands would secede from France in the near future.
Tahiti itself is rather unlike many other Pacific islands, especially the low-lying coral atolls for which the ocean is famous. Instead it is rugged and mountainous, the land rising steeply upwards from the lush tropical beaches of the coast to heights approaching seven thousand feet.
The capital, Papeete, is a pleasant town, with an extensive marina and waterfront. It's recent history has not been altogether stable, however: in 1995 the town was the scene of riots after the French government announced that it was planning to resume nuclear testing in the area. Under the terms of international test-ban treaties this is no longer a problem, though other sources of tension remain between Tahitians and the French government.
Frommer's Tahiti & French Polynesia (Frommer's Portable)
Hidden Tahiti and French Polynesia: Including Moorea, Bora Bora, and the Society, Austral, Gambier, Tuamotu, and Marquesas Islands (Hidden Travel)
Moon Tahiti (Moon Handbooks)
Fodor's Tahiti & French Polynesia, 1st Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides)
Tahiti & French Polynesia Guide: Open Road Publishing's Best-Selling Guide to Tahiti! (Open Road Travel Guides Tahiti and French Polynesia Guide)