Why do most people on Tahiti live near the coast?

Most people on Tahiti live near the coast because the island’s interior is characterized by jagged, mountainous terrain that is largely unsuitable for habitation or agriculture.12

The island consists of ancient volcanic cones with steep slopes that rise abruptly, leaving the coastal strips and valley outlets as the primary areas capable of supporting human settlement and planting. Consequently, homes are typically scattered along coastal roads, and population and business activity are concentrated in Papeete and its surrounding coastal areas. These coastal plains also provide the necessary land for cultivating crops such as coconuts, sugarcane, vanilla, and coffee.123