The atoll consists of about 415 motus, islets and sandbars comprising a total land area of about 170 km2 (66 sq mi).

As a result of excessive pumping, the freshwater lenses that form on the coral reefs are now mostly brackish water,[4] leading to saltwater intrusion.

As atolls form on the surface of the ocean, freshwater supplies are contaminated by the burial of waste, often accumulated in unregulated dumps or buried only a few meters deep.

[6] Such problems of water supply and waste management are common on atolls with the adoption of contemporary living conditions, and are therefore structural, as in the case of Rangiroa.

[7][8][9] In addition to this inherent problem, the progress of global warming and the consequent rise in sea levels threaten the island.

In common with other atolls, Rangiroa's ecology and its viability as a permanent habitation for humans are based on a highly vulnerable ecosystem that is delicately balanced, so requiring careful resource management.

[2] The first recorded Europeans to arrive on Rangiroa were Dutch explorers Jacob le Maire and Willem Schouten during their 1615-1616 Pacific journey.

As in the rest of the Tuamotu Islands, the majority of the inhabitants are Christians, as a consequence of missionary activity by both Catholic and Protestant groups.

The technique to produce marine cultured pearls was developed in Japan and, except some minor details, is similar in French Polynesia.

Pearl farming is done in more than 30 atolls of French Polynesia and is the main activity for numerous families in the Tuamotu archipelago.

The biggest farm, Gauguin's Pearl[15] employed more than 50 local workers, with a strong impact on the economy of this 2,000 person atoll.

The first vines were imported in 1992 and underwent tests for acclimatization and selection in the main islands of Polynesia, with the uncertainty of their adaptation to climate.

[17] The tests took place in: The atoll of Rangiroa was selected for the following reasons: absence of grapevine pest such as defoliating insects (e.g., Grape Phylloxera) and its proximity to Tahiti.

Tourism is a major economic activity of the island: daily connections with Tahiti, an exceptional lagoon and passes which are good sites for scuba diving attract a steady number of tourists.

Rangiroa is a major underwater diving destination because of the lagoon's clear waters and diverse marine fauna.

Many forms of marine life are present in the atoll's waters, providing opportunities for observation to divers and snorkellers.