Pukapuka is a coral atoll in the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean, with three small islets threaded on a reef that encloses a crystal-clear lagoon. It is the most remote island of the Cook Islands, situated about 1,140 kilometres (708 miles) northwest of Rarotonga. It is a triangular atoll with three islets comprising little more than three square kilometres of land area. On this small island an ancient culture and distinct language has been maintained over many centuries. In the 1990s Japanese archaeologists discovered evidence of human settlement up to 2,000 years ago. Pukapuka's closest prehistoric associations appear to be with Samoa and other islands to the west, but there was later a lot of contact with islands to the east. The traditional name for the atoll was Te Ulu-o-Te-Watu ('the head of the stone'), and the northern islet where the people normally reside is affectionately known as Wale (Home).