On 13 Febmary 1960 the French Government conducted the first of a series of nuclear tests in the atmosphere at the Reggane Firing Ground in
the Sahara Desert. Sometime in the course of 1963 the decision was taken by
the French Government to move the test centre to Mururoa Atoll in the
Tuamotu Archipelago (Map at Annex 1). Mururoa is located approximately
2,500 nautical miles from the nearest point of the North Island of New Zealand
and approximately 1,050 nautical miles from the nearest point of the
Cook Islands, a self-governing State linked in free association with New
Zealand.