| French Polynesia (overseas territory of France) |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

French Polynesia | Introduction | Top of Page

Background: | The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year moratorium. The tests were suspended in January 1996.

French Polynesia | Geography | Top of Page

Location: | Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from South America to Australia

Geographic coordinates: | 15 00 S, 140 00 W

Map references: | Oceania

Area: | total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls) land: 3,660 sq km water: 507 sq km

Area - comparative: | slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries: | 0 km

Coastline: | 2,525 km

Maritime claims: | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: | tropical, but moderate

Terrain: | mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs

Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m

Natural resources: | timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower

Land use: | arable land: 1% permanent crops: 6% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 31% other: 57% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: | NA sq km

Natural hazards: | occasional cyclonic storms in January

Environment - current issues: | NA

Geography - note: | includes five archipelagoes; Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru

French Polynesia | People | Top of Page

Population: | 253,506 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 29.74% (male 38,473; female 36,925) 15-64 years: 65.17% (male 86,128; female 79,076) 65 years and over: 5.09% (male 6,481; female 6,423) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 1.72% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 18.6 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 4.45 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | 3.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 9.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 75.01 years male: 72.67 years female: 77.46 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 2.23 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA

Nationality: | noun: French Polynesian(s) adjective: French Polynesian

Ethnic groups: | Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%

Religions: | Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%

Languages: | French (official), Tahitian (official)

Literacy: | definition: age 14 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1977 est.)

French Polynesia | Government | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: Territory of French Polynesia conventional short form: French Polynesia local long form: Territoire de la Polynesie Francaise local short form: Polynesie Francaise former: French Colony of Oceania

Dependency status: | overseas territory of France since 1946

Government type: | NA

Capital: | Papeete

Administrative divisions: | none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 5 archipelagic divisions named Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, and Iles Sous-le-Vent note: Clipperton Island is administered by France from French Polynesia

Independence: | none (overseas territory of France)

National holiday: | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution: | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: | based on French system

Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: | chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Paul RONCIERE (since NA 1994) head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 4 April 1991); President of the Territorial Assembly Justin ARAPARI (since 13 May 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Government and the president of the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly

Legislative branch: | unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 12 May 1996 (next to be held NA 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 22, Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia 10, New Fatherland Party 5, other 4 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 24 September 1989 (next to be held NA September 1998); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UC 1; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 25 May - 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 2

Judicial branch: | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif

Political parties and leaders: | Centrist Union or UC [leader NA]; Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON]; People's Rally for the Republic (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA

International organization participation: | ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (overseas territory of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US: | none (overseas territory of France)

Flag description: | two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered on the white band is a disk with blue and white wave pattern on the lower half and gold and white ray pattern on the upper half; a stylized red, blue and white ship rides on the wave pattern; the French flag is used for official occasions

French Polynesia | Economy | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. The small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural products. The territory benefited from a five-year (1994-98) development agreement with France aimed principally at creating new jobs.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $2.6 billion (1997 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | 2.5% (1997 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $10,800 (1997 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 4% industry: 18% services: 78% (1997)

Population below poverty line: | NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 1.5% (1994)

Labor force: | 70,000 (1996)

Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 13%, industry 19%, services 68% (1997)

Unemployment rate: | 15% (1992 est.)

Budget: | revenues: $1 billion expenditures: $900 million, including capital expenditures of $185 million (1996)

Industries: | tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: | NA%

Electricity - production: | 430 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 51.16% hydro: 48.84% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 399.9 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: | coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits; poultry, beef, dairy products

Exports: | $205 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities: | cultured pearls 50%, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat (1997)

Exports - partners: | Japan 62%, US 21% (1999)

Imports: | $749 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Imports - commodities: | fuels, foodstuffs, equipment

Imports - partners: | France 53%, US 13%, Australia 10% (1999)

Debt - external: | $NA

Economic aid - recipient: | $367 million (1997)

Currency: | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)

Currency code: | XPF

Exchange rates: | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 127.11 (January 2001), 129.44 (2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25 (1998), 106.11 (1997), 93.00 (1996); note - pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro

Fiscal year: | calendar year

French Polynesia | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 52,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 5,427 (1997)

Telephone system: | general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 2, FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios: | 128,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 7 (plus 17 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: | 40,000 (1997)

Internet country code: | .pf

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (2000)

Internet users: | 5,000 (2000)

French Polynesia | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | 0 km

Highways: | total: 792 km paved: 264 km unpaved: 528 km (2000)

Waterways: | none

Ports and harbors: | Mataura, Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa

Merchant marine: | total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,240 GRT/7,765 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: | 45 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 32 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 6 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 10 (2000 est.)

French Polynesia | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | French Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie

Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of France

French Polynesia | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | none