Find out where the French Polynesia is and other facts and information about French Polynesia.
Geography
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
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
Environment""international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: 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
People
Population: 242,073 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 33% (male 40,422; female 38,913)
15-64 years: 63% (male 78,637; female 72,832)
65 years and over: 4% (male 5,642; female 5,627) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.72% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 22.08 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 5.06 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 13.59 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.33 years
male: 69.93 years
female: 74.85 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.64 children born/woman (1999 est.)
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.)
Government
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
Data code: FP
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: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 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, Polynesian Liberation Front 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: People's Rally for the Republic (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; Polynesian Union Party (includes Te Tiarama and Pupu Here Ai'a Party) [Jean JUVENTIN]; Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON]; Independent Party (Ia Mana Te Nunaa) [Jacques DROLLET]; Te Aratia Ote Nunaa (Tinomana Ebb); Haere i Mua [Alexandre LEONTIEFF]; Te e'a No Maohi Nui [Jean-Marius RAAPOTO]; Pupu Taina [Michel LAW]; Entente Polynesian [Arthur CHUNG]; Centrist Union or UC [leader 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
Economy
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 20% 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: NA%
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: 118,744 (of which 70,044 are employed) (1988)
Labor force""by occupation: agriculture 13%, industry 19%, services 68% (1997)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $652 million
expenditures: $613 million, including capital expenditures of $155 million (1996)
Industries: tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity""production: 350 million kWh (1996)
Electricity""production by source:
fossil fuel: 57.14%
hydro: 42.86%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity""consumption: 350 million kWh (1996)
Electricity""exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity""imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture""products: coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits; poultry, beef, dairy products
Exports: $212 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Exports""commodities: cultured pearls 53.8%, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat (1992)
Exports""partners: France 33%, US 8.5% (1994)
Imports: $860 million (c.i.f., 1996)
Imports""commodities: fuels, foodstuffs, equipment
Imports""partners: France 44.7%, US 13.9% (1994)
Debt""external: $NA
Economic aid""recipient: $450.4 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1""102.72 (January 1999), 107.25 (1998), 106.11 (1997), 93.00 (1996), 90.75 (1995), 100.94 (1994); note""linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 33,200 (1983 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station""1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 2, shortwave 0
Radios: 116,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 7 (in addition, there are 17 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 35,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 792 km
paved: 792 km (1995 est.)
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 (1998 est.)
Airports: 45 (1998 est.)
Airports""with paved runways:
total: 29
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 5 (1998 est.)
Airports""with unpaved runways:
total: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 11 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: French Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie
Military""note: defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues
Disputes""international: none
*Information obtained from the Central Intelligence Agency's World Fact Book.
