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. In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been
considerably expanded.
Geography
French Polynesia
Location:
Oceania, archipelagoes in the
South Pacific Ocean about half way between South America and 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
includes five archipelagoes
(four volcanic, one coral); 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
total: 28.7 years
male: 29 years female: 28.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.425% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
16.16 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
4.67 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.77 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 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: 1.02
male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.7 deaths/1,000
live births male: 8.84 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.51
years male: 74.07 years female: 79.08 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.95 children born/woman (2008
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 10%, no religion 6%
Languages:
French 61.1% (official),
Polynesian 31.4% (official), Asian languages 1.2%, other 0.3%, unspecified
6% (2002 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 14 and
over can read and write total population: 98% male:
98% female: 98% (1977 est.)
Government
French Polynesia
Country name:
conventional long form:
Overseas Lands of French Polynesia conventional short form:
French Polynesia local long form: Pays d'outre-mer de la
Polynesie Francaise local short form: Polynesie Francaise
former: French Colony of Oceania
Dependency status:
overseas lands of France;
overseas territory of France from 1946-2004
Government type:
NA
Capital:
name: Papeete
geographic coordinates: 17 32 S, 149 34 W time
difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas lands of
France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by
the US Government, but there are five archipelagic divisions named
Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du
Vent, Iles Sous-le-Vent
Independence:
none (overseas lands of France)
National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French
Constitution)
Legal system:
the laws of France, where
applicable, apply
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by High
Commissioner of the Republic Anne BOQUET (since September 2005)
head of government: President of French Polynesia Oscar TEMARU
(since 13 September 2007); note - President TEMARU resigned on 27 January
2008; President of the Territorial Assembly Antony GEROS (since 9 May
2004) 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 five-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 for five-year terms (no term
limits)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Territorial Assembly
or Assemblee Territoriale (57 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 27 January 2008
(first round) and 10 February 2008 (second round) (next to be held NA
2013) election results: percent of vote by party - Our Home
alliance 45.2%, Union for Democracy alliance 37.2%, Popular Rally
(Tahoeraa Huiraatira) 17.2% other 0.5%; seats by party - Our Home alliance
27, Union for Democracy alliance 20, Popular Rally 10 note: one
seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be
held in September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - NA; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 9
June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, UMP 1
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:
Alliance for a New Democracy or
ADN [Nicole BOUTEAU and Philip SCHYLE](includes the parties The New Star
and This Country is Yours); Independent Front for the Liberation of
Polynesia (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a
Api) [Emile VERNAUDON]; Our Home alliance; People's Rally for the Republic
of Polynesia or RPR (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; Union for
Democracy alliance or UPD [Oscar TEMARU]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
FZ, ITUC, PIF (associate
member), SPC, UPU, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas lands of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas lands of France)
Flag description:
two narrow red horizontal bands
encase a wide white band; centered on the white band is a disk with a blue
and white wave pattern on the lower half and a 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
Government - note:
under certain acts of France,
French Polynesia has acquired autonomy in all areas except those relating
to police and justice, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration,
and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are fashioned
after those of the French prime minister
Economy
French Polynesia
Economy - overview:
Since 1962, when France
stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed
from a subsistence agricultural economy to one in which a high proportion
of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the
tourist industry. With the halt of French nuclear testing in 1996, the
military contribution to the economy fell sharply. Tourism accounts for
about one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings.
Other sources of income are pearl farming and deep-sea commercial fishing.
The small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural products.
The territory benefits substantially from development agreements with
France aimed principally at creating new businesses and strengthening
social services.
France 46.3%, Japan 20.8%,
Niger 12.8%, US 12.5% (2006)
Imports:
$1.706 billion f.o.b. (2005
est.)
Imports - commodities:
fuels, foodstuffs, machinery
and equipment
Imports - partners:
France 52.7%, Singapore 14.9%,
NZ 6.8%, US 6.6% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$579.8 million (2004)
Debt - external:
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique
franc (XPF)
Currency code:
XPF
Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique
francs (XPF) per US dollar - 87.59 (2007), 94.97 (2006), 95.89 (2005),
96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003) note: pegged at the rate of 119.25
XPF to the euro
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications
French Polynesia
Telephones - main lines in use:
53,600 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
152,000 (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 689;
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 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
40,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.pf
Internet hosts:
14,059 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)
Internet users:
65,000 (2006)
Transportation
French Polynesia
Airports:
54 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 37 over
3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m:
27 under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 17 914 to
1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 8 (2007)
Heliports:
1 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 2,590 km
paved: 1,735 km unpaved: 855 km (1999)
Merchant marine:
total: 13 ships (1000
GRT or over) 23,684 GRT/17,291 DWT by type: cargo 4, passenger
2, passenger/cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1
registered in other countries: 2 (Wallis and Futuna 2) (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Papeete
Military
French Polynesia
Military branches:
no regular military forces;
Gendarmerie and National Police Force (2007)
