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)
country comparison to the world: 174
land:
3,827 sq km
water:
340 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
2,525 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Climate:
Current Weather
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: 0.75%
permanent crops:
5.5%
other:
93.75% (2005)
Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
occasional cyclonic storms in January
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
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
People ::French Polynesia
Population:
291,000 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.8% (male 35,457/female 33,923)
15-64 years:
69.2% (male 104,246/female 97,019)
65 years and over:
7% (male 10,272/female 10,083) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.5 years
male:
29.8 years
female:
29.2 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.355% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
Birth rate:
15.67 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
Death rate:
4.8 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
Net migration rate:
2.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26
Urbanization:
urban population: 52% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
1.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
1.02 male(s)/female
total population:
1.06 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.41 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 167
male:
8.51 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
6.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.91 years
country comparison to the world: 63
male:
74.44 years
female:
79.5 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.89 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
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.)
Education expenditures:
NA
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 Adolphe COLRAT (since 7 July 2008)
head of government:
President
of French Polynesia Gaston Tong SANG (since 24 November 2009);
President of the Territorial Assembly Eduoard FRITCH (since 12 February
2009)
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 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 elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections:
last held on 27 January 2008 (first round) and 10 February 2008 (second round) (next to be held in 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:two
seats were elected to the French Senate on 21 September 2008 (next to
be held in September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - UMP 1, independent 1; two seats were elected to the
French National Assembly on 10-17 June 2007 (next to be held in 2012);
results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 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:
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;
Popular Rally (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 depicting the sea on the lower half
and a gold and white ray pattern depicting the sun on the upper half; a
stylized red, blue, and white ship rides on the wave pattern; the ship
has a crew of five represented by five stars that symbolize the five
island groups; red and white are traditional Polynesian colors
note:the flag of France 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$4.718 billion (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
$4.58 billion (2003 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$6.1 billion (2004)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.7% (2005)
country comparison to the world: 67
5.1% (2002)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$18,000 (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
$17,500 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.5%
industry:
20.4%
services:
76.1% (2005)
Labor force:
116,000 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 180
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 13%
industry:
19%
services:
68% (2002)
Unemployment rate:
11.7% (2005)
country comparison to the world: 127
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
