French Polynesia

Overseas territory of France

 
Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

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

Area

Total area: 3,941 sq km
Land area: 3,660 sq km
Comparative area: 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

International Disputes

None

Climate

Tropical, but moderate

Terrain

Mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Orohena 2,241 m

Natural Resources

Timber
Fish
Cobalt

Land Use

Arable land: 1%
Permanent crops: 19%
Meadows and pastures: 5%
Forest and woodland: 31%
Other: 44%

Irrigated Land

Environment

Current issues: NA
Natural hazards: occasional cyclonic storms in January
International agreements: NA

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

224,911 (July 1996 est.)
219,999 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

35% (male 40,450; female 39,038) (July 1996 est.)
36% (male 39,744; female 38,361) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

61% (male 70,506; female 65,620) (July 1996 est.)
60% (male 69,024; female 64,034) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

4% (male 4,636; female 4,661) (July 1996 est.)
4% (male 4,399; female 4,437) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

2.19% (1996 est.)
2.23% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

27.15 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
27.56 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

5.27 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
5.27 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 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 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.06 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

14.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
14.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total population: 70.94 years 91996 est.), 70.75 years (1995 est.)
Male: 68.49 years 91996 est.), 68.32 years (1995 est.)
Female: 73.5 years (1996 est.), 73.29 years (1995 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

3.26 children born/woman (1996 est.)
3.3 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Noun: French Polynesian(s)
Adjective: French Polynesian

Ethnic Divisions

Polynesian 78%
Chinese 12%
Local French 6%
Metropolitan French 4%

Religions

Protestant 54%
Roman Catholic 30%
Other 16%

Languages

French (official), Tahitian (official)

Literacy

Age 14 and over that can read and write but definition of literary not available (1977)

Total population: 98%
Male: 98%
Female: 98%

Labor Force

76,630 employed (1988)

by occupation

Agriculture 13%
Industry 19%
Services 68% (1992 est.)

GOVERNMENT

Names

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

Digraph

Type

Overseas territory of France since 1946

Capital

Papeete

Administrative Divisions

None (overseas territory of France); 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 (of France) Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995); represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Paul RONCIERE (since 8 August 1994) who was appointed by the French Ministry of Interior
Head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 4 April 1991); President of the Territorial Assembly Tinomana EBB (since NA)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers

Legislative Branch

Unicameral

Territorial Assembly

Elections last held 17 March 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (41 total) People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 18, Polynesian Union Party 12, New Fatherland Party 7, other 4

French Senate

Elections last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) party NA

French National Assembly

Elections last held 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held NA March 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 2

Judicial Branch

Court of Appeal, Court of the First Instance, Court of Administrative Law

Political Parties and Leaders

People's Rally for the Republic (Tahoeraa Huiraatira), Gaston FLOSSE; Polynesian Union Party (includes Te Tiarama and Here Ai'a Party), Jean JUVENTIN; 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; other small parties

Member of

ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO

Flag

The flag of French Polynesia: 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

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 territory will continue to benefit from a five-year (1994-98) development agreement with France aimed principally at creating new jobs.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.76 billion (1995 est.), $1.5 billion (1993 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

National Product Per Capita

$8,000 (1995 est.)
$7,000 (1993 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

1.5% (1994)
1.7% (1991)

Unemployment Rate

10% (1990 est.)

Budget

Revenues: $686 million (1989), $614 million (1988)
Expenditures: $884 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989), $957 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1988)

Exports

$230 million (f.o.b., 1994)
$88.9 million (f.o.b., 1989)

Commodities:

Cultivated pearls 41.6%
Coconut products
Mother-of-pearl
Vanilla
Shark meat

Partners:

France 34%
U.S. 10% (1992)

Imports

$912 million (c.i.f., 1994)
$765 million (c.i.f., 1989)

Commodities:

Fuels
Foodstuffs
Equipment

Partners:

EU 64% (France 45.4%)
U.S. 13.6%
Australia 6.9%
NZ 5.8%
Japan 5%

External Debt

Industrial Production

Growth rate NA; accounts for 15% of GDP

Electricity

Capacity: 75,000 kW
Production: 275 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 1,189 kWh (1993)

Industries

Tourism
Pearls
Agricultural processing
Handicrafts

Agriculture

Coconut and vanilla plantations; vegetables and fruit; poultry, beef, dairy products

Economic Aid

Recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.95 billion

Currency

1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes

Exchange Rates

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 91.00 (January 1996), 90.75 (1995), 100.94 (1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00 (1990); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc

Fiscal Year

Calendar year

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

0 km

Highways

Total: 792 km (1995 est.)
Paved: 792 km

Ports

Mataura, Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa

Merchant Marine

Total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,127 GRT/6,710 DWT
Ships by type: passenger-cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1

Note: A subset of the French register allowing French-owned ships to operate under more liberal taxation and manning regulations than permissable under the main French register

Airports

Total: 41
With paved runways over 3,047 m: 2
With paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
With paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 13
With paved runways under 914 m: 15
With unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 6 (1995 est.)

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

33,200 telephones

Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station

Radio

Broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 2, shortwave 0
Radios: 116,000 (1992 est.)

Television

Broadcast stations: 6
Televisions: 35,000 (1992 est.)

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

French Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie

Note: Defense is responsibility of France

History
World Atlas

Last updated: 29 november 1997

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