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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.

[edit] 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)
water: 507 sq km
land: 3,660 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: 1.64%
permanent crops: 6.01%
other: 92.35% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

NA sq km

Natural hazards 

occasional cyclonic storms in January

Environment - current issues 

NA

Geography - note 

includes five archipelagoes (4 volcanic, 1 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

[edit] People

Population 

257,847 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: 29% (male 38,184; female 36,631)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 88,250; female 81,165)
65 years and over: 5.3% (male 6,850; female 6,767) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 

1.67% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 

18.17 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 

4.49 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 

3.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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 (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 

8.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: 75.23 years
female: 77.69 years (2002 est.)
male: 72.88 years

Total fertility rate 

2.18 children born/woman (2002 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 (official), Tahitian (official)

Literacy 

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

[edit] Government

Country name 

conventional long form: Territory of French Polynesia
conventional short form: French Polynesia
local short form: Polynesie Francaise
local long form: Territoire de la 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 Michel MATHIEU (since 24 October 2001)
head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 4 April 1991); President of the Territorial Assembly Lucette TAERO (since 17 May 2001)
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

Legislative branch 

unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (49 seats - changed from 41 seats for May 2001 election; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 6 May 2001 (next to be held NA May 2006)
note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on NA September 1998 (next to be held NA 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 NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, UMP 1
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 28, Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia 13, New Fatherland Party 7, other 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 

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 of Polynesia or RPR (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; The New Star (Te Fetia Api) [Boris LEONTIEFF]

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

[edit] 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. 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 substantially benefits from development agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses and strengthening social services.

GDP 

purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 

4% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita 

purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector 

agriculture: 6%
industry: 18%
services: 76% (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) (1996)

Labor force - by occupation 

agriculture 13%, industry 19%, services 68% (1997) (1997)

Unemployment rate 

NA%

Budget 

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

Industries 

tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate 

NA%

Electricity - production 

408 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 54%
hydro: 46%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 

379.44 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 

0 kWh (2000)

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) (1997)

Currency 

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF); note - may adopt the euro in 2003

Currency code 

XPF

Exchange rates 

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 135.04 (January 2002), 133.26 (2001), 129.44 (2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25 (1998), 106.11 (1997); note - pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro

Fiscal year 

calendar year

[edit] Communications

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 

16,000 (2002)

[edit] Transportation

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 (2002 est.)

Airports 

45 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 37
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 22
under 914 m: 8 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways 

total: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 5 (2002)

[edit] Military

Military branches 

no regular indigenous military forces; French Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie

Military - note 

defense is the responsibility of France

[edit] Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

none