Map of French Polynesia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: none

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

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

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: defense is responsibility of France


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Population: 195,046 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)

Nationality: noun--French Polynesian(s; adjective--French Polynesian

Ethnic groups: Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%

Languages: French (official), Tahitian

Religions: mainly Christian; Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 31 births/1000 population (1991)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1991)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: occasional cyclonic storm in January; includes five archipelagoes

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 22 deaths/1000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 71 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 3.9 children born/woman (1991)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 14 and over but definition of literacy not available (1977)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Territory of French Polynesia

Government type: overseas territory of France since 1946

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 from French Polynesia and may have become a dependency of French Polynesia

Dependent areas

Independence: none (overseas territory of France)

National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: based on French system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981; High Commissioner of the Republic Jean MONTPEZAT (since NA November 1987; Head of Government--President of the Council of Ministers Gaston FLOSSE (since 10 May 1991; Vice President of the Council of Ministers NA

Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: FZ, SPC, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: as an overseas territory of France, French Polynesian interests are represented in the US by France

Flag description: the flag of France is used French Polynesia French PolynesiaFrench Polynesia

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: coconut and vanilla plantations; vegetables and fruit; poultry, beef, dairy products

Industries: tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 76,630 employed (1988)

Unemployment rate: 8% (1986 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $614 million; expenditures $957 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $75 million (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: coconut products 79%, mother-of-pearl 14%, vanilla, shark meat
Partners: France 54%, US 17%, Japan 17%

Imports: $806 million (c.i.f., 1988)
Commodities: fuels, foodstuffs, equipment
Partners: France 53%, US 11%, Australia 6%, NZ 5%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1--93.28 (January 1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988), 109.27 (1987), 125.92 (1986), 163.35 (1985; note--linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc


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Electricity
Capacity: 72,000 kW capacity; 265 million kWh produced, 1,390 kWh per capita (1990)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 43 total, 41 usable; 23 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,128 GRT/6,710 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 1 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo; note--a captive subset of the French register

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs