Statistical information French Polynesia 1993

French Polynesia in the World
top of pageBackground: The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century.
top of pageLocation: Oceania, halfway between Australia and South America
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
OceaniaAreaTotal: 3,941 km²
Land: 3,660 km²
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 2,525 km
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Maritime claimsClimate: tropical, but moderate
Terrain: mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
ElevationNatural resourcesLand useArable land: 1%
Permanent crops: 19%
Meadows and pastures: 5%
Forest and woodland: 31%
Other: 44%
Irrigated land: NA km²
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 210,333 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 2.26% (1993 est.)
NationalityNoun: French Polynesian(s)
Adjective: French Polynesian
Ethnic groups: Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%
Languages: French (official), Tahitian (official)
Total population: 98%
Male: 98%
Female: 98%
Religions: Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 2.26% (1993 est.)
Birth rate: 27.89 births/1000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate: 5.27 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: occasional cyclonic storm in January; includes five archipelagoes
Current issues note: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
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 15 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 70.33 years
Male: 67.95 years
Female: 72.84 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.32 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracySchool life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Territory of French Polynesia
Conventional short form: French Polynesia
Local long form: Territoire de la Polynesie Francaise
Local short form: Polynesie Francaise
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
Clipperton Island is administered by France from French Polynesia
Dependent areasIndependence: 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
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: French president, high commissioner of the republic, president of the Council of Ministers, vice president of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Court of the First Instance, Court of Administrative Law
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO
Diplomatic representationIn the us:as an overseas territory of France,
French Polynesian interests are represented in the US by France
From the us: none (overseas territory of France)
Flag description
: the flag of France is used
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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 parityReal gdp growth rate: NA%
Real gdp per capita: $6,000 (1991 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: coconut and vanilla plantations; vegetables and fruit; poultry, beef, dairy products
Industries: tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate NA%
Labor force: 76,630 employed (1988)
Unemployment rate: 14.9% (1988 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $614 million; expenditures $957 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $88.9 million (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodoties: coconut products 79%, mother-of-pearl 14%, vanilla, shark meat
Partners: France 54%, US 17%, Japan 17%
Imports: $765 million (c.i.f., 1989)
Commodoties: fuels, foodstuffs, equipment
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 99.65 (January 1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988; note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
top of pageElectricityProduction: 75,000 kW capacity; 275 million kWh produced, 1,330 kWh per capita (1992)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresMilitary and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 43
Usable: 41
With permanentsurface runways: 23
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 2
With runways 1220-2439 m: 12
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,127 GRT/6,710 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo; note - a captive subset of the French register
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs