Map of French Polynesia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: 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.


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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 reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 4,167 km² (118 islands and atolls)
Land: 3,660 km²
Water: 507 km²
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
Extremes highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m

Natural resources: timber fish cobalt hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 1%
Permanent crops: 6%
Permanent pastures: 5%
Forests and woodland: 31%
Other: 57% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: occasional cyclonic storms in January

Geography
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


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Population: 253,506 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 1.72% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: French Polynesian
Adjective: French Polynesian

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

Languages: French (official) Tahitian (official)

Religions: Protestant 54% Roman Catholic 30% other 16%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 29.74% (male 38,473; female 36,925)
15-64 years: 65.17% (male 86,128; female 79,076)
65 years and over: 5.09% (male 6,481; female 6,423) (2001 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.72% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 18.6 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 4.45 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.09 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1.09 male/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male/female
Total population: 1.07 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 9.12 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.01 years
Male: 72.67 years
Female: 77.46 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.23 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 14 and over can read and write
Total population: 98%
Male: 98%
Female: 98% (1977 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
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
Former: French Colony of Oceania

Government type: NA

Capital: Papeete

Administrative divisions
Note: Clipperton Island is administered by France from French Polynesia

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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 Paul RONCIERE (since NA 1994)
Head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 4 April 1991); President of the Territorial Assembly Justin ARAPARI (since 13 May 1996)
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 seven-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
Elections: last held 12 May 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 22, Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia 10, New Fatherland Party 5, other 4
Note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 24 September 1989 (next to be held NA September 1998); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UC 1; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 25 May - 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 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: Centrist Union or UC [leader NA]; 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 (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]

International organization participation: ESCAP (associate) FZ ICFTU SPC WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas territory of France)
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

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 one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. The small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural products. The territory benefited from a five-year (1994-98) development agreement with France aimed principally at creating new jobs.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.5% (1997 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,800 (1997 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4%
Industry: 18%
Services: 78% (1997)

Agriculture products: coconuts vanilla vegetables fruits; poultry beef dairy products

Industries: tourism pearls agricultural processing handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 70,000 (1996)
By occupation agriculture: 13%
By occupation industry: 19%
By occupation services: 68% (1997)

Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1 billion
Expenditures: $900 million, including capital expenditures of $185 million (1996)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.5% (1994)

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: $205 million (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: cultured pearls 50% coconut products mother-of-pearl vanilla shark meat (1997)
Partners: Japan 62% US 21% (1999)

Imports: $749 million (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: fuels foodstuffs equipment
Partners: France 53% US 13% Australia 10% (1999)

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 (XPF) per US dollar - 127.11 (January 2001) 129.44 (2000) 111.93 (1999) 107.25 (1998) 106.11 (1997) 93.00 (1996); note - pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro


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Electricity
Production: 430 million kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 51.16%
Production by source hydro: 48.84%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1999)
Consumption: 399.9 million kWh (1999)
Exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 52,000 (1997)
Mobile cellular: 5,427 (1997)

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
Domestic: NA
International: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .pf
Service providers isps: 2 (2000)
Users: 5,000 (2000)

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: 45 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 32
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 19
With paved runways under 914 m: 6 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 13
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 10 (2000 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways: none

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 (2000 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs