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.

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 S 140 00 W

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Comparative: slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 2,525 km

Climate: tropical but moderate

Terrain: mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs

Natural resources: timber fish cobalt hydropower

Irrigated land: NA km²

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

Population: 249,110 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 1.78% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

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%

Population growth rate: 1.78% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 19.01 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 4.41 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.14 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA

Infant mortality rate: 9.3 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.28 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

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

Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

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]; Entente Polynesian [Arthur CHUNG]; Haere i Mua [Alexandre LEONTIEFF]; Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; Independent Party (Ia Mana Te Nunaa) [Jacques DROLLET]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON]; People's Rally for the Republic (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; Polynesian Union Party (includes Te Tiarama and Pupu Here Ai'a Party) [Jean JUVENTIN]; Pupu Taina [Michel LAW]; Te Aratia Ote Nunaa (Tinomana Ebb); Te e'a No Maohi Nui [Jean-Marius RAAPOTO]

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

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 growth rate: NA%

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

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

Industries: tourism pearls agricultural processing handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 118,744 (of which 70,044 are employed) (1988)
By occupation agriculture: 13%
By occupation industry: 19%
By occupation services: 68% (1997)

Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.5% (1994)

Exports: $212 million (f.o.b. 1996)
Commodities: cultured pearls 50% coconut products mother-of-pearl vanilla shark meat (1997)
Partners: US 11% France 6% (1997)

Imports: $860 million (c.i.f. 1996)
Commodities: fuels foodstuffs equipment
Partners: France 44.7% US 13.9% (1994)

Debt external: $N/A

Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 117.67 (January 2000) 111.93 (1999) 107.25 (1998) 106.11 (1997) 93.00 (1996) 90.75 (1995); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 CFPFs to the French franc

Electricity
Production: 360 million kWh (1998)
Consumption: 335 million kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 32,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: 4,000 (1995)

Internet
Service providers isps: NA

Airports: 45 (1999 est.)

Railways: 0 km

Disputes international: none