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
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
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 0.82%
Permanent crops: 5.46%
Other: 93.72% (2001)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: occasional cyclonic storms in January

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

Population: 266,339 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 1.57% (2004 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 10% no religion 6%

Age structure
0-14 years: 27.5% (male 37,372; female 35,818)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 92,594; female 85,455)
65 years and over: 5.7% (male 7,616; female 7,484) (2004 est.)

Median age
Total: 27.1 years
Male: 27.4 years
Female: 26.7 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.57% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 17.34 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 4.58 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.94 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male/female
Total population: 1.07 male/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 8.61 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 9.92 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 7.24 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.67 years
Male: 73.29 years
Female: 78.18 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.09 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

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

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

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 9 October 2004); 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
Elections: last held 23 May 2004 (next to be held NA May 2009)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 28, Union for Democracy 27, New Star 1, This Country is Yours 1
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

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) [Philippe SHYLE]; This Country is Yours (No Oe E Te Nunaa) [Nicle BOUTEAU]; Union for Democracy or UPD [Oscar TEMARU]

International organization participation: FZ ICFTU PIF (observer) UPU 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 agricultural 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 benefits substantially from development agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses and strengthening social services.

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $17,500 (2001 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 6%
Industry: 18%
Services: 76% (1997)

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

Industries: tourism pearls agricultural processing handicrafts phosphates

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: 11.8% (1994)

Population below poverty line: NA

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

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

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.5% (2002 est.)

Exports: $244 million f.o.b. (2002)
Commodities: cultured pearls coconut products mother-of-pearl vanilla shark meat
Partners: France 66.3% Japan 16.1% US 9.1% (2003)

Imports: $1.341 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Commodities: fuels foodstuffs machinery and equipment
Partners: France 59.9% Australia 11.9% New Zealand 6% US 6% (2003)

Debt external: NA (2000 est.)

Exchange rates
Note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro

Electricity
Production: 428.3 million kWh (2001)
Consumption: 398.3 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 52,500 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 90,000 (2002)

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
Domestic: NA
International: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .pf
Hosts: 5,123 (2003)
Users: 35,000 (2002)

Airports: 49 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 37
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 23
With paved runways under 914 m: 7 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 13
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 8 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 1 (2003 est.)

Merchant marine
Total: 10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 17,537 GRT/15,150 DWT
By type: cargo 3, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2004 est.)

Disputes international: none