French Polynesia

§1. French Polynesia Introduction

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.

§2. French Polynesia Geography

Location:
  Oceania, archipelagoes 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 references:
  Oceania

Area:
  total: 4,167 km² (118 islands and atolls)
  land: 3,660 km²
  water: 507 km²

Area - 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
  highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m

Natural resources:
  timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower

Land use:
  arable land: 0.75%
  permanent crops: 5.5%
  other: 93.75% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  NA

Natural hazards:
  occasional cyclonic storms in January

Environment - current issues:
  NA

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

§3. French Polynesia People

Population:
  274,578 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 26.1% (male 36,541/female 34,999)
  15-64 years: 67.9% (male 96,769/female 89,593)
  65 years and over: 6.1% (male 8,428/female 8,248) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 27.9 years
  male: 28.2 years
  female: 27.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  1.48% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  16.68 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  4.69 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  2.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 8.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.55 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 76.1 years
  male: 73.69 years
  female: 78.63 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  2.01 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA

Nationality:
  noun: French Polynesian(s)
  adjective: French Polynesian

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

Religions:
  Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6%

Languages:
  French 61.1% (official), Polynesian 31.4% (official), Asian languages 1.2%,
  other 0.3%, unspecified 6% (2002 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 14 and over can read and write
  total population: 98%
  male: 98%
  female: 98% (1977 est.)

§4. French Polynesia Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Overseas Lands of French Polynesia
  conventional short form: French Polynesia
  local long form: Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynesie Francaise
  local short form: Polynesie Francaise
  former: French Colony of Oceania

Dependency status:
  overseas lands of France; overseas territory of France from 1946-2004

Government type:
  NA

Capital:
  Papeete

Administrative divisions:
  none (overseas lands of France); there are no first-order administrative
  divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are five archipelagic
  divisions named Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des
  Tubuai, Iles du Vent, Iles Sous-le-Vent
  note: Clipperton Island is administered by France from French Polynesia

Independence:
  none (overseas lands of France)

National holiday:
  Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution:
  4 October 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 Anne BOQUET (since
    September 2005)
  head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French
    Polynesia Oscar TEMARU (since 3 March 2005); President of the Territorial
    Assembly Antony GEROS (since 9 May 2004)
  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:
  unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (57 seats -
  changed from 49 seats for May 2004 election; members are elected by popular
  vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 23 May 2004 (next to be held 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; after by-elections
    of 13 February 2005 seating was as follows: People's Rally for the
    Republic 27, Union for Democracy 27, and Alliance for a New Democracy 3
  note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next
    to be held 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 in 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:
  Alliance for a New Democracy or ADN [Nicole BOUTEAU]; 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]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  FZ, ICFTU, PIF (observer), SPC, UPU, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  none (overseas lands of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  none (overseas lands 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

§5. French Polynesia Economy

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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $4.58 billion (2003 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  NA

GDP - real growth rate:
  NA% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $17,500 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 6%
  industry: 18%
  services: 76% (2002)

Labor force:
  70,000 (1996)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 13%, industry 19%, services 68% (2002)

Unemployment rate:
  11.8% (1994)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%

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

Budget:
  revenues: $1 billion
  expenditures: $900 million; including capital expenditures of $185 million
    (1996)

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

Industries:
  tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  493.7 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  459.2 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  4,800 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Exports:
  $385 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat

Exports - partners:
  France 36.6%, Japan 22.7%, US 16.1%, Niger 13%, Thailand 4.1% (2004)

Imports:
  $1.437 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment

Imports - partners:
  France 47.6%, NZ 8.9%, Singapore 8.4%, Australia 8.4%, US 7.1% (2004)

Debt - external:
  $NA

Economic aid - recipient:
  $367 million (1997)

Currency (code):
  Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)

Exchange rates:
  Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 95.89 (2005),
  96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002), 133.26 (2001)
  note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. French Polynesia Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  53,300 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  90,000 (2002)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
    (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 2, FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
  7 (plus 17 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Internet country code:
  .pf

Internet hosts:
  6,151 (2005)

Internet users:
  61,000 (2005)

§7. French Polynesia Transportation

Airports:
  50 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 37
  over 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 23
  under 914 m: 7 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 13
  914 to 1,523 m: 5
  under 914 m: 8 (2005)

Heliports:
  1 (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 2,590 km
  paved: 1,735 km
  unpaved: 855 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
  total: 15 ships (1000 GRT or over) 28,109 GRT/17,158 DWT
  by type: cargo 4, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 1,
    roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (France 1) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Papeete

§8. French Polynesia Military

Military branches:
  no regular military forces; Gendarmerie and National Police Force

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of France

§9. French Polynesia Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none


<Factbook 2006>
