|
|
|
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. |
|
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 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
land: 3,660 sq km
water: 507 sq km |
|
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: 0.82%
permanent crops: 5.46%
other: 93.72% (2001) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
NA sq km
|
|
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 |
|
Population:
|
270,485
(July 2005 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14
years: 26.7% (male 36,947/female 35,403)
15-64 years: 67.4% (male 94,710/female 87,546)
65 years and over: 5.9% (male 8,018/female 7,861)
(2005 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total:
27.48 years
male: 27.84 years
female: 27.1 years (2005 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
1.52%
(2005 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
16.93
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
4.63
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
2.89
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 (2005 est.)
|
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total:
8.44 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.73 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
|
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 75.9 years
male: 73.5 years
female: 78.42 years (2005 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
2.04
children born/woman (2005 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.) |
|
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 5 archipelagic divisions named
Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel
des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, and 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 Michel MATHIEU (since 24 October 2001); note -
Michel MATHIER leaves 30 July 2005, replaced by Jacques
MICHAUT (acting high commissioner), until the arrival of
Anne BOQUET in early 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 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] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
NA |
|
International organization participation:
|
FZ,
ICFTU, PIF (observer), 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 |
|
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 - real growth rate:
|
NA% (2001
est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $17,500 (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 4%
industry: 18%
services: 78% (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; poultry, beef, dairy
products, coffee |
|
Industries:
|
tourism,
pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates
|
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
NA% |
|
Electricity - production:
|
380
million kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil
fuel: 60.7%
hydro: 39.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
353.4
million kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
0 kWh
(2002) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh
(2002) |
|
Oil - production:
|
0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
4,750
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
NA |
|
Oil - imports:
|
NA |
|
Exports:
|
$244
million f.o.b. (2002) |
|
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:
|
$1.341
billion f.o.b. (2002) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
fuels,
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment |
|
Imports - partners:
|
France
47.6%, New Zealand 8.8%, Singapore 8.4%, Australia 8.3%,
US 7.1% (2004) |
|
Debt - external:
|
NA |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$367
million (1997) |
|
Currency (code):
|
Comptoirs
Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF) |
|
Currency code:
|
XPF |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Comptoirs
Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 96.04
(2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002), 133.26 (2001),
129.43 (2000)
note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the
euro |
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar
year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
52,500
(2002) |
|
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) |
|
Radios:
|
128,000
(1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
7 (plus
17 low-power repeaters) (1997) |
|
Televisions:
|
40,000
(1997) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.pf |
|
Internet hosts:
|
5,123
(2003) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
|
2 (2000)
|
|
Internet users:
|
35,000
(2002) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
2,590 km
paved: 1,735 km
unpaved: 855 km (1999) |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Papeete
|
|
Merchant marine:
|
total:
15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 17,537 GRT/15,150 DWT
by type: cargo 4, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 5,
refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 1 (France 1) (2005) |
|
Airports:
|
50 (2004
est.) |
|
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 (2004 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total:
13
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 8 (2004 est.) |
|
Heliports:
|
1 (2004
est.) |
|
Military branches:
|
no
regular military forces; Gendarmerie and National Police
Force |
|
Military - note:
|
defense
is the responsibility of France |
|
Disputes - international:
|
none |
|
This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
|
|
| |
|
|
