FRENCH POLYNESIA
Geography People Government Economy Transportation Communications Defense Forces
FRENCH POLYNESIA
(overseas territory of France)
@French Polynesia:Geography
Location: Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about
one-half of the way from South America to Australia
Map references: Oceania
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FRENCH POLYNESIA - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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PAPEETE 24,000 17.32S,149.34W 689- GMT-10
Mahina 10,000 17.29S,149.27W 689- GMT-10
Papara 6,000 17.45S,149.33W 689- GMT-10
Mataiea 3,000 17.47S,149.24W 689- GMT-10
Afareaitu 2,000 17.33S,149.47W 689- GMT-10
Teahupoo 1,000 17.51S,149.15W 689- GMT-10
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Area:
total area: 3,941 sq km
land area: 3,660 sq km
comparative area: 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
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical, but moderate
Terrain: mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
Natural resources: timber, fish, cobalt
Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 19%
meadows and pastures: 5%
forest and woodland: 31%
other: 44%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: occasional cyclonic storms in January
international agreements: NA
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
@French Polynesia:People
Population: 219,999 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (female 38,361; male 39,744)
15-64 years: 60% (female 64,034; male 69,024)
65 years and over: 4% (female 4,437; male 4,399) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.23% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 27.56 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.27 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 14.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.75 years
male: 68.32 years
female: 73.29 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: French Polynesian(s)
adjective: French Polynesian
Ethnic divisions: Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%,
metropolitan French 4%
Religions: Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%
Languages: French (official), Tahitian (official)
Literacy: age 14 and over can read and write but definition of
literary not available (1977)
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 98%
Labor force: 76,630 employed (1988)
@French Polynesia:Government
Names:
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
Digraph: FP
Type: overseas territory of France since 1946
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
note: Clipperton Island is administered by France from French
Polynesia
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
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
High Commissioner of the Republic Paul RONCIERE (since 8 August 1994)
head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French
Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 10 May 1991); Deputy to the French
Assembly and President of the Territorial Assembly Jean JUVENTIN
(since NA November 1992); Territorial Vice President and Minister of
Health Michel BUILLARD (since 12 September 1991)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of
the Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral
Territorial Assembly: elections last held 17 March 1991 (next to be
held March 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (41
total) People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 18, Polynesian Union
Party 12, New Fatherland Party 7, other 4
French Senate: elections last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held
September 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1
total) party NA
French National Assembly: elections last held 21 and 28 March 1993
(next to be held NA March 1998); results - percent of vote by party
NA; seats - (2 total) People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 2
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Court of the First Instance, Court
of Administrative Law
Political parties and leaders: People's Rally for the Republic
(Tahoeraa Huiraatira), Gaston FLOSSE; Polynesian Union Party (includes
Te Tiarama), Alexandre LEONTIEFF; Here Ai'a Party, Jean JUVENTIN; New
Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api), Emile VERNAUDON; Polynesian Liberation
Front (Tavini Hviraatira No Te Ao Maohi), Oscar TEMARU; Independent
Party (Ia Mana Te Nunaa), Jacques DROLLET; other small parties
Member of: ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: none (overseas territory of France)
US diplomatic representation: none (overseas territory of France)
Flag: the flag of France is used
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
20% of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.5 billion (1993
est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $7,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.7% (1991)
Unemployment rate: 10% (1990 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $614 million
expenditures: $957 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1988)
Exports: $88.9 million (f.o.b., 1989)
commodities: coconut products 79%, mother-of-pearl 14%, vanilla, shark
meat
partners: France 54%, US 17%, Japan 17%
Imports: $765 million (c.i.f., 1989)
commodities: fuels, foodstuffs, equipment
partners: France 53%, US 11%, Australia 6%, NZ 5%
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for 15% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 75,000 kW
production: 275 million kWh
consumption per capita: 1,189 kWh (1993)
Industries: tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts
Agriculture: coconut and vanilla plantations; vegetables and fruit;
poultry, beef, dairy products
Economic aid:
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-88), $3.95 billion
Currency: 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1
- 96.25 (January 1995), 100.94 (1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992),
102.57 (1991), 99.00 (1990); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the
French franc
Fiscal year: calendar year
@French Polynesia:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways:
total: 600 km (1982)
paved: NA
unpaved: NA
Ports: Mataura, Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa
Merchant marine:
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,127 GRT/6,710 DWT
ships by type: passenger-cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1
note: a subset of the French register allowing French-owned ships to
operate under more liberal taxation and manning regulations than
permissable under the main French register
Airports:
total: 43
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 14
with paved runways under 914 m: 18
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4
@French Polynesia:Communications
Telephone system: 33,200 telephones
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 2, shortwave 0
radios: 84,000
Television:
broadcast stations: 6
televisions: 26,400
@French Polynesia:Defense Forces
Branches: French Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie
Note: defense is responsibility of France
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