French Polynesia

Airports

43 total, 41 usable; 23 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

about 6 major transport aircraft

Highways

600 km (1982)

Merchant marine

2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,732 GRT/4,191 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo; note--a subset of the French register

Ports

Papeete, Bora-bora

Telecommunications

33,200 telephones; 84,000 radio receivers; 26,400 TV sets; stations--5 AM, 2 FM, 6 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Note

defense is responsibility of France

Agriculture

coconut and vanilla plantations; vegetables and fruit; poultry, beef, dairy products

Aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $3.6 billion

Budget

revenues $431; expenditures $418, including capital expenditures of $NA (1986)

Currency

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural--francs); 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes

Electricity

72,000 kW capacity; 265 million kWh produced, 1,350 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1--104.71 (January 1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988), 109.27 (1987), 125.92 (1986), 163.35 (1985); note--linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc

Exports

$75 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--coconut products 79%, mother-of-pearl 14%, vanilla, shark meat; partners--France 44%, US 21%

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$2.24 billion, per capita $6,400; real growth rate NA% (1986)

Imports

$767 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--fuels, foodstuffs, equipment; partners--France 50%, US 16%, New Zealand 6%

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.2% (1987)

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.

Unemployment rate

8% (1986 est.)

Climate

tropical, but moderate

Coastline

2,525 km

Comparative area

slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut

Environment

occasional cyclonic storm in January; includes five archipelagoes

Extended economic zone

200 nm;

Land boundaries

none

Land use

1% arable land; 19% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 31% forest and woodland; 44% other

Natural resources

timber, fish, cobalt

Note

Makatea is one of three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific (others are Banaba or Ocean Island in Kiribati and Nauru)

Terrain

mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

3,941 km2; land area: 3,660 km2

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of France)

Capital

Papeete

Constitution

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Diplomatic representation

as an overseas territory of France, French Polynesian interests are represented in the US by France

Executive branch

French president, high commissioner of the republic, president of the Council of Ministers, vice president of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers

Flag

the flag of France is used

Independence

none (overseas territory of France)

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); High Commissioner of the Republic Jean MONTPEZAT (since NA November 1987); Head of Government--President of the Council of Ministers Alexandre LEONTIEFF (since 9 December 1987); Vice President of the Council of Ministers Georges KELLY (since 9 December 1987)

Legal system

based on French system

Legislative branch

unicameral Territorial Assembly

Long-form name

Territory of French Polynesia

National holiday

Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Political parties and leaders

Tahoeraa Huiraatira (Gaullist), Gaston Flosse; Pupu Here Ai'a, Jean Juventin; Front de Liberation, Oscar Temaru; Ai'a Api, Emile Vernaudon; Ia Mana Te Nunaa, Jacques Drollet; Pupu Taina, Michel Law; Toatiraa Polynesia, Arthur Chung; Te E'a Api, Francis Sanford

Suffrage

universal at age 18 Territorial Assembly--last held 16 March 1986 (next to be held March 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(41 total) Tahoeraa Huiraatira 24, Amuitahiraa Mo Porinesia 6, Pupu Here Ai'a 4, Ia Mana 3, Front de Liberation 2, other 2; French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) Democrats for Progress 1; French National Assembly last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(2 total) Rally for the Republic 1, Ai'a Api 1

Type

overseas territory of France

Birth rate

31 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate

6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic divisions

78% Polynesian, 12% Chinese, 6% local French, 4% metropolitan French

Infant mortality rate

23 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force

57,863 employed (1983)

Language

French (official), Tahitian

Life expectancy at birth

66 years male, 71 years female (1990)

Literacy

NA%

Nationality

noun--French Polynesian(s); adjective--French Polynesian

Net migration rate

0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor

NA

Population

190,181 (July 1990), growth rate 2.5% (1990)

Religion

mainly Christian; 55% Protestant, 32% Roman Catholic

Total fertility rate

3.9 children born/woman (1990)