French Polynesia

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 2, shortwave 0

Radios

116,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones

33,200 (1983 est.)

Television broadcast stations

6

Televisions

35,000 (1992 est.)

Agriculture - products

coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits; poultry, beef, dairy products

Budget

revenues: $713 million expenditures : $1.36 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994)

Currency

1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes

Debt - external

$NA

Economic aid

recipient : ODA, $NA

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. The territory will continue to benefit from a five-year (1994-98) development agreement with France aimed principally at creating new jobs.

Electricity - capacity

NA kW

Electricity - consumption per capita

1,409 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

320 million kWh (1994)

Exchange rates

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 98.48 (January 1997), 93.00 (1996), 90.75 (1995), 100.94 (1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc

Exports

total value: $245 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities : cultured pearls 53.8%, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat (1992) partners: France 33%, US 8.5% (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.76 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 4% industry: 18% services: 78% (1992 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $8,000 (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Imports

total value: $967 million (c.i.f., 1994) commodities : fuels, foodstuffs, equipment partners: France 44.7%, US 13.9% (1994)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts

Inflation rate - consumer price index

1.5% (1994)

Labor force

total: 118,744 (of which 70,044 are employed) (1988) by occupation : agriculture 13%, industry 19%, services 68% (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

15% (1992 est.)

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

Climate

tropical, but moderate

Coastline

2,525 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point : Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Orohena 2,241 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Environment - international agreements

party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA

Geographic coordinates

15 00 S, 140 00 W

Geography - 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

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 1% permanent crops: 6% permanent pastures : 5% forests and woodland: 31% other: 57% (1993 est.)

Location

Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from South America to Australia

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

occasional cyclonic storms in January

Natural resources

timber, fish, cobalt

Terrain

mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs

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

Constitution

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

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

Data code

FP

Dependency status

overseas territory of France since 1946

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of France)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of France)

Executive branch

chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Dominique BUR (since NA) head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 4 April 1991); President of the Territorial Assembly Tinomana EBB (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers elections: high commissioner appointed by the president of France 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

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

Government type

NA

Independence

none (overseas territory of France)

International organization participation

ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO

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

Legal system

based on French system

Legislative branch

unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 12 May 1996 (next to be held NA March 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 22, Polynesian Liberation Front 10, New Fatherland Party 5, other 4 note : one seat was elected to the French Senate on 24 September 1989 (next to be held NA September 1998); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held 25 May-1 June 1997 - special election); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 2

National capital

Papeete

National holiday

National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Political parties and leaders

People's Rally for the Republic (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; Polynesian Union Party (includes Te Tiarama and Here Ai'a Party) [Jean JUVENTIN]; Polynesian Liberation Front (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON]; Independent Party (Ia Mana Te Nunaa) [Jacques DROLLET]; Te Aratia Ote Nunaa [Tinomana EBB]; Haere i Mua [Alexandre LEONTIEFF]; other small parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

Military branches

French Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie

Age structure

0-14 years: 34% (male 39,958; female 38,492) 15-64 years : 62% (male 75,450; female 69,441) 65 years and over: 4% (male 5,063; female 5,084) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

23.27 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

4.95 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

13.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

French (official), Tahitian (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.17 years male: 69.81 years female : 74.65 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 14 and over can read and write, but definition of literacy not available total population: 98% male : 98% female: 98% (1977 est.)

Nationality

noun : French Polynesian(s) adjective: French Polynesian

Net migration rate

0.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

233,488 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

1.89% (1997 est.)

Religions

Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years : 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.77 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

none FRENCH SOUTHERN AND ANTARCTIC LANDS and Antarctic Lands] (overseas territory of France)

Airports

41 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 35 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 15 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 6 914 to 1,523 m : 6 (1996 est.)

Highways

total : 792 km paved: 792 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

total : 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 32,127 GRT/53,710 DWT ships by type: chemical tanker 1, passenger-cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors

Mataura, Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa

Railways

0 km