 Definition  Field Listing  Rank
Order
|
Location: |
Oceania,
archipelago 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 Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
|
Population: |
266,339 (July
2004 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14
years: 27.5% (male 37,372; female 35,818)
15-64
years: 66.9% (male 92,594; female 85,455)
65 years and
over: 5.7% (male 7,616; female 7,484) (2004 est.) |
|
Median age: |
total: 27.1 years
male: 27.4 years
female: 26.7 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate: |
1.57% (2004
est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
17.34
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
4.58
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
2.94
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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 (2004 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total:
8.61 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.92 deaths/1,000
live births
female: 7.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2004
est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 75.67 years
male: 73.29 years
female: 78.18 years (2004 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
2.09 children
born/woman (2004 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
(official), Tahitian (official) |
|
Literacy: |
definition: age 14 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 98% (1977 est.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
|
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
former: French Colony
of Oceania |
|
Dependency status: |
overseas
territory of France since 1946 |
|
Government type: |
NA |
|
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: |
Bastille
Day, 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 Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995),
represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Michel MATHIEU
(since 24 October 2001)
head of government: President of
the Territorial Government of French Polynesia Oscar TEMARU (since
14 June 2004); President of the Territorial Assembly Lucette TAERO
(since 17 May 2001)
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 NA 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
note: one seat was elected to the
French Senate on NA September 1998 (next to be held NA 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,
WMO |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none
(overseas territory of France) |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
none
(overseas territory 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 Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
|
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: |
4% (2001
est.) |
|
GDP - per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $17,500 (2001 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 6%
industry: 18%
services: 76% (1997) |
|
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.) |
|
Labor force: |
70,000 (1996)
|
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture
13%, industry 19%, services 68% (1997) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
11.8% (1994)
|
|
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: |
428.3 million
kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - consumption: |
398.3 million
kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2001)
|
|
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2001)
|
|
Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
4,750 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports: |
NA (2001)
|
|
Oil - imports: |
NA (2001)
|
|
Exports: |
$244 million
f.o.b. (2002) |
|
Exports - commodities: |
cultured
pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat
|
|
Exports - partners: |
France
67.1%, Japan 16.3%, US 9.2% (2003 est.) |
|
Imports: |
$1.341
billion f.o.b. (2002) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
fuels,
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment |
|
Imports - partners: |
France
58.4%, Australia 11.6%, New Zealand 5.8%, US 5.8% (2003 est.) |
|
Debt - external: |
NA (2000
est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$367 million
(1997) |
|
Currency: |
Comptoirs
Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF) |
|
Currency code: |
XPF |
|
Exchange rates: |
Comptoirs
Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 105.73 (2003),
126.72 (2002), 133.26 (2001), 129.43 (2000), 111.93 (1999)
note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro |
|
Fiscal year: |
calendar
year Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
|
Highways: |
total:
2,590 km
paved: 1,735 km
unpaved: 855 km
(1999) |
|
Ports and harbors: |
Mataura,
Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa |
|
Merchant marine: |
total: 10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 17,537 GRT/15,150 DWT
by type: cargo 3, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3,
refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports: |
49 (2003
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 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914
m: 7 (2003 est.) |
|
Heliports: |
1 (2003
est.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
|
Disputes - international: |
none
|
Large portions of this information is from the US government open source publication "The World Factbook", other content copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. You may use this information without permission for educational or other non-profit purposes if you refer to us as the source, contact us if you want to use this commercially.
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