1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 3,941 km2 land area: 3,660 km2 comparative area: slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
Climate
tropical, but moderate
Coastline
2,525 km
Environment
occasional cyclonic storm in January; includes five archipelagoes
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
NA km2
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 1% permanent crops: 19% meadows and pastures: 5% forest and woodland: 31% other: 44%
Location
Oceania, halfway between Australia and South America
Map references
Oceania
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
timber, fish, cobalt
Note
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
Terrain
mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
People and Society
Birth rate
27.89 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
5.27 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%
Infant mortality rate
15 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
76,630 employed (1988)
Languages
French (official), Tahitian (official)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 70.33 years male: 67.95 years female: 72.84 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 14 and over but definition of literacy not available (1977) total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98%
Nationality
noun: French Polynesian(s) adjective: French Polynesian
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
210,333 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
2.26% (1993 est.)
Religions
Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%
Total fertility rate
3.32 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
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
Capital
Papeete
Chief of State
President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); High Commissioner of the Republic Michel JAU (since NA 1992)
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Digraph
FP
Diplomatic representation in US
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
French National Assembly
last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held 21 and 28 March 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) People's Rally (Gaullist) 1, New Fatherland Party 1
French Senate
last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) party NA
Head of Government
President of the Council of Ministers Gaston FLOSSE (since 10 May 1991); Vice President of the Council of Ministers Joel BUILLARD (since 12 September 1991)
Independence
none (overseas territory of France)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal, Court of the First Instance, Court of Administrative Law
Legal system
based on French system
Legislative branch
unicameral Territorial Assembly
Member of
ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO
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
National holiday
National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Political parties and leaders
People's Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira; Gaullist), Gaston FLOSSE; Polynesian Union Party (Te Tiarama; centrist), Alexandre LEONTIEFF; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api), Emile VERNAUDON; Polynesian Liberation Front (Tavini Huiraatira), Oscar TEMARU; other small parties
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Territorial Assembly
last held 17 March 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (41 total) People's Rally (Gaullist) 18, Polynesian Union Party 14, New Fatherland Party 5, other 4
Type
overseas territory of France since 1946
US diplomatic representation
none (overseas territory of France)
Economy
Agriculture
coconut and vanilla plantations; vegetables and fruit; poultry, beef, dairy products
Budget
revenues $614 million; expenditures $957 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988)
Currency
1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.95 billion
Electricity
75,000 kW capacity; 275 million kWh produced, 1,330 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 99.65 (January 1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
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%
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
calendar year
Imports
$765 million (c.i.f., 1989) commodities: fuels, foodstuffs, equipment partners: France 53%, US 11%, Australia 6%, NZ 5%
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.9% (1989)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.2 billion (1991 est.)
National product per capita
$6,000 (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate
NA%
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
14.9% (1988 est.)
Communications
Airports
total: 43 usable: 41 with permanent-surface runways: 23 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 12
Highways
600 km (1982)
Merchant marine
3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,127 GRT/6,710 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo; note - a captive subset of the French register
Ports
Papeete, Bora-bora
Telecommunications
33,200 telephones; 84,000 radio receivers; 26,400 TV sets; broadcast stations - 5 AM, 2 FM, 6 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
French forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie
Note
defense is responsibility of France