1995 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1995 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 3,941 sq km land area: 3,660 sq km comparative area: slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
Climate
tropical, but moderate
Coastline
2,525 km
Environment
current issues: NA natural hazards: occasional cyclonic storms in January international agreements: NA
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 1% permanent crops: 19% meadows and pastures: 5% forest and woodland: 31% other: 44%
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 resources
timber, fish, cobalt
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
Terrain
mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
People and Society
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.)
Birth rate
27.56 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate
5.27 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%
Infant mortality rate
14.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Labor force
76,630 employed (1988)
Languages
French (official), Tahitian (official)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 70.75 years male: 68.32 years female: 73.29 years (1995 est.)
Literacy
age 14 and over can read and write but definition of literary 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 (1995 est.)
Population
219,999 (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate
2.23% (1995 est.)
Religions
Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%
Total fertility rate
3.3 children born/woman (1995 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
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Digraph
FP
Diplomatic representation in US
none (overseas territory of France)
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
Flag
the flag of France is used
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
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
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
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 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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
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
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
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.95 billion
Electricity
capacity: 75,000 kW production: 275 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,189 kWh (1993)
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
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%; accounts for 15% of GDP
Industries
tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.7% (1991)
National product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.5 billion (1993 est.)
National product per capita
$7,000 (1993 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
10% (1990 est.)
Communications
Radio
broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 2, shortwave 0 radios: 84,000
Telephone system
33,200 telephones local: NA intercity: NA international: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station
Television
broadcast stations: 6 televisions: 26,400
Transportation
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
Highways
total: 600 km (1982) paved: NA unpaved: NA
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
Ports
Mataura, Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa
Railroads
0 km
Military and Security
Branches
French Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie
Note
defense is responsibility of France ________________________________________________________________________ FRENCH SOUTHERN AND ANTARCTIC LANDS (overseas territory of France)