2019 Edition

Background

The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century. In 1966, the French Government began testing nuclear weapons on the uninhabited Mururoa Atoll; following mounting opposition, the tests were moved underground in 1975. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing after a three-year moratorium. The tests were halted in January 1996. In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded.

Area

Land

3,827 sq km

Total

4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls; 67 are inhabited)

Water

340 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut

Climate

tropical, but moderate

Coastline

2,525 km

Elevation

Highest Point

Mont Orohena 2,241 m

Lowest Point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Environment Current Issues

sea level rise; extreme weather events (cyclones, storms, and tsunamis producing floods, landslides, erosion, and reef damage); droughts; fresh water scarcity

Geographic Coordinates

15 00 S, 140 00 W

Geography Note

includes five archipelagoes: four volcanic (Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) and one coral (Archipel des Tuamotu); the Tuamotu Archipelago forms the largest group of atolls in the world - 78 in total, 48 inhabited; Makatea in the Tuamotu Archipelago 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

10 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

0 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

12.5% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

0.7% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

6.3% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

5.5% (2011 est.)

Forest

43.7% (2011 est.)

Other

43.8% (2011 est.)

Location

Oceania, five archipelagoes (Archipel des Tuamotu, Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between South America and 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, hydropower

Population Distribution

the majority of the population lives in the Society Islands, one of five archipelagos that includes the most populous island - Tahiti - with approximately 70% of the nation's population

Terrain

mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs

Age Structure

0 14 Years

22.21% (male 33,165 /female 31,322)

15 24 Years

15.37% (male 23,232 /female 21,405)

25 54 Years

44.4% (male 66,074 /female 62,854)

55 64 Years

9.72% (male 14,503 /female 13,719)

65 Years And Over

8.3% (male 11,634 /female 12,465) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

14.5 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Death Rate

5.3 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

10.5 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

9.5 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

45.3 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

34.8 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

100% of population

Improved Total

100% of population

Improved Urban

100% of population

Unimproved Rural

0% of population

Unimproved Total

0% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

0% of population

Ethnic Groups

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

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

4.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

5.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

4.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

French (official) 70%, Polynesian (official) 28.2%, other 1.8% (2012 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

80 years

Male

75.2 years

Total Population

77.5 years (2018 est.)

Major Urban Areas Population

136,000 PAPEETE (capital) (2018)

Median Age

Female

32.6 years

Male

32.1 years

Total

32.4 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

French Polynesian

Noun

French Polynesian(s)

Net Migration Rate

-0.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Physicians Density

2.13 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population

290,373 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.85% (2018 est.)

Religions

Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6%

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

98.5% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

98.5% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

98.5% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

1.5% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

1.5% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

1.5% of population (2015 est.)

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.06 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1.09 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

1.05 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

1.06 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.93 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.05 male(s)/female

Total Population

1.05 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.87 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

59.7% (2012 est.)

Male

54.5%

Total

56.7%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

1.01% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

61.9% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

5 administrative subdivisions (subdivisions administratives, singular - subdivision administrative): Iles Australes (Austral Islands), Iles du Vent (Windward Islands), Iles Marquises (Marquesas Islands), Iles Sous-le-Vent (Leeward Islands), Iles Tuamotu-Gambier; note - the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands together make up the Society Islands (Iles de la Societe)

Capital

Geographic Coordinates

17 32 S, 149 34 W

Name

Papeete (located on Tahiti)

Time Difference

UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

see France

Constitution

Amendments

French constitution amendment procedures apply

History

4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

Overseas Lands of French Polynesia

Conventional Short Form

French Polynesia

Etymology

the term "Polynesia" is an 18th-century construct composed of two Greek words, "poly" (many) and "nesoi" (islands), and refers to the more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean

Former

Establishments in Oceania, French Establishments in Oceania

Local Long Form

Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynesie Francaise

Local Short Form

Polynesie Francaise

Dependency Status

overseas country of France; note - overseas territory of France from 1946-2003; overseas collectivity of France since 2003, though it is often referred to as an overseas country due to its degree of autonomy

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

none (overseas lands of France)

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

none (overseas lands of France)

Executive Branch

Cabinet

Council of Ministers approved by the Assembly from a list of its members submitted by the president

Chief Of State

President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Dominique SORAIN (since 10 July 2019)

Elections Appointments

French president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; French Polynesia president indirectly elected by Assembly of French Polynesia for a 5-year term (no term limits)

Head Of Government

President of French Polynesia Edouard FRITCH (since 12 September 2014)

Flag Description

two red horizontal bands encase a wide white band in a 1:2:1 ratio; centered on the white band is a disk with a blue and white wave pattern depicting the sea on the lower half and a gold and white ray pattern depicting the sun on the upper half; a Polynesian canoe rides on the wave pattern; the canoe has a crew of five represented by five stars that symbolize the five island groups; red and white are traditional Polynesian colors

Government Note

under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has acquired autonomy in all areas except those relating to police, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are fashioned after those of the French prime minister

Government Type

parliamentary democracy (Assembly of French Polynesia); an overseas collectivity of France

Independence

none (overseas lands of France)

International Organization Participation

ITUC (NGOs), PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WMO

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel (composition NA); note - appeals beyond the French Polynesia Court of Appeal are heard by the Court of Cassation (in Paris)

Judge Selection And Term Of Office

judges assigned from France normally for 3 years

Subordinate Courts

Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif

Legal System

the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Legislative Branch

Description

unicameral Assembly of French Polynesia or Assemblée de la Polynésie française (57 seats; elections held in 2 rounds; in the second round, 38 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by a closed-list proportional representation vote; the party receiving the most votes gets an additional 19 seats; members serve 5-year terms) French Polynesia indirectly elects 2 senators to the French Senate via an electoral college by absolute majority vote for 6-year terms with one-half the membership renewed every 3 years and directly elects 3 deputies to the French National Assembly by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for 5-year terms

Election Results

Assembly of French Polynesia - percent of vote by party - Tapura Huiraatira 45.1%, Popular Rally 29.3%, Tavini Huiraatira 25.6%; seats by party - Tapura Huiraatira 38, Popular Rally 11, Tavini Huiraatira 8; composition - men 27, women 30, percent of women 52.6% French Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Popular Rally 1, People's Servant Party 1; composition - men 246, women 102, percent of women 29.3% French National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Tapura Huiractura 2, Tavini Huiraatura 1; composition - men 353, women 224, percent of women 38.8%; note - total Parliament percent of women 20%

Elections

Assembly of French Polynesia - last held on 22 April 2018 and 6 May 2018 (next to be held in 2023) French Senate - last held in September 2017 (next to be held in September 2020) French National Assembly - last held in 2 rounds on 3 and 17 June 2017 (next to be held in 2022)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Maeva BOUGES, Irmine TEHEI, Angele TEROROTUA, Johanna NOUVEAU, Patrick AMARU, Louis MAMATUI, and Jean-Pierre CELESTIN (the compositional group created both the lyrics and music)

Name

"Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" (Long Live Tahiti Nui)

National Holiday

Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - the local holiday is Internal Autonomy Day, 29 June (1880)

National Symbol S

outrigger canoe, Tahitian gardenia (Gardenia taitensis) flower; national colors: red, white

Political Parties And Leaders

A Tia Porinetia [Teva ROHFRITSCH] Alliance for a New Democracy or ADN (includes The New Star [Philip SCHYLE], This Country is Yours [Nicole BOUTEAU]) New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON] Our Home alliance People's Servant Party (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU] Popular Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE] Tapura Huiraatira [Edouard FRITICH] Tavini Huiraatira [James CHANCELOR] Union for Democracy alliance or UPD [Oscar TEMARU]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

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

Budget

Expenditures

1.833 billion (2011)

Revenues

1.891 billion (2012)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

1.2% (of GDP) (2012)

Current Account Balance

2013

$158.8 million

2014

$207.7 million

Debt External

NA

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.After growing at an average yearly rate of 4.2% from 1997-2007, the economic and financial crisis in 2008 marked French Polynesia’s entry into recession. However, since 2014, French Polynesia has shown signs of recovery. Business turnover reached 1.8% year-on-year in September 2016, tourism increased 1.8% in 2015, and GDP grew 2.0% in 2015.French Polynesia’s tourism-dominated service sector accounted for 85% of total value added for the economy in 2012. Tourism employs 17% of the workforce. Pearl farming is the second biggest industry, accounting for 54% of exports in 2015; however, the output has decreased to 12.5 tons – the lowest level since 2008. A small manufacturing sector predominantly processes commodities from French Polynesia’s primary sector - 8% of total economy in 2012 - including agriculture and fishing.France has agreed to finance infrastructure, marine businesses, and cultural and ecological sites at roughly $80 million per year between 2015 and 2020. Japan, the US, and China are French Polynesia’s three largest trade partners.

Exchange Rates

2013

90.56

2014

89.85

2015

107.84

2016

107.84

2017

110.2

Currency

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar -

Exports

2013

$1.168 billion

2014

$1.245 billion

Exports Commodities

cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat

Exports Partners

Japan 23.1%, Hong Kong 21.5%, Kyrgyzstan 15.9%, US 15.9%, France 12.4% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

17.5% (2014 est.)

Government Consumption

33.6% (2014 est.)

Household Consumption

66.9% (2014 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-37.5% (2014 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

19.4% (2014 est.)

Investment In Inventories

0.1% (2014 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

2.5% (2009)

Industry

13% (2009)

Services

84.5% (2009)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$4.795 billion (2015 est.) (2015 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2010

$22,700

2014

$20,100

2015

$17,000

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2010

$6.963 billion

2014

$5.383 billion

2015

$5.49 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2010

-2.5%

2014

-2.7%

2015

2%

Imports

2013

$2.271 billion

2014

$2.235 billion

Imports Commodities

fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment

Imports Partners

France 27.9%, South Korea 12.1%, US 10.1%, China 7.3%, NZ 6.7%, Singapore 4.2% (2017)

Industries

tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2014

0.3%

2015

0%

Labor Force

126,300 (2016 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

13%

Industry

19%

Services

68% (2013 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

NA

Population Below Poverty Line

19.7% (2009 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

2015

$3.81 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

2014

$310.8 million

2015

$349.3 million

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

2014

$822.3 million

2015

$905 million

Taxes And Other Revenues

39.4% (of GDP) (2012)

Unemployment Rate

2010

11.7%

2012

21.8%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

1.03 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

629.9 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

70% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

11% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

253,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

677.3 million kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

6,600 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

6,785 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

19 (2017 est.)

Total

55,443

Broadcast Media

French public overseas broadcaster Reseau Outre-Mer provides 2 TV channels and 1 radio station; 1 government-owned TV station; a small number of privately owned radio stations (2019)

Internet Country Code

.pf

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

68.4% (July 2016 est.)

Total

195,275

Telephone System

Domestic

fixed-line subscriptions 33 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular density is roughly 97 per 100 persons (2018)

General Assessment

one of the most advanced telecom infrastructures for the Pacific islands region; 85% mobile broadband coverage (2018)

International

country code - 689; landing points for the NATITUA, Manatua, and Honotua submarine cables to other French Polynesian Islands, Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

33 (July 2016 est.)

Total Subscriptions

60,530

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

97 (July 2016 est.)

Total Subscriptions

280,111

Airports

54 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

5 (2017)

914 To 1 523 M

33 (2017)

Over 3 047 M

2 (2017)

Total

45 (2017)

Under 914 M

5 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

914 To 1 523 M

4 (2013)

Total

9 (2013)

Under 914 M

5 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

F-OH (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant Marine

By Type

general cargo 8, other 9 (2018)

Total

17

National Air Transport System

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

21 (registered in France) (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

2 (registered in France) (2015)

Ports And Terminals

Papeete

Roadways

Paved

1,735 km (1999)

Total

2,590 km (1999)

Unpaved

855 km (1999)

Military And Security Forces

no regular military forces (2019)

Military Note

defense is the responsibility of France and France maintains forces in French Polynesia. (2019)

Disputes International

none