2023 Edition

Background

French Polynesia consists of five archipelagos - the Austral Islands, the Gambier Islands, the Marquesas Islands, the Society Islands, and the Tuamotu Archipelago. The Marquesas were first settled around 200 B.C. and the Society Islands around A.D. 300. Raiatea in the Society Islands became a center for religion and culture. Exploration of the other islands emanated from Raiatea and by 1000, there were small permanent settlements in all the island groups. Ferdinand MAGELLAN was the first European to see the islands of French Polynesia in 1520, and successive European voyagers traveled through them over the next two centuries. In 1767, British explorer Samuel WALLIS was the first European to visit Tahiti, followed by French navigator Louis Antoine de BOUGAINVILLE in 1768, and British explorer James COOK in 1769. King POMARE I united Tahiti and surrounding islands into the Kingdom of Tahiti in 1788. Protestant missionaries arrived in 1797 and POMARE I’s successor converted in the 1810s, along with most Tahitians. In the 1830s, Queen POMARE IV refused to allow French Catholic missionaries to operate, leading France to declare a protectorate over Tahiti and fight the French-Tahitian War of the 1840s in an attempt to annex the islands. POMARE IV requested British assistance to fight France, and while the UK did not provide material support, it did diplomatically pressure France to simply maintain its protectorate status.In 1880, King POMARE V ceded Tahiti and its possessions to France, changing its status into a colony. France then claimed the Gambier Islands and Tuamotu Archipelago and by 1901 had incorporated all five island groups into its establishments in Oceania. A Tahitian nationalist movement formed in 1940, leading France to grant French citizenship to the islanders in 1946 and change it to an overseas territory. In 1957, the islands’ name was changed to French Polynesia and the following year, 64% of voters chose to stay part of France when they approved a new constitution. Uninhabited Mururoa Atoll was established as a French nuclear test site in 1962 and tests were conducted between 1966 and 1992 (underground beginning in 1975). France also conducted tests at Fangataufa Atoll, including its last nuclear test in 1996.France granted French Polynesia partial internal autonomy in 1977 and expanded autonomy in 1984. French Polynesia was converted into an overseas collectivity in 2003 and renamed an overseas country inside the Republic in 2004. Proindependence politicians won a surprise majority in local elections that same year but in subsequent elections have been relegated to a vocal minority. In 2013, French Polynesia was relisted on the UN List of Non-Self Governing Territories.

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

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

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

12.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 6.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 5.5% (2018 est.)

forest

43.7% (2018 est.)

other

43.8% (2018 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

20.62% (male 31,923/female 30,250)

15-64 years

68.79% (male 106,657/female 100,731)

65 years and over

10.59% (2023 est.) (male 15,567/female 16,360)

Birth rate

13.2 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

27.2% (2023 est.)

Death rate

5.7 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

14

potential support ratio

7.1 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

45.6

youth dependency ratio

31.6

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

0.88 (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.4 deaths/1,000 live births

male

5.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

Languages

French (official) 73.5%, Tahitian 20.1%, Marquesan 2.6%, Austral languages 1.2%, Paumotu 1%, other 1.6% (2017 est.)

major-language sample(s)

The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.1 years

male

76.4 years

total population

78.7 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

136,000 PAPEETE (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

35.1 years

male

34.6 years

total

34.8 years (2023 est.)

Nationality

adjective

French Polynesian

noun

French Polynesian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Physicians density

NA

Population

301,488 (2023 est.)

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

Population growth rate

0.7% (2023 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 97% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 3% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.06 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.95 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.05 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.8 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.65% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

62.3% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

43.9%

male

35.4%

total

38.9% (2021 est.)

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

etymology

the name means "water basket" and refers to the fact that the islanders originally used calabashes enclosed in baskets to fetch water at a spring in the area

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

embassy

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 Moetai BROTHERSON (since 12 May 2023)

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

note

note: identical to the red-white-red flag of Tahiti, the largest and most populous of the islands in French Polynesia, but which has no emblem in the white band; the flag of France is used for official occasions

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 land of France)

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

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 - People's Servant Party 66.7%; List of the People 26.3%, I Love Polynesia 5.3%, Rally of Mahoi People 1.8%; seats by party - People's Servant People 38; List of the People 15, I Love Polynesia 3, Rally of the Mahoi People 1, 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 - NAFrench National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Servant Party 3; composition - NA

elections

Assembly of French Polynesia - last held on 16 and 30 April 2023 (next to be held in 2028)French Senate - last held on 24 September 2023 (next to be held on 30 September 2026)French National Assembly - last held in 2 rounds on 12 and 19 June 2022 (next to be held in 2027)

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)

note

note: adopted 1993; serves as a local anthem; as a territory of France, "La Marseillaise" is official (see France)

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Taputapuātea

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural); note - excerpted from the France entry

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

I Love Polynesia (A here la Porinetia) [Nicole SANQUER]List of the People (Tapura Huiraatira) [Edouard FRITCH]People's Servant Party (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]Rally of the Maohi People (Amuitahiraʻa o te Nunaʻa Maohi)  [Gaston FLOSSE] (formerly known as Popular Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira))

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

coconuts, fruit, roots/tubers, pineapples, cassava, sugar cane, eggs, tropical fruit, tomatoes

Budget

expenditures

$1.833 billion (2011)

revenues

$1.891 billion (2012)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

1.2% (of GDP) (2012)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2013

$158.8 million (2013 est.)

Current account balance 2016

$411.963 million (2016 est.)

Debt - external

NA

Economic overview

small, territorial-island tourism-based economy; large French financing; lower EU import duties; Pacific Islands Forum member; fairly resilient from COVID-19; oil-dependent infrastructure

Exchange rates

Currency

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

Exchange rates 2017

105.633 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

101.047 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

106.589 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

104.711 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

100.88 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$184 million (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$94.4 million (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$162 million (2021 est.)

Exports - commodities

paintings, pearls, tuna, aircraft parts, coconut oil, vanilla, electrical panels (2021)

Exports - partners

United States 47%, Japan 17%, France 14%, Netherlands 4%, Poland 3% (2021)

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.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2019

$2.24 billion (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$1.75 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$1.66 billion (2021 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment, passenger ships (2021)

Imports - partners

France 43%, New Zealand 12%, China 8%, United States 6%, Singapore 5% (2021)

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2014

0.3% (2014 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2015

0% (2015 est.)

Labor force

130,100 (2021 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

13%

industry

19%

services

68% (2013 est.)

Population below poverty line

19.7% (2009 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2015 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$5.94 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$5.52 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$5.65 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

2.42% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-10% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

1.02% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2015 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$19,800 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$18,300 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$18,600 (2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

39.4% (of GDP) (2012)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

12.3% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

14.1% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

14.39% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

43.9%

male

35.4%

total

38.9% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

1.03 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

1.03 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

639.7 million kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

272,000 kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

41 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

66.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

27.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

6.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

0 Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

6,700 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

0 bbl/day (2021 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

23 (2020 est.)

total

64,000 (2020 est.)

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

72.7% (2021 est.)

total

218,100 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line subscriptions nearly 36 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular density is roughly 106 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

French Polynesia has one of the most advanced telecoms infrastructures in the Pacific Islands region; the remoteness of the country with its scattering of 130 islands and atolls has made connectivity vital for its inhabitants; the first submarine cable was deployed in 2010 and since then additional cables have been connected to the islands, vastly improving French Polynesia’s international connectivity; an additional domestic submarine cable, the Natitua Sud, will connect more remote islands by the end of 2022; French Polynesia is also a hub for satellite communications in the region; a considerable number of consumers access FttP-based services; with the first data center in French Polynesia on the cards, the quality and price of broadband services is expected to improve as content will be able to be cached locally, reducing costs for consumers; for 2022, fixed broadband subscriptions reached an estimated 22%; about 43% of the country’s mobile connections are on 3G networks, while LTE accounts for 12%; by 2025, LTE is expected to account for more than half of all connections; it is also estimated that 77% of mobile subscribers will have smart phones by 2025 (2022)

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

36 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

108,051 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

106 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

322,918 (2021 est.)

Airports

54 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

45

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

9

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

F-OH

Heliports

1 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 14, other 11

total

25 (2022)

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

19 (registered in France)

number of registered air carriers

2 (2020) (registered in France)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Papeete

Roadways

paved

1,735 km (1999)

total

2,590 km (1999)

unpaved

855 km (1999)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France; France maintains forces (about 900 troops) in French Polynesia

Military and security forces

no regular military forces

Disputes - international

none identified

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.77 megatons (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical, but moderate

Environment - current issues

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

Land use

agricultural land

12.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 6.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 5.5% (2018 est.)

forest

43.7% (2018 est.)

other

43.8% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.65% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

62.3% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

147,000 tons (2013 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

57,330 tons (2013 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

39% (2013 est.)