French Polynesia

Branches

French Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie

Defense note

defense is the responsibility of France

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 2, shortwave 0

Radios

116,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones

33,200 (1983 est.)

Television broadcast stations

6

Televisions

35,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Agriculture

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

Budget

revenues: $686 million expenditures: $884 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)

Currency

1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic 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. The territory will continue to benefit from a five-year (1994-98) development agreement with France aimed principally at creating new jobs.

Electricity

capacity: 75,000 kW production: 334 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,189 kWh (1994)

Exchange rates

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 91.00 (January 1996), 90.75 (1995), 100.94 (1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc

Exports

$230 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: cultured pearls 41.6%, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat (1992) partners: France 34%, US 10% (1992)

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.76 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: 4% industry: 18% services: 78% (1992 est.)

GDP per capita

$8,000 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

NA%

Imports

$912 million (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: fuels, foodstuffs, equipment partners: ECE 64% (France 45.4%), US 13.6%, Australia 6.9%, NZ 5.8%, Japan 5% (1992)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.5% (1994)

Labor force

76,630 employed (1988) by occupation: agriculture 13%, industry 19%, services 68% (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total area: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls) 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

Geographic coordinates

15 00 S, 140 00 W

Geographic 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

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

Terrain

mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Orohena 2,241 m

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)

Data code

FP

Diplomatic representation in US

none (overseas territory of France)

Executive branch

chief of state: President (of France) Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995); represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Paul RONCIERE (since 8 August 1994) who was appointed by the French Ministry of Interior head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 4 April 1991); President of the Territorial Assembly Tinomana EBB (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers

Flag

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

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 NA September 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) party NA

Independence

none (overseas territory of France)

International organization participation

ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal; Court of the First Instance; Court of Administrative Law

Legal system

based on French system

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

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 and Here Ai'a Party), Jean JUVENTIN; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api), Emile VERNAUDON; Independent Party (Ia Mana Te Nunaa), Jacques DROLLET; Te Aratia Ote Nunaa, Tinomana EBB; Haere i Mua, Alexandre LEONTIEFF; other small parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Territorial Assembly

elections last held 17 March 1991 (next to be held NA 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 of government

overseas territory of France since 1946

US diplomatic representation

none (overseas territory of France)

Age structure

0-14 years: 35% (male 40,450; female 39,038) 15-64 years: 61% (male 70,506; female 65,620) 65 years and over: 4% (male 4,636; female 4,661) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

27.15 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

5.27 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

14.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

French (official), Tahitian (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 70.94 years male: 68.49 years female: 73.5 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 14 and over can read and write, but definition of literacy not available (1977 est.) total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98%

Nationality

noun: French Polynesian(s) adjective: French Polynesian

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

224,911 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.19% (1996 est.)

Religions

Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female all ages: 1.06 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.26 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 41 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: 13 with paved runways under 914 m: 15 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 6 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 792 km paved: 792 km (1995 est.)

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 (1995 est.)

Ports

Mataura, Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa

Railways

0 km