Page last updated on January 29, 2014
The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year moratorium. The tests were halted in January 1996. In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded.
Oceania, five archipelagoes (Archipel Des Tuamotu, Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) in the South Pacific Ocean about half way between South America and Australia
total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
country comparison to the world: 175
land: 3,827 sq km
water: 340 sq km
slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m
timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower
arable land: 0.68%
permanent crops: 6.28%
other: 93.03% (2011)
occasional cyclonic storms in January
includes five archipelagoes (four volcanic, one coral); 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
noun: French Polynesian(s)
adjective: French Polynesian
Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%
French (official) 61.1%, Polynesian (official) 31.4%, Asian languages 1.2%, other 0.3%, unspecified 6% (2002 census)
Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6%
277,293 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
0-14 years: 24.1% (male 34,376/female 32,457)
15-24 years: 17.1% (male 24,553/female 22,953)
25-54 years: 43.6% (male 62,080/female 58,903)
55-64 years: 8.2% (male 11,771/female 11,081)
65 years and over: 6.9% (male 9,299/female 9,820) (2013 est.)
total dependency ratio: 42.4 %
youth dependency ratio: 32.2 %
elderly dependency ratio: 10.2 %
potential support ratio: 9.8 (2013)
total: 30.2 years
male: 30.1 years
female: 30.3 years (2013 est.)
1% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
15.7 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
4.85 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
-0.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
urban population: 51% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
PAPEETE (capital) 133,000 (2009)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
total: 4.83 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 181
male: 5.36 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 76.59 years
country comparison to the world: 75
male: 74.37 years
female: 78.93 years (2013 est.)
1.97 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
definition: age 14 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 98% (1977 est.)
total: 33.2%
country comparison to the world: 24
male: 29.3%
female: 39.1% (2002)
conventional long form: Overseas Lands of French Polynesia
conventional short form: French Polynesia
local long form: Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynesie Francaise
local short form: Polynesie Francaise
former: French Colony of Oceania
overseas lands of France; 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
parliamentary representative democratic French overseas collectivity
name: Papeete (located on Tahiti)
geographic coordinates: 17 32 S, 149 34 W
time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
none (overseas lands of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are five second order administrative units named Iles Australes, Iles du Vent, Iles Marquises, Iles Sous le Vent, Iles Tuamotu et Gambier
none (overseas lands of France)
Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1789); note - the local holiday is Internal Autonomy Day, 29 June (1880)
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
the laws of France, where applicable, apply
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Lionel BEFFRE (since 16 September 2013)
head of government: President of French Polynesia Gaston FLOSS (since 17 May 2013); President of the Assembly of French Polynesia L. Edouard FRITCH (since 16 May 2013)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the French Polynesia government and the president of the Assembly of French Polynesia elected by the members of the assembly for five-year terms (no term limits)
unicameral Assembly of French Polynesia or Assemblee de la Polynesia francaise (57 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 21 April 2013 (first round) and 5 May 2013 (second round) (next to be held in 2018)
election results: percent of vote by party - Popular Rally 45.1%, Union for Democracy alliance 29.3%, A Tia Porinetia 25.6%, other 15.8%; seats by party - Popular Rally 38, Union for Democracy alliance 11, A Tia Porinetia 8
note: two seats were elected to the French Senate on 21 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1, independent 1; three seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 17 June 2012 (next to be held by June 2017); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 3
highest court(s): Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel (composition NA)
judge selection and term of office: NA
subordinate courts: Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif
A Tia Porinetia [Teva ROHFRITSCH]
ITUC (NGOs), PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU
none (overseas lands of France)
none (overseas lands of France)
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: similar to the red-white-red flag of Tahiti, the largest of the islands in French Polynesia, which has no emblem in the white band; the flag of France is used for official occasions
name: "Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" (Long Live Tahiti Nui)
lyrics/music: Maeva BOUGES, Irmine TEHEI, Angele TEROROTUA, Johanna NOUVEAU, Patrick AMARU, Louis MAMATUI and Jean-Pierre CELESTIN
note: adopted 1993; serves as a local anthem; as a territory of France, "La Marseillaise" is official (see France)
under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has acquired autonomy in all areas except those relating to police and justice, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are fashioned after those of the French prime minister
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. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. Other sources of income are handicrafts, public works projects, aquaculture, pearl farming and deep-sea commercial fishing. The small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural products. The territory benefits substantially from development agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses and strengthening social services.
$5.65 billion (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
-0.4% (2006)
country comparison to the world: 186
$22,000 (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
agriculture: 3.1%
industry: 20%
services: 76.9% (2006)
coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, coffee; poultry, beef, dairy products; fish
tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates
116,000 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 181
agriculture: 13%
industry: 19%
services: 68% (2002)
11.7% (2010)
country comparison to the world: 123
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $865 million
expenditures: $644.1 million (1999)
15.3% of GDP (1999)
country comparison to the world: 191
3.9% of GDP (1999)
country comparison to the world: 14
1.1% (2007)
country comparison to the world: 16
$200 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat
$2.2 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar -
672 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
625 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
186,000 kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
74.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
25.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 133
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
8,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
7,190 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 194
0 cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 140
1.22 million Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
55,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 162
226,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 180
domestic: combined fixed and mobile-cellular density is roughly 100 per 100 persons
international: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2011)
the publicly owned French Overseas Network (RFO), which operates in France's overseas departments and territories, broadcasts on 2 TV channels and 1 radio station; 1 government-owned TV station; a small number of privately owned radio stations (2008)
37,949 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 103
120,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 153
54 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 88
total: 45
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 33
under 914 m: 5 (2013)
total: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m:
total: 2,590 km
country comparison to the world: 171
paved: 1,735 km
unpaved: 855 km (1999)
registered in other countries: 12 (Cambodia 1, France 11) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 105
major seaport(s): Papeete
no regular military forces (2011)
males age 16-49: 82,722 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 67,363
females age 16-49: 66,053 (2010 est.)
male: 2,498
female: 2,390 (2010 est.)
defense is the responsibility of France
