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 Match 85   DB Rec# - 7,537  Dataset-WOFACT

Title         :French Polynesia 
Text          : 
                                French Polynesia 
 
                                     Header 
 
Affiliation: 
    (overseas territory of France) 
 
                                    Geography 
 
Location: 
    Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way 


    from South America to Australia 
Map references: 
    Oceania 
Area: 
  total area: 
    3,941 sq km 
  land area: 
    3,660 sq km 
  comparative area: 
    slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut 
Land boundaries: 
    0 km 
Coastline: 
    2,525 km 
Maritime claims: 
  exclusive economic zone: 
    200 nm 
  territorial sea: 
    12 nm 
International disputes: 
    none 
Climate: 
    tropical, but moderate 
Terrain: 
    mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs 
Natural resources: 
    timber, fish, cobalt 
Land use: 
  arable land: 
    1% 
  permanent crops: 
    19% 
  meadows and pastures: 
    5% 
  forest and woodland: 
    31% 
  other: 
    44% 
Irrigated land: 
    NA sq km 
Environment: 
  current issues: 
    NA 
  natural hazards: 
    occasional cyclonic storms in January 
  international agreements: 
    NA 
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 
 
                                     People 
 
Population: 
    219,999 (July 1995 est.) 
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.) 
Population growth rate: 
    2.23% (1995 est.) 
Birth rate: 
    27.56 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Death rate: 
    5.27 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Net migration rate: 
    0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Infant mortality rate: 
    14.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) 
Life expectancy at birth: 
  total population: 
    70.75 years 
  male: 
    68.32 years 
  female: 
    73.29 years (1995 est.) 
Total fertility rate: 
    3.3 children born/woman (1995 est.) 
Nationality: 
  noun: 
    French Polynesian(s) 
  adjective: 
    French Polynesian 
Ethnic divisions: 
    Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4% 
Religions: 
    Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16% 
Languages: 
    French (official), Tahitian (official) 
Literacy: 
    age 14 and over can read and write but definition of literary not available 
    (1977) 
  total population: 
    98% 
  male: 
    98% 
  female: 
    98% 
Labor force: 
    76,630 employed (1988) 
 
                                   Government 
 
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 
Digraph: 
    FP 
Type: 


    overseas territory of France since 1946 
Capital: 
    Papeete 
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 
Independence: 
    none (overseas territory of France) 
National holiday: 
    National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789) 
Constitution: 
    28 September 1958 (French Constitution) 
Legal system: 
    based on French system 
Suffrage: 
    18 years of age; universal 
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 
Legislative branch: 
    unicameral 
  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 
  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 
  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 
 
                                   Government 
Judicial branch: 
    Court of Appeal, Court of the First Instance, Court of Administrative Law 
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 


Member of: 
    ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO 
Diplomatic representation in US: 
    none (overseas territory of France) 
US diplomatic representation: 
    none (overseas territory of France) 
Flag: 
    the flag of France is used 
 
                                     Economy 
 
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. 
National product: 
    GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.5 billion (1993 est.) 
National product real growth rate: 
    NA% 
National product per capita: 
    $7,000 (1993 est.) 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 
    1.7% (1991) 
Unemployment rate: 
    10% (1990 est.) 
Budget: 
  revenues: 
    $614 million 
  expenditures: 
    $957 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988) 
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% 
Imports: 
    $765 million (c.i.f., 1989) 
  commodities: 
    fuels, foodstuffs, equipment 
  partners: 
    France 53%, US 11%, Australia 6%, NZ 5% 
External debt: 
    $NA 
Industrial production: 
    growth rate NA%; accounts for 15% of GDP 
Electricity: 
  capacity: 
    75,000 kW 
  production: 
    275 million kWh 
  consumption per capita: 
    1,189 kWh (1993) 
Industries: 
    tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts 
Agriculture: 
    coconut and vanilla plantations; vegetables and fruit; poultry, beef, dairy 


    products 
Economic aid: 
  recipient: 
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), 
    $3.95 billion 
Currency: 
    1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes 
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 
 
                                     Economy 
Fiscal year: 
    calendar year 
 
                                 Transportation 
 
Railroads: 
    0 km 
Highways: 
  total: 
    600 km (1982) 
  paved: 
    NA 
  unpaved: 
    NA 
Ports: 
    Mataura, Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa 
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 
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 
 
                                 Communications 
 
Telephone system: 
    33,200 telephones 
  local: 
    NA 
  intercity: 


    NA 
  international: 
    1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station 
Radio: 
  broadcast stations: 
    AM 5, FM 2, shortwave 0 
  radios: 
    84,000 
Television: 
  broadcast stations: 
    6 
  televisions: 
    26,400 
 
                                 Defense Forces 
 
Branches: 
    French Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie 
Note: 
    defense is responsibility of France 

This publication is also available online from the CIA (http://www.odci.gov/cia) as 1995 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html).

The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995

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Updated: March 12, 1996