French Polynesia is a French overseas collectivity in the South Pacific Ocean. French Polynesia is a composition of a group of archipelagoes. The major islands are Tahiti in the Society Islands. Apart from these two, several other archipelagoes of French Polynesia are the Austral Islands, the Bass Islands, the Gambier Islands, the Tuamotu Archipelago and the Marquesas Islands. The other smaller islands include Ahe, Bora Bora, Hiva `Oa, Huahine, Maiao, Maupiti, Mehetia, Moorea, Nuku Hiva, Raiatea, Tahaa, Tetiaroa, Tubuai, and Tupai. Capital Papeete is located in Tahiti. Defense affairs are looked after by the French government. The archipelagoes have a Gendarmerie and a National Police Force.
HISTORY:- Polynesians settled first in the islands of Marquesas in 300 A.D. Much later in 800 A.D they settled in the Society Islands. Portuguese sailor Ferdinand Magellan first sighted Pukapuka in the Tuamotu Archipelago. The British sailor Samuel Wallis and French sailor Louis Antoine de Bougainville visited Tahiti in 1767 and 1768 respectively. James Cook visited the island in 1769. To convert the archipelago into Christianity, Protestants from the London Missionary Society started living permanently in the islands since 1797. Tahiti king King Pomare II and his descendants forcibly embrace Protestant Christianity in 1812. After the arrival of French Catholic missionaries in Tahiti in 1834, Tahiti and Tahuata were transformed into two French protectorates. Papeete was declared the capital. In 1880, Tahiti became a colony of French power. Gradually the French annexed the Tuamotu Archipelago in 1880, and Marquesas Islands. The French power set up a general council to govern the islands properly. In 1889, France occupied Rimatara and Rurutu. The French occupied islands of Polynesia participated in the World War II in 1940. At that time the Konoe Cabinet in Imperial Japan included the islands into the list of Japanese possessions after the war. But the Japanese did not invade the archipelago. In 1946, Polynesian islands were granted the status of overseas territory of French. The French Polynesia became partially autonomous in 1984, but gained full autonomy within the French union in 2004.
GEOGRAPHY:- French Polynesia consists of about 118 islands and atolls. French Polynesia is located at 15 00 S, 140 00 W in the Oceania. The archipelagoes of the Polynesia occupy total 4,167 sq km area. The coastline is 2,525 km long bordering the South Pacific Ocean. The lowest point is Pacific Ocean (0 m) and the highest point is Mont Orohena (2,241 m). The terrain of the islands ranges from the rugged once to the low once. The islands are composed of reefs.
CLIMATE:- In French Polynesia, tropical but temperate climate can be noticed.
GOVERNMENT:- French Polynesia was an overseas territory of France until 2004. It has now full autonomy and is known as the overseas lands of France. The French constitution is considered as the formal constitution of the archipelagoes. The legal system is based on French law. The three branches of the government are:
Executive branch comprises the President of France (chief of state), the President of French Polynesia (head of government), and cabinet. The French President is represented by the High Commissioner.
Legislative branch comprises the unicameral Territorial Assembly (57 seats).
Judicial branch comprises the Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel, Court of the First Instance and Court of Administrative Law.
Alliance for a New Democracy, Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia, New Fatherland Party are included in the major political parties of the islands. Suffrage is universal at 18.
President of France Nicolas Sarkozy
President of French Polynesia Gaston Tong Sang
High Commissioner of the Republic Anne Boquet
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:- Administratively French Polynesia is divided into 5 parts:
Windward Islands, Leeward Islands, Marquesas Islands, Austral Islands and Tuamotu-Gambier.
ECONOMY:- French Polynesia has a developed economy. The economy is dependent mainly on imported goods and tourism. It has 5th highest GDP in the Oceania. France assists the islands financially.
GDP/PPP (2003 est.): $4.58 billion; per capita $17,500.
Real growth rate: N.A.
Inflation: 1.5% (2002 est.).
Unemployment: 11.8% (1994).
Arable land: 1%.
Agriculture: Coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, coffee; poultry, beef, dairy products.
Budget:
Revenues: $865 million
Expenditures: $644.1 million (1999)
Labor force: 70,000 (1996); agriculture 13%, industry 19%, services 68% (2002).
Industries: Tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates.
Natural resources: timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower.
Exports: $385 million f.o.b. (2004 est.): cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat.
Imports: $1.437 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.): fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment.
Major trading partners: France, Japan, U.S., Niger, Thailand, New Zealand, Singapore, Australia (2004).
Monetary unit: Pacific financial community franc
LANGUAGE:- French are Tahitian are the official languages.
French 61.1%
Polynesian 31.4%
Asian languages 1.2%
Other 0.3%
Unspecified 6% (2002 census)
CITIES:- the largest city and capital is Papeete.
POPULATION:- The estimated population of French Polynesia is 278,633 with a growth rate of 1.4%.
Density per sq mi: 197
Literacy rate: 98% (1977)
RACE:-
Polynesian 78%
Chinese 12%
Local French 6%
Metropolitan French 4%
RELIGION:-
Protestant 54%
Roman Catholic 30%
Other 10%
No religion 6%
HEALTH:-
Birth rate: 16.16 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate: 4.67 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 7.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.51 years
Total fertility rate: 1.95 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
TRANSPORTATION:-
Railways: 0 km.
Highways: total: 2,590 km; paved: 1,735 km; unpaved: 855 km (1999).
Ports and harbors: Papeete.
Airports: 54 (2007); paved runways: total: 37; unpaved runways: total: 17.
Heliports: 1 (2007)
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