Airports [time series]

43 total, 41 usable; 23 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

about 6 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

600 km (1982)

Merchant marine [time series]

3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,128 GRT/6,710 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 1 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo; note--a captive subset of the French register

Ports [time series]

Papeete, Bora-bora

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

33,200 telephones; 84,000 radio receivers; 26,400 TV sets; stations--5 AM, 2 FM, 6 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 50,844; NA fit for military service

Note [time series]

defense is responsibility of France

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

coconut and vanilla plantations; vegetables and fruit; poultry, beef, dairy products

Budget [time series]

revenues $614 million; expenditures $957 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural--francs); 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid [time series]

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.95 billion

Electricity [time series]

72,000 kW capacity; 265 million kWh produced, 1,390 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1--93.28 (January 1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988), 109.27 (1987), 125.92 (1986), 163.35 (1985); note--linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc

Exports [time series]

$75 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--coconut products 79%, mother-of-pearl 14%, vanilla, shark meat; partners--France 54%, US 17%, Japan 17%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$NA

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$1.2 billion, per capita $6,300; real growth rate NA% (1990 est.)

Imports [time series]

$806 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--fuels, foodstuffs, equipment; partners--France 53%, US 11%, Australia 6%, NZ 5%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA%

Industries [time series]

tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

1.3% (1989 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

8% (1986 est.)

Climate [time series]

tropical, but moderate

Coastline [time series]

2,525 km Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

occasional cyclonic storm in January; includes five archipelagoes

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

arable land 1%; permanent crops 19%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 31%; other 44%

Natural resources [time series]

timber, fish, cobalt

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs

Area (Total area) [time series]

3,941 km2; land area: 3,660 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 from French Polynesia and may have become a dependency of French Polynesia

Capital [time series]

Papeete

Constitution [time series]

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

as an overseas territory of France, French Polynesian interests are represented in the US by France

Executive branch [time series]

French president, high commissioner of the republic, president of the Council of Ministers, vice president of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers

Flag [time series]

the flag of France is used

Independence [time series]

none (overseas territory of France)

Judicial branch [time series]

Court of Appeal Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); High Commissioner of the Republic Jean MONTPEZAT (since NA November 1987); Head of Government--President of the Council of Ministers Gaston FLOSSE (since 10 May 1991); Vice President of the Council of Ministers NA People's Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira; Gaullist), Gaston FLOSSE; Polynesian Union Party (Te Tiarama; centrist), Alexandre LEONTIEFF; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api), Emile VERNAUDON; Polynesian Liberation Front (Tavini Huiraatira), Oscar TEMARU; other small parties

Legal system [time series]

based on French system

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Territorial Assembly

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Territory of French Polynesia

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

FZ, SPC, WMO

National holiday [time series]

Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 Territorial Assembly--last held 17 March 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(41 total) People's Rally (Gaullist) 18, Polynesian Union Party 14, New Fatherland Party 5, other 4; French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) party NA; French National Assembly last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(2 total) People's Rally (Gaullist) 1, New Fatherland Party 1

Government type (Type) [time series]

overseas territory of France since 1946

Birth rate [time series]

31 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

22 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

76,630 employed (1988)

Languages (Language) [time series]

French (official), Tahitian

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

66 years male, 71 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 14 and over but definition of literacy not available (1977)

Nationality [time series]

noun--French Polynesian(s); adjective--French Polynesian

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

NA

Population [time series]

195,046 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

mainly Christian; Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.9 children born/woman (1991)