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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 43 usable: 41 with permanent-surface runways: 23 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 12

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 600 km (1982) paved: NA unpaved: NA

Merchant marine [time series]

3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,127 GRT/6,710 DWT, passenger-cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1 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; broadcast stations - 5 AM, 2 FM, 6 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Affiliation [time series]

(overseas territory of France)

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

French forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie

Note [time series]

defense is responsibility of France

Economy

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]

1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid [time series]

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

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 75,000 kW production: 275 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,330 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 107.63 (January 1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc

Exports [time series]

$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%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$NA

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Imports [time series]

$765 million (c.i.f., 1989) 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]

-0.6% (1991)

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

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.5 billion (1993 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$7,000 (1993 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

NA%

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]

10% (1990 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 3,941 sq km land area: 3,660 sq km comparative area: slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut

Climate [time series]

tropical, but moderate

Coastline [time series]

2,525 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: NA natural hazards: occasional cyclonic storms in January international agreements: NA

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

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

Location [time series]

Oceania, Polynesia halfway between Australia and South America

Map references [time series]

Oceania

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

timber, fish, cobalt

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs

Government

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 by France from French Polynesia

Capital [time series]

Papeete

Constitution [time series]

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Digraph [time series]

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

none (overseas territory of France)

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); High Commissioner of the Republic Michel JAU (since NA February 1992) 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

Flag [time series]

the flag of France is used

Legislative branch (French National Assembly) [time series]

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

Legislative branch (French Senate) [time series]

elections last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) party NA

Independence [time series]

none (overseas territory of France)

Judicial branch [time series]

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

Legal system [time series]

based on French system

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

Country name (Names) [time series]

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 [time series]

National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

People's Rally for the Republic (Tahoeraa Huiraatira), Gaston FLOSSE; Polynesian Union Party includes Te Tiarama, Alexandre LEONTIEFF, and Pupu Here Ai'a Te Nuneao Ia Ora, Jean JUVENTIN; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api), Emile VERNAUDON; Polynesian Liberation Front (Tavini Huiraatira), Oscar TEMARU; Independent Party (Ia Mana Te Nunaa), James SALMON; other small parties

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Legislative branch (Territorial Assembly) [time series]

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

Government type (Type) [time series]

overseas territory of France since 1946

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

none (overseas territory of France)

People

Birth rate [time series]

27.75 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.27 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

14.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

76,630 employed (1988)

Languages [time series]

French (official), Tahitian (official)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 70.54 years male: 68.14 years female: 73.06 years (1994 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: French Polynesian(s) adjective: French Polynesian

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population [time series]

215,129 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.25% (1994 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.31 children born/woman (1994 est.)