ARCHIVE // PF // 1996

French Polynesia

1996 Edition — territory

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Communications
Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]
French Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie
Military - note (Defense note) [time series]
defense is the responsibility of France
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 5, FM 2, shortwave 0
Radios [time series]
116,000 (1992 est.)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]
33,200 (1983 est.)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
6
Televisions [time series]
35,000 (1992 est.) Defense
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]
coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits; poultry, beef, dairy products
Budget [time series]
revenues: $686 million expenditures: $884 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Economic aid [time series]
recipient: ODA, $NA
Economic 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. The territory will continue to benefit from a five-year (1994-98) development agreement with France aimed principally at creating new jobs.
Electricity [time series]
capacity: 75,000 kW production: 334 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,189 kWh (1994)
Exchange rates [time series]
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 91.00 (January 1996), 90.75 (1995), 100.94 (1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Exports [time series]
$230 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: cultured pearls 41.6%, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat (1992) partners: France 34%, US 10% (1992)
Debt - external (External debt) [time series]
$NA
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power parity - $1.76 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: 4% industry: 18% services: 78% (1992 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP per capita) [time series]
$8,000 (1995 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP real growth rate) [time series]
NA%
Imports [time series]
$912 million (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: fuels, foodstuffs, equipment partners: ECE 64% (France 45.4%), US 13.6%, Australia 6.9%, NZ 5.8%, Japan 5% (1992)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
NA%
Industries [time series]
tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
1.5% (1994)
Labor force [time series]
76,630 employed (1988) by occupation: agriculture 13%, industry 19%, services 68% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate [time series]
NA%
Geography
Area [time series]
total area: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls) 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
Geographic coordinates [time series]
15 00 S, 140 00 W
Geography - note (Geographic 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
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, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from South America to Australia
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
Terrain [time series]
mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Orohena 2,241 m
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)
Data code [time series]
FP
Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]
none (overseas territory of France)
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: President (of France) Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995); represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Paul RONCIERE (since 8 August 1994) who was appointed by the French Ministry of Interior head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 4 April 1991); President of the Territorial Assembly Tinomana EBB (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers
Flag [time series]
two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered on the white band is a disk with blue and white wave pattern on the lower half and gold and white ray pattern on the upper half; a stylized red, blue and white ship rides on the wave pattern; the French flag is used for official occasions
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 NA September 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) party NA
Independence [time series]
none (overseas territory of France)
International organization participation [time series]
ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO
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
Country name (Name of country) [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 and Here Ai'a Party), Jean JUVENTIN; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api), Emile VERNAUDON; Independent Party (Ia Mana Te Nunaa), Jacques DROLLET; Te Aratia Ote Nunaa, Tinomana EBB; Haere i Mua, Alexandre LEONTIEFF; 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 NA 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 of government) [time series]
overseas territory of France since 1946
Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]
none (overseas territory of France)
People
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 35% (male 40,450; female 39,038) 15-64 years: 61% (male 70,506; female 65,620) 65 years and over: 4% (male 4,636; female 4,661) (July 1996 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
27.15 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate [time series]
5.27 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]
Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%
Infant mortality rate [time series]
14.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Languages [time series]
French (official), Tahitian (official)
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 70.94 years male: 68.49 years female: 73.5 years (1996 est.)
Literacy [time series]
age 14 and over can read and write, but definition of literacy not available (1977 est.) 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 (1996 est.)
Population [time series]
224,911 (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
2.19% (1996 est.)
Religions [time series]
Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female all ages: 1.06 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
3.26 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
total: 41 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: 13 with paved runways under 914 m: 15 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 6 (1995 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 792 km paved: 792 km (1995 est.)
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,127 GRT/6,710 DWT ships by type: passenger-cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (1995 est.)
Ports [time series]
Mataura, Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa
Railways [time series]
0 km