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Geography

The islands of French Polynesia have a total land area of 4,167 square kilometres (1,622 sq. mi) scattered over 2,500,000 square kilometres (965,255 sq. mi) of ocean.
It is made up of several groups of islands, the largest and most populated of which is Tahiti.
The island groups are:
Austral Islands
Bass Islands often considered part of the Austral Islands
Gambier Islands often considered part of the Tuamotu Archipelago
Marquesas Islands
Society Islands (including Tahiti)
Tuamotu Archipelago
Aside from Tahiti, some other important atolls, islands, and island groups in French Polynesia are: Ahe, Bora Bora, Hiva `Oa, Huahine, Maiao, Maupiti, Mehetia, Moorea, Nuku Hiva, Raiatea, Tahaa, Tetiaroa, Tubuai, and Tupai.




Government

Politics of French Polynesia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic French overseas collectivity, whereby the President of French Polynesia is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Assembly of French Polynesia (the territorial assembly).
Despite a local assembly and government, French Polynesia is not in a free association with France, like the Cook Islands with New Zealand or the Federated States of Micronesia with the United States. As a French overseas collectivity, the local government has no competence in justice, education, security and defense, directly provided and administered by the French State, the Gendarmerie and the French Military. The highest representative of the State in the territory is the High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia (French: Haut commissaire de la République).
French Polynesia also sends two deputies to the French National Assembly, one representing the Leeward Islands administrative subdivision, the Austral Islands administrative subdivision, the commune (municipality) of Moorea-Maiao, and the westernmost part of Tahiti (including the capital Papeete), and the other representing the central and eastern part of Tahiti, the Tuamotu-Gambier administrative division, and the Marquesas Islands administrative division. French Polynesia also sends one senator to the French Senate.
French Polynesians vote in the French presidential élections.




Population

Total population at the August 2007 census was 259,596 inhabitants. At the 2007 census, 68.6% of the population of French Polynesia lived on the island of Tahiti alone.The urban area of Papeete, the capital city, has 131,695 inhabitants (2007 census).
At the 2007 census, 87.3% of people were born in French Polynesia, 9.3% were born in metropolitan France, 1.4% were born in overseas France outside of French Polynesia, and 2.0% were born in foreign countries. At the 1988 census, the last census which asked questions regarding ethnicity, 66.5% of people were ethnically unmixed Polynesians, 7.1 % were Polynesians with light European and/or East Asian mixing, 11.9% were Europeans (mostly French and white Americans), 9.3% were people of mixed European and Polynesian descent, the so-called Demis (literally meaning "Half"), and 4.7% were East Asians (mainly Chinese).[1] The Europeans, the Demis and the East Asians are essentially concentrated on the island of Tahiti, particularly in the urban area of Papeete, where their share of the population is thus much greater than in French Polynesia overall. Race mixing has been going on for more than a century already in French Polynesia, resulting in a rather mixed society
Population: 287,032 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Age structure: 0-14 years: 24.3% (male 35,631/female 34,097)
15-64 years: 68.9% (male 102,537/female 95,317)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 9,821/female 9,629) (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
Birth rate: 15.91 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
Death rate: 4.67 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195
Urbanization 52% of total population (2008)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.71 years
country comparison to the world: 63
male: 74.26 years
female: 79.29 years (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Religions: Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6%
Education expenditures:




Economy

Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence agricultural economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. With the halt of French nuclear testing in 1996, the military contribution to the economy fell sharply. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. Other sources of income are pearl farming and deep-sea commercial fishing. The small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural products. The territory benefits substantially from development agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses and strengthening social services..
GDP (purchasing power parity): $4.718 billion (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
$4.58 billion (2003)
GDP (official exchange rate): $6.1 billion (2004)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.7% (2005)
country comparison to the world: 147
GDP - per capita (PPP): $18,000 (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.5%
industry: 20.4%
services: 76.1% (2005)
Labor force: 113,400 (2006)
country comparison to the world: 172
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 13%
industry: 19%
services: 68% (2002)
Unemployment rate: 11.7% (2005)
country comparison to the world: 132
Household income
or consumption by % share
Population below poverty rate
Budget: revenues: $865 million
expenditures: $644.1 million (1999)
Public debt:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.1% (2007)
country comparison to the world: 11
Agriculture - products: fish; coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, coffee; poultry, beef, dairy products
Industries:
Electricity - production:
Electricity - consumption:
Telephones - main lines in use: 53,600 (2006)
country comparison to the world: 160
Telephones - mobile cellular: 174,800 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 172
Telephone system
Internet hosts: 14,070 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 102
Internet users: 75,000 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 153



- Imagine Media, 2009 -