FRENCH POLYNESIA (overseas territory of France) GEOGRAPHY Total area: 3,941 km2; land area: 3,660 km2 Comparative area: slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut Land boundaries: none Coastline: 2,525 km Maritime claims: Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Climate: tropical, but moderate Terrain: mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs Natural resources: timber, fish, cobalt Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 19%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 31%; other 44% Environment: occasional cyclonic storm in January; includes five archipelagoes Note: 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 PEOPLE Population: 195,046 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991) Birth rate: 31 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 22 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 71 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 3.9 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--French Polynesian(s); adjective--French Polynesian Ethnic divisions: Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4% Religion: mainly Christian; Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16% Language: French (official), Tahitian Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 14 and over but definition of literacy not available (1977) Labor force: 76,630 employed (1988) Organized labor: NA GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Territory of French Polynesia Type: overseas territory of France since 1946 Capital: Papeete Administrative divisions: 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 Independence: none (overseas territory of France) Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) Legal system: based on French system National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789) Executive branch: French president, high commissioner of the republic, president of the Council of Ministers, vice president of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly Judicial branch: Court of Appeal Leaders: 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 Political parties and leaders: 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 Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: 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 Member of: FZ, SPC, WMO Diplomatic representation: as an overseas territory of France, French Polynesian interests are represented in the US by France Flag: the flag of France is used ECONOMY Overview: 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. GDP: $1.2 billion, per capita $6,300; real growth rate NA% (1990 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (1989 est.) Unemployment rate: 8% (1986 est.) Budget: revenues $614 million; expenditures $957 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988) Exports: $75 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--coconut products 79%, mother-of-pearl 14%, vanilla, shark meat; partners--France 54%, US 17%, Japan 17% Imports: $806 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--fuels, foodstuffs, equipment; partners--France 53%, US 11%, Australia 6%, NZ 5% External debt: $NA Industrial production: growth rate NA% Electricity: 72,000 kW capacity; 265 million kWh produced, 1,390 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts Agriculture: coconut and vanilla plantations; vegetables and fruit; poultry, beef, dairy products Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.95 billion Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural--francs); 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes Exchange rates: 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 Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS Highways: 600 km (1982) Ports: Papeete, Bora-bora Merchant marine: 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 Civil air: about 6 major transport aircraft Airports: 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 Telecommunications: 33,200 telephones; 84,000 radio receivers; 26,400 TV sets; stations--5 AM, 2 FM, 6 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station DEFENSE FORCES Manpower availability: males 15-49, 50,844; NA fit for military service Note: defense is responsibility of France