The 2001 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

      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

      Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

      highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m

      Natural resources: timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower

      Land use: arable land: 1%

      permanent crops: 6%

      permanent pastures: 5%

      forests and woodland: 31%

      other: 57% (1993 est.)

      Irrigated land: NA sq km

      Natural hazards: occasional cyclonic storms in January

      Environment - current issues: NA

      Geography - note: 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

      French Polynesia People

      Population: 253,506 (July 2001 est.)

      Age structure: 0–14 years: 29.74% (male 38,473; female 36,925)

      15–64 years: 65.17% (male 86,128; female 79,076)

      65 years and over: 5.09% (male 6,481; female 6,423) (2001 est.)

      Population growth rate: 1.72% (2001 est.)

      Birth rate: 18.6 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

      Death rate: 4.45 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

      Net migration rate: 3.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

      Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

      under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

      15–64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female

      65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female

      total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

      Infant mortality rate: 9.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.01 years

      male: 72.67 years

      female: 77.46 years (2001 est.)

      Total fertility rate: 2.23 children born/woman (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

      HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

      Nationality: noun: French Polynesian(s)

      adjective: French Polynesian

      Ethnic groups: Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%

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

      Languages: French (official), Tahitian (official)

      Literacy: definition: age 14 and over can read and write

      total population: 98%

      male: 98%

      female: 98% (1977 est.)

      French Polynesia Government

      Country name: 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

      former: French Colony of Oceania

      Dependency status: overseas territory of France since 1946

      Government type: NA

      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 by France from French Polynesia

      Independence: none (overseas territory of France)

      National holiday: Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

      Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

      Legal system: based on French system

      Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

      Executive branch: chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of

       France (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner of the

       Republic Paul RONCIERE (since NA 1994)

      head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 4 April 1991); President of the Territorial Assembly Justin ARAPARI (since 13 May 1996)

      cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers

      elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Government and the president of the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly

      Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

      elections: last held 12 May 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)

      election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 22, Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia 10, New Fatherland Party 5, other 4

      note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 24 September 1989 (next to be held NA September 1998); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UC 1; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 25 May - 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 2

      Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First

       Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative

       Law or Tribunal Administratif

      Political parties and leaders: Centrist Union or UC [leader NA];

       Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini

       Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile

       VERNAUDON]; People's Rally for the Republic (Tahoeraa Huiraatira)

       [Gaston FLOSSE]

      Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

      International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), FZ,

       ICFTU, SPC, WMO

      Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of

       France)

      Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of

       France)

      Flag description: two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered on the white band is a disk with blue and white wave pattern