Dictionary    Maps    Thesaurus    Translate    Advanced >   


Tip: Click Thesaurus above for synonyms. Also, follow synonym links within the dictionary to find definitions from other sources.

1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)
French Polynesia
    n 1: a French overseas possession in the South Pacific [syn:
         French Polynesia, French Oceania]

2. CIA World Factbook 2002
French Polynesia

   Introduction French Polynesia
   -----------------------------
                            Background: The French annexed various
                                        Polynesian island groups during the
                                        19th century. In September 1995,
                                        France stirred up widespread
                                        protests by resuming nuclear testing
                                        on the Mururoa atoll after a three-
                                        year moratorium. The tests were
                                        suspended in January 1996.
  
   Geography French Polynesia
   --------------------------
                              Location: Oceania, archipelago in the South
                                        Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the
                                        way from South America to Australia
                Geographic coordinates: 15 00 S, 140 00 W
                        Map references: Oceania
                                  Area: total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and
                                        atolls)
                                        water: 507 sq km
                                        land: 3,660 sq km
                    Area - comparative: slightly less than one-third the
                                        size of Connecticut
                       Land boundaries: 0 km
                             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: 1.64%
                                        permanent crops: 6.01%
                                        other: 92.35% (1998 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
  
   People French Polynesia
   -----------------------
                            Population: 257,847 (July 2002 est.)
                         Age structure: 0-14 years: 29% (male 38,184; female
                                        36,631)
                                        15-64 years: 65.7% (male 88,250;
                                        female 81,165)
                                        65 years and over: 5.3% (male 6,850;
                                        female 6,767) (2002 est.)
                Population growth rate: 1.67% (2002 est.)
                            Birth rate: 18.17 births/1,000 population (2002
                                        est.)
                            Death rate: 4.49 deaths/1,000 population (2002
                                        est.)
                    Net migration rate: 3.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population
                                        (2002 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 (2002 est.)
                 Infant mortality rate: 8.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
                                        est.)
              Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.23 years
                                        female: 77.69 years (2002 est.)
                                        male: 72.88 years
                  Total fertility rate: 2.18 children born/woman (2002 est.)
      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
     HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
                                  AIDS:
                     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.)
  
   Government French Polynesia
   ---------------------------
                          Country name: conventional long form: Territory of
                                        French Polynesia
                                        conventional short form: French
                                        Polynesia
                                        local short form: Polynesie
                                        Francaise
                                        local long form: Territoire de la
                                        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 Michel
                                        MATHIEU (since 24 October 2001)
                                        head of government: President of the
                                        Territorial Government of French
                                        Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 4
                                        April 1991); President of the
                                        Territorial Assembly Lucette TAERO
                                        (since 17 May 2001)
                                        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 five-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 (49 seats -
                                        changed from 41 seats for May 2001
                                        election; members are elected by
                                        popular vote to serve five-year
                                        terms)
                                        elections: last held 6 May 2001
                                        (next to be held NA May 2006)
                                        note: one seat was elected to the
                                        French Senate on NA September 1998
                                        (next to be held NA September 2007);
                                        results - percent of vote by party -
                                        NA%; seats by party - NA; two seats
                                        were elected to the French National
                                        Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002
                                        (next to be held NA 2007); results -
                                        percent of vote by party - NA%;
                                        seats by party - NA
                                        election results: percent of vote by
                                        party - NA%; seats by party -
                                        People's Rally for the Republic
                                        (Gaullist) 29, Independent Front for
                                        the Liberation of Polynesia 12, The
                                        New Star 7, other 1
                       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: 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 of
                                        Polynesia or RPR (Tahoeraa
                                        Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; The New
                                        Star (Te Fetia Api) [Boris
                                        LEONTIEFF]
          Political pressure groups and NA
                               leaders:
             International organization ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC,
                         participation: WMO
   Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of France)
     Diplomatic representation from the none (overseas territory of France)
                                    US:
                      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 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
  
   Economy French Polynesia
   ------------------------
                    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.
                                        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
                                        substantially benefits from
                                        development agreements with France
                                        aimed principally at creating new
                                        businesses and strengthening social
                                        services.
                                   GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.3
                                        billion (2001 est.)
                GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2001 est.)
                      GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,000
                                        (2001 est.)
           GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 6%
                                        industry: 18%
                                        services: 76% (1997)
         Population below poverty line: NA%
     Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
                      percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
      Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1994)
                           Labor force: 70,000 (1996)
           Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 13%, industry 19%,
                                        services 68% (1997)
                     Unemployment rate: NA%
                                Budget: revenues: $1 billion
                                        expenditures: $900 million,
                                        including capital expenditures of
                                        $185 million (1996)
                            Industries: tourism, pearls, agricultural
                                        processing, handicrafts
     Industrial production growth rate: NA%
              Electricity - production: 408 million kWh (2000)
    Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 53.92%
                                        hydro: 46.08%
                                        other: 0% (2000)
                                        nuclear: 0%
             Electricity - consumption: 379.44 million kWh (2000)
                 Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
                 Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
                Agriculture - products: coconuts, vanilla, vegetables,
                                        fruits; poultry, beef, dairy
                                        products
                               Exports: $205 million (f.o.b., 1999)
                 Exports - commodities: cultured pearls 50%, coconut
                                        products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla,
                                        shark meat (1997)
                    Exports - partners: Japan 62%, US 21% (1999)
                               Imports: $749 million (f.o.b., 1999)
                 Imports - commodities: fuels, foodstuffs, equipment
                    Imports - partners: France 53%, US 13%, Australia 10%
                                        (1999)
                       Debt - external: $NA
              Economic aid - recipient: $367 million (1997)
                              Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique
                                        franc (XPF)
                         Currency code: XPF
                        Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique
                                        francs (XPF) per US dollar - 135.04
                                        (January 2002), 133.26 (2001),
                                        129.44 (2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25
                                        (1998), 106.11 (1997); note - pegged
                                        at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the
                                        euro
                           Fiscal year: calendar year
  
   Communications French Polynesia
   -------------------------------
        Telephones - main lines in use: 52,000 (1997)
          Telephones - mobile cellular: 5,427 (1997)
                      Telephone system: general assessment: NA
                                        domestic: NA
                                        international: satellite earth
                                        station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
              Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998)
                                Radios: 128,000 (1997)
         Television broadcast stations: 7 (plus 17 low-power repeaters)
                                        (1997)
                           Televisions: 40,000 (1997)
                 Internet country code: .pf
     Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
                        Internet users: 5,000 (2000)
  
   Transportation French Polynesia
   -------------------------------
                               Railways: 0 km
                               Highways: total: 792 km
                                         paved: 264 km
                                         unpaved: 528 km (2000)
                              Waterways: none
                      Ports and harbors: Mataura, Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa
                        Merchant marine: total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
                                         totaling 5,240 GRT/7,765 DWT
                                         ships by type: cargo 1, passenger/
                                         cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (2002
                                         est.)
                               Airports: 45 (2001)
          Airports - with paved runways: total: 33
                                         over 3,047 m: 2
                                         1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
                                         914 to 1,523 m: 21
                                         under 914 m: 5 (2001)
        Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 12
                                         914 to 1,523 m: 3
                                         under 914 m: 9 (2001)
  
   Military French Polynesia
   -------------------------
                      Military branches: no regular indigenous military
                                         forces; French Forces (including
                                         Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie
                        Military - note: defense is the responsibility of
                                         France
  
   Transnational Issues French Polynesia
   -------------------------------------
                                              Disputes - international: none
  
                                       



Common Misspellings >
Most Popular Searches: Define Misanthrope, Define Pulchritudinous, Define Happy, Define Veracity, Define Cornucopia, Define Almuerzo, Define Atresic, Define URL, Definitions Of Words, Definition Of Get Up, Definition Of Quid Pro Quo, Definition Of Irreconcilable Differences, Definition Of Word, Synonyms of Repetitive, Synonym Dictionary, Synonym Antonyms. See our main index and map index for more details.

©2011-2024 ZebraWords.com - Define Yourself - The Search for Meanings and Meaning Means I Mean. All content subject to terms and conditions as set out here. Contact Us, peruse our Privacy Policy