Difference between revisions of "French Polynesia" - New World Encyclopedia

*Polynésie française*
*Pōrīnetia Farāni*
French Polynesia
Polynésie française; Pōrīnetia Farāni French Polynesia
	Motto: "Tahiti Nui Māre'are'a"; (Tahitian); "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité"; (French);
	Anthem: La Marseillaise;
Capital	Papeetē; 17°34′S 149°36′W / -17.567, -149.6
Largest city	Fa'a'a
Official languages	French
Ethnic groups	(in 1988, last ethnic census); 66.5% unmixed Polynesians;; 7.1% Polynesians with light European and/or East Asian mixing;; 11.9% Europeans (mostly French);; 9.3% Demis (mixed European and Polynesian descent);; 4.7% East Asians (mostly Chinese)
Demonym	French Polynesian
Government	Dependent territory
Overseas collectivity of France
Area
Population
GDP (nominal)	2009 estimate
Currency	CFP franc (XPF)
Time zone	(UTC-10, −9:30, -9)
Internet TLD	.pf
Calling code	++689

Latest revision as of 10:55, 11 April 2024

French Polynesia, or as it is known in Tahitian language, Porinetia Farani, is a French "overseas country" in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti, in the Society Islands group, also the location of the capital of the territory (Papeete). Tahiti played a role in the late eighteenth century saga of the mutiny on the HMS Bounty. In the late twentieth century, French nuclear testing in the territory sparked international protests. Despite the islands' natural beauty which draw thousands of tourists, economic dependence on France persists as a hurdle to eventual independence.

Geography

French Polynesia is an archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between South America and Australia. It is made up of 118 islands and atolls, the largest and most populated being Tahiti at 400 square miles (1,036 square kilometers), and has a total land area of about 1,610 square miles (4,167 square kilometers).

The island groups are: Austral Islands, Bass Islands, Gambier Islands, the Marquesas Islands, the Society Islands (including Tahiti), and the Tuamotu Archipelago. Aside from Tahiti, major atolls and islands, and island groups in French Polynesia include Bora Bora, Hiva Oa, Huahine, Maiao, Maupiti, Mehetia, Moorea, Nuku Hiva, Raiatea, Tahaa, Tetiaroa, Tubuai, and Tupai. Although not an integral part of its territory, Clipperton Island is administered by French Polynesia.

Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean, the others being Banaba Island in Kiribati and Nauru. The terrain is a mixture of low islands with reefs, and rugged high islands, the highest point being Mont Orohena, at 7,352 feet (2,241 meters).

Climate

French Polynesia has a tropical but moderate climate, with an average temperature of 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius). There is a warm rainy season from November to April, with rainfall amounts peaking in January (13 to 15 inches or about 330 millimeters) and a cool dry season from May to October (the average rainfall for August is less than two inches, or 40 millimeters). The Marquesas Islands are the driest, and the Tubuai Islands are the wettest.

Natural resources include timber, fish, cobalt, and hydropower. Forests and woodland make up 31 percent of land, one percent is arable land, six percent permanent crops, five percent permanent pastures, and 57 percent is classified as “other.”

French Polynesia is located in an area of high seismic activity. Other natural hazards include occasional cyclonic storms in January.

History

William Bligh in 1814, many years after the 1789 mutiny aboard HMS "Bounty

Archaeological evidence suggests that Polynesians from Tonga and Samoa settled the Marquesas Islands around 300 C.E. British explorer Samuel Wallis came upon what is now Tahiti in 1767. French navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville followed soon after, and Captain James Cook visited in 1769. Cook named Tahiti and called its surrounding islands the Society Islands after his sponsor, Britain’s Royal Society.

Tahiti had a part in the saga of the mutiny on the HMS Bounty. Lieutenant William Bligh and the HMS Bounty reached Tahiti in October 1788 to pick up breadfruit plants for the West Indies, in hope that they would grow well and become a cheap source of food for slaves. Bligh and his crew spent five months in Tahiti, then called “Otaheite.” The crew lived ashore to care for the 1,015 potted plants and became entranced by the seductive Tahitian culture and women. Many of the crew had themselves tattooed. Acting Lieutenant Fletcher Christian married a Tahitian woman. It has been said that the pleasurable stay in Tahiti was a factor in the subsequent mutiny aboard the Bounty in 1789 that has been made famous by several books and films. The mutiny was led by Fletcher Christian against Bligh, who was then cast adrift in a small open boat with 18 loyal men.

Members of the London Missionary Society, who arrived in 1797, were the first European settlers. France annexed the islands beginning in the 1840s. The islands' status changed again in 1880, when they became a colony of France. The port town of Papeete grew as the main economic, administrative, and religious center in the early twentieth century. In 1942 the island of Bora-Bora became a refueling station for United States forces during the Second World War.

The colony became an overseas territory of France in 1945. In a plebiscite held in 1958, the islands voted for the status of an overseas territory within the French community. In 1966 France began a nuclear testing program on uninhabited islands in the Tuamotu Archipelago. A push for greater autonomy throughout the 1970s and 1980s gave the territorial government more power.

In the early 1990s, Tahiti’s high prices and international anti-nuclear sentiment caused the tourism industry to decline. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing at Fangataufa atoll after a three-year moratorium. The last test was on January 27, 1996. The French government signed, in March 1996, the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone Treaty, which banned nuclear testing in the region. Widespread unemployment resulted, and France promised to contribute economic aid to help the territory diversify its economy.

Between 2003 and early 2004, the islands were classed as an overseas collectivity of France. However, in 2004, the islands were granted the new designation of “overseas country,” which allows an increased amount of autonomy.

Politics

The politics of French Polynesia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democracy. As a French overseas collectivity, the president of French Polynesia is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. The government exercises executive power. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the 49-member Assembly of French Polynesia. Representatives are elected by universal adult suffrage, and the collectivity is represented in both houses of the French National Assembly. As an overseas territory of France, the French military provides defense and law enforcement.

French Polynesia has five administrative subdivisions: the Society Islands (Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands), the Marquesas Islands, the Austral Islands (including the Bass Islands}, the Tuamotus, and the Gambier Islands.

Economy

Since 1962 when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia changed from a subsistence economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force was either employed by the military or in the tourism industry. By 2006 French Polynesia had a moderately developed economy, which is dependent on imported goods, tourism, and financial assistance from mainland France. Tourist facilities are well developed on the major islands. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. Also, as the noni fruit from these islands is used increasingly for its medicinal benefits, people have been able to find jobs related to this agricultural industry. The legal tender currency of French Polynesia is the CFP franc.

French Polynesia’s per capita GDP was U.S. $17,500 in 2003. The territory received U.S. $367 million in economic aid in 1997. Agriculture products included coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, poultry, beef, and dairy products. Additionally, in the mid-1990s, French Polynesia was producing more than 95 percent of the world’s supply of cultured pearls.

Exports totaled U.S. $211 million in 2004. Export commodities included cultured pearls (50 percent), coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, and shark meat. Export partners are France (45.8 percent), Japan (20.6 percent), Niger (13.2 percent), and the United States (12.4 percent).

Imports totaled U.S. $1.7 billion in 2005. Import commodities included fuels, foodstuffs, and equipment. Import partners are France (51.9 percent), Singapore (14.7 percent), New Zealand (0.5 percent), and the United States (6.5 percent).

While most major roads are paved and well maintained, many secondary roads are not. Traffic is brisk and all types of vehicles and pedestrians jockey for space on narrow streets.

Demographics

Total population at the 2005 census was 270,485 inhabitants, 83 percent of whom are Polynesian, local French six percent, metropolitan French four percent, other Europeans two percent, East Asian (mainly Chinese) five percent. In 2002, 69 percent of the population of French Polynesia lived on the island of Tahiti. The urban area of Papeete, the capital city, had 127,635 inhabitants.

French Polynesia is a Christian territory. Fifty four percent are Protestant, 30 percent Roman Catholic, and 16 percent are listed as “other.”

French and Tahitian are the official languages. Other languages with generally local status are Marquesan, Puka-Pukan, Tuamotuan, Mangarevan, Tubuaian, and Rapan.

Literacy rates are high, as 98 percent aged 14 and over can read and write. France provides education. The University of French Polynesia, a small university of around two thousand students, is located in Faa'a, Tahiti.

Culture

Map of French Polynesia, from the library of UTX

The Christian missionaries tried to wipe out traditional Polynesian culture by leveling temples, destroying carvings, and banning tattoos and heady, erotic dancing. But some traditional ways survived, and in the late twentieth century there was a strong push to rediscover traditional arts.

Renowned French painter Paul Gauguin, who left his family and immigrated to Tahiti in 1891, created many images of traditional Polynesian culture. Disappointed to find that the influence of missionaries and colonization had already changed the islands' way of life, he resolved to re-create it through paintings, woodcarvings, and other artworks. He returned to France briefly, but lived out his years in the Marquesas, dying in 1903.

Traditional musical instruments include pahu and toere drums and the curious nose flute called a vivo. Guitars and ukuleles made their way into Polynesia and the locals developed a unique song style that owes much to country and western music in form but has a distinctive South Pacific island groove. Customary dancing (“tamure”) has slowly returned, but the art of making tapa (bark paper and cloth), has all but disappeared.

Tattooing is an integral part of the Tahitian culture. The western word “tattoo” is taken from the Tahiti word tatau meaning open wound. A tattoo represents a girl's sexual maturity, tribe rank and other social symbols. Tahitian woman would traditionally tattoo their loins and buttocks deep blue. A traditional tattoo is made from a bone containing between three and 20 needles. The needles are then dipped in a pigment made from soot of burnt candlenut mixed with water and oil. The needle is tapped against the skin with a wooden stick causing the skin to be punctured. This practice was banned in 1986 but traditional artists developed a machine constructed from an electric shaver to avoid risk of disease and this practice is in place today. Designs used in the tattoos were often the same as wood- carving, decorated gourds and painted barkcloth. Each tribe would have its own design or body placement of familiar motif, like the Maori tribes' spiral pattern of a tree fern, unique in the Pacific. Tattoos are ancestral and tribespeople do not like to parade their tattoos to outsiders. A higher-ranking individual would have more tattoos that an ordinary tribesman.

Dress standards in French Polynesia are relaxed, even in the classiest restaurants, and beachwear is often just from the waist down. Church is serious and Sunday is the day of worship, fully clothed.

The Polynesian concept of family is broader than in the west—cousins, uncles, and aunts make up the family, known as fetii. The family might also have adopted children, “faaamu, and children are commonly entrusted to relatives or childless women.

French Polynesia has a unique culinary tradition, with old South Pacific cooking methods combining with French, Italian and Chinese cuisine. This appears in restaurants and in the cheap roadside mobile snack bars, les roulottes. Food is cooked in traditional pit ovens common throughout the Pacific. A hole is dug in the ground, stones are placed within it and then a fire is lit to heat the stones. The food, wrapped in banana leaves, is placed on top, and then the hole is filled in again with earth. The baking process takes several hours. In French Polynesia this kind of oven is called an ahimaa, and the feast is called a tamaaraa.

On Tahiti, Papeete is a cosmopolitan city with a strong western influence. Residents enjoy French cuisine. Food, most clothing and other goods are imported, largely from France. The cost of living in Papeete and other urban areas on Tahiti is high, by Pacific Island standards. The lifestyle is much slower on more remote islands, with more subsistence activities.

French national holidays are celebrated. Canoe racing and other water sports are popular. Tahitian music and dances have enthusiastic audiences.

French Polynesia has one of the lowest crime rates within France and its territories. However, petty crime, such as pocket picking and purse snatching, occurs.

Notes

↑ Alexandrine Brami Celentano, Frontières ethniques et redéfinition du cadre politique à Tahiti HERMÈS 32-33 (2002): 367-375. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
↑ (French) Institut Statistique de Polynésie Française (ISPF). Bilan, principaux indicateurs et estimations de population (Ensemble Polynésie). Retrieved January 20, 2012.
↑ (French) Institut Statistique de Polynésie Française (ISPF). Population légale au 20 août 2007. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 UN Data, French Polynesia Country Profile. Retrieved January 20, 2012.

External links

All links retrieved April 11, 2024.

Countries and territories of Oceania
	Australia : Australia · Norfolk Island
	Melanesia : East Timor · Fiji · Maluku Islands & Western New Guinea (part of Indonesia) · New Caledonia · Papua New Guinea · Solomon Islands · Vanuatu
	Micronesia : Guam · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Northern Mariana Islands · Federated States of Micronesia · Nauru · Palau · Wake Island
	Polynesia : American Samoa · Cook Islands · French Polynesia · Hawaii · New Zealand · Niue · Pitcairn Islands · Samoa · Tokelau · Tonga · Tuvalu · Wallis and Futuna

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

French Polynesia ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

History of "French Polynesia"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.

[ethnicities-1] Alexandrine Brami Celentano, Frontières ethniques et redéfinition du cadre politique à Tahiti HERMÈS 32-33 (2002): 367-375. Retrieved January 20, 2012.

[population-2] (French) Institut Statistique de Polynésie Française (ISPF). Bilan, principaux indicateurs et estimations de population (Ensemble Polynésie). Retrieved January 20, 2012.

[census-3] (French) Institut Statistique de Polynésie Française (ISPF). Population légale au 20 août 2007. Retrieved January 20, 2012.

[GDP-4] 4.0 ^4.1 UN Data, French Polynesia Country Profile. Retrieved January 20, 2012.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Infobox_Country
+{{Ebapproved}}{{Copyedited}}{{Paid}}{{Approved}}{{Images OK}}{{Submitted}}
-|native_name = Polynésie française<br>Porinetia Farani
+{{Infobox Country
-|common_name = French Polynesia
+|native_name       = {{native name|fr|Polynésie française}}<br/>{{native name|ty|Pōrīnetia Farāni}}
-|image_flag = Flag of French Polynesia.svg
+|conventional_long_name = French Polynesia
-|image_coat = French Polynesia COA.png
+|common_name       = French Polynesia
-|image_map = Frenchpolynesia location map.JPG
+|demonym            = French Polynesian
-|national_motto = Tahiti Nui Mare'are'a
+|image_flag         = Flag of French Polynesia.svg
-|national_anthem = [[La Marseillaise]]
+|flag_caption      = Overseas collectivity flag
-|official_languages = [[French language|French]], [[Tahitian language|Tahitian]]
+|image_coat         = French Polynesia COA.png
-|capital = [[Papeete]]
+|image_map         = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg
-|latd= |latm= |latNS= |longd= |longm= |longEW= <!-- needs to be filled in —>
+|national_motto     = <span style="line-height:1.25em;">''"Tahiti Nui Māre'are'a"<br/><small>([[Tahitian language|Tahitian]])<br/>''</span>''"[[Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité]]"<br/><small>([[French language|French]])<br/>''</span>
-|largest_city = [[Papeete]]
+|national_anthem   = ''[[La Marseillaise]]''
-|government_type = [[Dependent territory]]
+|official_languages = French
-|leader_title1 = [[President of French Polynesia|President of F.P.]]
+|capital            = [[Papeete|Papeetē]]
-|leader_name1 = [[Oscar Temaru]]
+|ethnic_groups      = (in 1988, last ethnic census)<ref name=ethnicities>Alexandrine Brami Celentano, [http://documents.irevues.inist.fr/bitstream/2042/14394/1/HERMES_2002_32-33_367.pdf Frontières ethniques et redéfinition du cadre politique à Tahiti] ''HERMÈS'' 32-33 (2002): 367-375. Retrieved January 20, 2012.</ref><br />66.5% unmixed [[Polynesians]];<br />7.1% Polynesians with light European and/or East Asian mixing;<br />11.9% [[European ethnic groups|Europeans]] (mostly French);<br />9.3% Demis (mixed European and Polynesian descent);<br />4.7% East Asians (mostly [[Overseas Chinese|Chinese]])
-|area_rank = ~164th
+|latd=  17|latm= 34|latNS= S|longd=  149|longm= 36|longEW= W
-|area_magnitude = 1 E9
+|largest_city       = [[Faaa|Fa'a'a]]
-|area= 4,167
+|government_type   = [[Dependent territory]]
-|areami²= 1,609 <!-- Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]] —>
+|leader_title1     = [[President of France]]
-|percent_water = 12
+|leader_name1      = [[Nicolas Sarkozy]]
-|population_estimate =  260,338 <!--UNCDB Series 13660 (medium fertility variant)—>
+|leader_title2      = [[President of French Polynesia|President<br/>of French Polynesia]]
-|population_estimate_rank = 180th
+|leader_name2      = <br/>[[Oscar Temaru]]
-|population_estimate_year = July 2006
+|leader_title3      = [[Colonial and Departmental Heads of French Polynesia|High Commissioner]]
-|population_census = 245,405
+|leader_name3      = <br/>[[Richard Didier]]
-|population_census_year = November 2002
+|area_rank         = 173rd
-|population_density = 65
+|area_magnitude     = 1 E9
-|population_densitymi² = 168 <!-- Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]] —>
+|area_km2          = 4,167
-|population_density_rank = ~104th
+|area_sq_mi        = 1,609 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]—>
-|GDP_PPP =  $4.58 billion
+|percent_water     = 12
-|GDP_PPP_rank = 162nd
+|population_estimate       = 267,000<ref name="population">{{fr icon}} {{cite web |url=http://www.ispf.pf/ISPF/EnqRep/DemoEtatCivil/bilan.aspx|title=Bilan, principaux indicateurs et estimations de population (Ensemble Polynésie)|author=Institut Statistique de Polynésie Française (ISPF)|accessdate=January 20, 2012}}</ref>
-|GDP_PPP_year= 2003
+|population_estimate_rank   = 177th
-|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $17,500 (2003 est.)
+|population_estimate_year   = Jan.&nbsp;1,&nbsp;2010
-|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 59th
+|population_census       = 259,596<ref name="census">{{fr icon}} {{cite web |url=http://www.ispf.pf/ISPF/EnqRep/Recensement/Recens2007/Popleg.aspx|title=Population légale au 20 août 2007|author=Institut Statistique de Polynésie Française (ISPF)|accessdate=January 20, 2012}}</ref>
-|sovereignty_type = Overseas territory
+|population_census_rank  = 177th
-|established_event1 =  Bastille Day
+|population_census_year   = Aug.&nbsp;2007
-|established_date1 = [[14 July]] [[1789]]
+|population_density_km2  = 63
-|HDI = n/a
+|population_density_sq_m  = 164 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]—>
-|HDI_rank = n/a
+|population_density_rank  = 130th
-|HDI_year = n/a
+|GDP_nominal        = US$4.535&nbsp;billion<ref name="GDP">UN Data, [http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=French%20Polynesia French Polynesia] Country Profile. Retrieved January 20, 2012.</ref>
-|HDI_category = n/a
+|GDP_nominal_rank  = <small>not&nbsp;ranked</small>
-|currency = [[CFP franc]]
+|GDP_nominal_year  = 2009
-|currency_code = XPF
+|GDP_nominal_per_capita = US$16,857.6<ref name=GDP />
-|country_code =
+|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = <small>not&nbsp;ranked</small>
-|time_zone =
+|sovereignty_type   = [[Overseas collectivity|Overseas collectivity of France]]
-|utc_offset = -10
+|established_event1 = [[Protectorate]]
-|time_zone_DST =
+|established_date1  = 1842
-|utc_offset_DST =
+|established_event2 = [[Overseas territory (France)|Overseas territory]]
-|cctld = [[.pf]]
+|established_date2  = 1946
-|calling_code = 689
+|established_event3 = {{nowrap|[[Overseas collectivity]]}}
-|footnotes =
+|established_date3  = 2004
+|HDI               = n/a
+|HDI_rank           = n/a
+|HDI_year           = n/a
+|HDI_category       = n/a
+|currency           = [[CFP franc]]
+|currency_code     = XPF
+|country_code       =
+|time_zone         =
+|utc_offset         = -10, −9:30, -9
+|time_zone_DST     =
+|utc_offset_DST     =
+|drives_on          = right
+|cctld             = [[.pf]]
+|calling_code       = +689
 }}
-'''French Polynesia''' ([[French language|French]]: ''Polynésie française'', [[Tahitian language|Tahitian]]: ''Porinetia Farani'') is a [[France|French]] "overseas collectivity" ([[French language|French]]: ''[[collectivité d'outre-mer]]'', or COM) with the particular designation of "overseas country" ([[French language|French]]: ''[[pays d'outre-mer]]'', or ''POM'') in the southern [[Pacific Ocean]]. It is made up of several groups of [[Polynesia]]n [[island]]s, the most famous island being [[Tahiti]] in the [[Society Islands]] group, which is also the most populous island, and the seat of the capital of the territory ([[Papeete]]).  Although not an integral part of its territory, [[Clipperton Island]] is administered from French Polynesia.
-==Administration==
+'''French Polynesia''', or as it is known in Tahitian language, ''Porinetia Farani'', is a [[France|French]] "overseas country" in the southern [[Pacific Ocean]]. It is made up of several groups of [[Polynesia]]n islands, the most famous island being [[Tahiti]], in the Society Islands group, also the location of the capital of the territory (Papeete). Tahiti played a role in the late eighteenth century saga of the mutiny on the HMS ''Bounty''. In the late twentieth century, French nuclear testing in the territory sparked international protests. Despite the islands' natural beauty which draw thousands of [[tourism|tourists]], economic dependence on France persists as a hurdle to eventual independence.
-Between [[1946]] and [[2003]], French Polynesia had the status of an overseas territory ([[French language|French]]: ''[[territoire d'outre-mer]]'', or ''TOM''). In [[2003]] it became an overseas collectivity ([[French language|French]]: ''[[collectivité d'outre-mer]]'', or COM). Its statutory law of [[27 February]] [[2004]] gives it the particular designation of "overseas country" to underline the large autonomy of the territory.
+{{toc}}
+==Geography==
+French Polynesia is an archipelago located in the South [[Pacific Ocean]], about half way between [[South America]] and [[Australia]]. It is made up of 118 islands and atolls, the largest and most populated being Tahiti at 400 square miles (1,036 square kilometers), and has a total land area of about 1,610 square miles (4,167 square kilometers).
+The island groups are: Austral Islands, Bass Islands, Gambier Islands, the Marquesas Islands, the Society Islands (including Tahiti), and the Tuamotu Archipelago. Aside from Tahiti, major atolls and islands, and island groups in French Polynesia include Bora Bora, Hiva Oa, Huahine, Maiao, Maupiti, Mehetia, Moorea, Nuku Hiva, Raiatea, Tahaa, Tetiaroa, Tubuai, and Tupai. Although not an integral part of its territory, Clipperton Island is administered by French Polynesia.
+Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great [[phosphate]] rock islands in the Pacific Ocean, the others being Banaba Island in [[Kiribati]] and [[Nauru]]. The terrain is a mixture of low islands with reefs, and rugged high islands, the highest point being Mont Orohena, at 7,352 feet (2,241 meters).
+==Climate==
+French Polynesia has a tropical but moderate climate, with an average temperature of 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius). There is a warm rainy season from November to April, with rainfall amounts peaking in January (13 to 15 inches or about 330 millimeters) and a cool dry season from May to October (the average rainfall for August is less than two inches, or 40 millimeters). The Marquesas Islands are the driest, and the Tubuai Islands are the wettest.
+Natural resources include timber, [[fish]], cobalt, and hydropower. Forests and woodland make up 31 percent of land, one percent is arable land, six percent permanent crops, five percent permanent pastures, and 57 percent is classified as “other.”
+French Polynesia is located in an area of high seismic activity. Other natural hazards include occasional cyclonic storms in January.
 ==History==
-France annexed various Polynesian island groups during the nineteenth century.
+[[Image:WilliamBligh.jpeg|frame|200px|left|[[William Bligh]] in 1814, many years after the 1789 mutiny aboard HMS "Bounty'']]
+Archaeological evidence suggests that Polynesians from Tonga and Samoa settled the Marquesas Islands around 300 <small>C.E.</small> British explorer Samuel Wallis came upon what is now Tahiti in 1767. French navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville followed soon after, and Captain James Cook visited in 1769. Cook named Tahiti and called its surrounding islands the Society Islands after his sponsor, Britain’s Royal Society.
-French Polynesia is located in an area of high seismic activity. In September [[1995]], France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing at [[Fangataufa]] atoll after a three-year [[moratorium]]. The last test was on January 27th, 1996.  On January 29th, 1996, France announced it would accede to the [[Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty]], and no longer test nuclear weapons.
+Tahiti had a part in the saga of the mutiny on the HMS ''Bounty''. Lieutenant William Bligh and the HMS ''Bounty'' reached Tahiti in October 1788 to pick up breadfruit plants for the West Indies, in hope that they would grow well and become a cheap source of food for slaves. Bligh and his crew spent five months in [[Tahiti]], then called “Otaheite.” The crew lived ashore to care for the 1,015 potted plants and became entranced by the seductive Tahitian culture and women. Many of the crew had themselves tattooed. Acting Lieutenant Fletcher Christian married a Tahitian woman. It has been said that the pleasurable stay in Tahiti was a factor in the subsequent mutiny aboard the ''Bounty'' in 1789 that has been made famous by several books and films. The mutiny was led by Fletcher Christian against Bligh, who was then cast adrift in a small open boat with 18 loyal men.
+Members of the London Missionary Society, who arrived in 1797, were the first European settlers. France annexed the islands beginning in the 1840s. The islands' status changed again in 1880, when they became a colony of France. The port town of Papeete grew as the main economic, administrative, and religious center in the early twentieth century. In 1942 the island of Bora-Bora became a refueling station for [[United States]] forces during the [[World War II|Second World War]].
+The colony became an overseas territory of France in 1945. In a plebiscite held in 1958, the islands voted for the status of an overseas territory within the French community. In 1966 France began a nuclear testing program on uninhabited islands in the Tuamotu Archipelago. A push for greater autonomy throughout the 1970s and 1980s gave the territorial government more power.
+In the early 1990s, Tahiti’s high prices and international anti-nuclear sentiment caused the tourism industry to decline. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming [[nuclear weapon|nuclear]] testing at Fangataufa atoll after a three-year moratorium. The last test was on January 27, 1996. The French government signed, in March 1996, the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone Treaty, which banned nuclear testing in the region. Widespread unemployment resulted, and France promised to contribute economic aid to help the territory diversify its economy.
+Between 2003 and early 2004, the islands were classed as an overseas collectivity of France. However, in 2004, the islands were granted the new designation of “overseas country,” which allows an increased amount of autonomy.
 ==Politics==
-<!--Please add new information into relevant articles of the series—>
-{{more|country=French Polynesia}}
-Politics of [[French Polynesia]] takes place in a framework of a [[parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[representative democracy|representative democratic]] French [[collectivité d'outre-mer|overseas collectivity]], whereby the President of French Polynesia is the [[head of government]], and of a pluriform multi-party system. [[Executive power]] is exercised by the government. [[Legislative power]] is vested in both the [[government]] and the[[Assembly of French Polynesia]].
-Between [[1946]] and [[2003]], French Polynesia had the status of an overseas territory.([[French language|French]]: ''[[territoire d'outre-mer]]'', or ''TOM''). In [[2003]] it became an overseas collectivity ([[French language|French]]: ''[[collectivité d'outre-mer]]'', or COM). Its statutory law of [[27 February]] [[2004]] gives it the particular designation of "overseas country" to underline the large autonomy of the territory.
-==Administrative divisions==
+The politics of French Polynesia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative [[democracy]]. As a French overseas collectivity, the president of French Polynesia is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. The government exercises executive power. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the 49-member Assembly of French Polynesia. Representatives are elected by universal adult suffrage, and the collectivity is represented in both houses of the French National Assembly. As an overseas territory of France, the French military provides defense and [[law enforcement]].
-{{main|Administrative divisions of French Polynesia}}
-French Polynesia has 5 administrative subdivisions ([[French language|French]]: ''subdivisions administratives''):
-* [[Windward Islands (Society Islands)|Windward Islands]] ([[French language|French]]: ''(les) Îles du Vent'' or officially ''la subdivision administrative des Îles du Vent'') (the two ''subdivisions administratives'' [[Windward Islands (Society Islands)|Windward Islands]] and [[Leeward Islands (Society Islands)|Leeward Islands]] are part of the [[Society Islands]])
+French Polynesia has five administrative subdivisions: the Society Islands (Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands), the Marquesas Islands, the Austral Islands (including the Bass Islands}, the Tuamotus, and the Gambier Islands.
-* [[Leeward Islands (Society Islands)|Leeward Islands]] ([[French language|French]]: ''(les) Îles Sous-le-Vent'' or officially ''la subdivision administrative des Îles Sous-le-Vent'') (the two ''subdivisions administratives'' [[Windward Islands (Society Islands)|Windward Islands]] and [[Leeward Islands (Society Islands)|Leeward Islands]] are part of the [[Society Islands]])
-* [[Marquesas Islands]] ([[French language|French]]: ''(les) (Îles) Marquises'' or officially ''la subdivision administrative des (Îles) Marquises'')
-* [[Austral Islands]] ([[French language|French]]: ''(les) (Îles) Australes'' or officially ''la subdivision administrative des (Îles) Australes'') (including the [[Bass Islands (French Polynesia)|Bass Islands]])
-* [[Îles Tuamotu-Gambier|Tuamotu-Gambier]] ([[French language|French]]: ''(les) (Îles) Tuamotu-Gambier'' or officially ''la subdivision administrative des (Îles) Tuamotu-Gambier'') (the [[Tuamotus]] and the [[Gambier Islands]])
+==Economy==
+Since 1962 when [[France]] stationed military personnel in the region, [[French Polynesia]] changed from a subsistence economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force was either employed by the military or in the tourism industry. By 2006 French Polynesia had a moderately developed economy, which is dependent on imported goods, tourism, and financial assistance from mainland France. Tourist facilities are well developed on the major islands. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. Also, as the noni [[fruit]] from these islands is used increasingly for its medicinal benefits, people have been able to find jobs related to this agricultural industry. The legal tender currency of French Polynesia is the CFP franc.
-[[Image:French Polynesia map.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Map of French Polynesia, from the library of UTX]]
+French Polynesia’s per capita GDP was U.S. $17,500 in 2003. The territory received U.S. $367 million in economic aid in 1997. Agriculture products included coconuts, vanilla, [[vegetable|vegetables]], fruits, poultry, beef, and dairy products. Additionally, in the mid-1990s, French Polynesia was producing more than 95 percent of the world’s supply of cultured [[pearl|pearls]].
-==Geography==
+Exports totaled U.S. $211 million in 2004. Export commodities included cultured pearls (50 percent), coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, and [[shark]] meat. Export partners are [[France]] (45.8 percent), [[Japan]] (20.6 percent), [[Niger]] (13.2 percent), and the [[United States]] (12.4 percent).
-''Main article: [[Geography of French Polynesia]]''
-The islands of French Polynesia have a total land area of 4,167 [[square kilometre]]s <!-- Formated per WP:MOSNUM —>(1,622&nbsp;[[square mile|sq.&nbsp;mi]]) scattered over 2,500,000 square kilometres (965,255&nbsp;sq.&nbsp;mi) of ocean.
+Imports totaled U.S. $1.7 billion in 2005. Import commodities included fuels, foodstuffs, and equipment. Import partners are France (51.9 percent), [[Singapore]] (14.7 percent), [[New Zealand]] (0.5 percent), and the United States (6.5 percent).
-It is made up of several groups of islands, the largest and most populated of which is [[Tahiti]].
+While most major roads are paved and well maintained, many secondary roads are not. Traffic is brisk and all types of vehicles and pedestrians jockey for space on narrow streets.
-The island groups are:
+==Demographics==
-*[[Austral Islands]]
-*[[Bass Islands (French Polynesia)|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|Tuamotu Archipelago]]
-Aside from Tahiti, important [[atoll]]s and islands, and island groups in French Polynesia include [[Bora Bora]], [[Hiva Oa|Hiva `Oa]], [[Huahine]], [[Maiao]], [[Maupiti]], [[Mehetia]], [[Moorea]], [[Nuku Hiva]], [[Raiatea]], [[Tahaa]], [[Tetiaroa]], [[Tubuai (Austral Islands)|Tubuai]], and [[Tupai]].
+Total population at the 2005 census was 270,485 inhabitants, 83 percent of whom are Polynesian, local French six percent, metropolitan French four percent, other Europeans two percent, East Asian (mainly Chinese) five percent. In 2002, 69 percent of the population of French Polynesia lived on the island of [[Tahiti]]. The urban area of Papeete, the capital city, had 127,635 inhabitants.
-==Economy==
+French Polynesia is a Christian territory. Fifty four percent are Protestant, 30 percent Roman Catholic, and 16 percent are listed as “other.”
-''Main article: [[Economy of French Polynesia]]''
-French Polynesia has a moderately developed economy, which is dependent on imported goods, tourism, and the financial assistance of mainland France. Tourist facilities are well developed and are available on the major islands.Also, as the noni fruit from these islands is discovered for its medicinal uses, people have been able to find jobs related to this agricultural industry.
+French and Tahitian are the official languages. Other languages with generally local status are Marquesan, Puka-Pukan, Tuamotuan, Mangarevan, Tubuaian, and Rapan.
-The legal tender currency of French Polynesia is the [[CFP franc]]; many merchants have been reported to accept other currencies very readily, but many tourists have been disappointed and inconvenienced through assuming they can use US dollars, etc. Few merchants actually wish to bother to calculate the current exchange rate and then make the foreign exchange at a bank.
+Literacy rates are high, as 98 percent aged 14 and over can read and write. France provides education. The University of French Polynesia, a small [[university]] of around two thousand students, is located in Faa'a, Tahiti.
-Agriculture: cocanuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits.
+==Culture==
+[[Image:French Polynesia map.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Map of French Polynesia, from the library of UTX]]
+The Christian missionaries tried to wipe out traditional Polynesian culture by leveling temples, destroying carvings, and banning tattoos and heady, erotic dancing. But some traditional ways survived, and in the late twentieth century there was a strong push to rediscover traditional arts.
-Natural Resources: timber, fish, cobalt.
+Renowned French painter [[Paul Gauguin]], who left his family and immigrated to Tahiti in 1891, created many images of traditional Polynesian culture. Disappointed to find that the influence of missionaries and colonization had already changed the islands' way of life, he resolved to re-create it through paintings, woodcarvings, and other artworks. He returned to France briefly, but lived out his years in the Marquesas, dying in 1903.
-==Demographics==
+Traditional musical instruments include ''pahu'' and ''toere'' drums and the curious nose flute called a ''vivo''. Guitars and ukuleles made their way into Polynesia and the locals developed a unique song style that owes much to country and western music in form but has a distinctive South Pacific island groove. Customary dancing (“tamure”) has slowly returned, but the art of making ''tapa'' (bark paper and cloth), has all but disappeared.
-''Main article: [[Demographics of French Polynesia]]''
-Total population at the 2002 census was 245,405 inhabitants, 83% of whom are Polynesian, 12% Caucasian, and 5% Eastern Asian (mainly [[Overseas Chinese|Chinese]]). In 2002, 69% of the population of French Polynesia lived in the island of [[Tahiti]] alone. The urban area of [[Papeete]], the capital city, has 127,635 inhabitants (2002 census).
+[[Tattoo]]ing is an integral part of the Tahitian culture. The western word “tattoo” is taken from the Tahiti word ''tatau'' meaning open wound. A tattoo represents a girl's sexual maturity, tribe rank and other social symbols. Tahitian woman would traditionally tattoo their loins and buttocks deep blue. A traditional tattoo is made from a bone containing between three and 20 needles. The needles are then dipped in a pigment made from soot of burnt candlenut mixed with water and oil. The needle is tapped against the skin with a wooden stick causing the skin to be punctured. This practice was banned in 1986 but traditional artists developed a machine constructed from an electric shaver to avoid risk of disease and this practice is in place today. Designs used in the tattoos were often the same as wood- carving, decorated gourds and painted barkcloth. Each tribe would have its own design or body placement of familiar motif, like the Maori tribes' spiral pattern of a tree fern, unique in the Pacific. Tattoos are ancestral and tribespeople do not like to parade their tattoos to outsiders. A higher-ranking individual would have more tattoos that an ordinary tribesman.
-==Transport==
+Dress standards in French Polynesia are relaxed, even in the classiest restaurants, and beachwear is often just from the waist down. Church is serious and Sunday is the day of worship, fully clothed.
-''Main article: [[Transportation in French Polynesia]]''
-While most major roads are paved and well-maintained, many secondary roads are not. Traffic is brisk and all types of vehicles and pedestrians jockey for space on narrow streets. Crosswalks are marked and the law requires that motor vehicles stop for pedestrians; however, this is not always done. Tourists should exercise caution when driving, particularly at night.
+The Polynesian concept of family is broader than in the west—cousins, uncles, and aunts make up the family, known as ''fetii''. The family might also have adopted children, “faaamu'', and children are commonly entrusted to relatives or childless women.
-==Education==
+French Polynesia has a unique culinary tradition, with old South Pacific cooking methods combining with French, Italian and Chinese cuisine. This appears in restaurants and in the cheap roadside mobile snack bars, ''les roulottes''. Food is cooked in traditional pit ovens common throughout the Pacific. A hole is dug in the ground, stones are placed within it and then a fire is lit to heat the stones. The food, wrapped in banana leaves, is placed on top, and then the hole is filled in again with earth. The baking process takes several hours. In French Polynesia this kind of oven is called an ''ahimaa'', and the feast is called a ''tamaaraa''.
-Education is also provided by France. French Polynesia has a University, the [[Université de la Polynésie Française]] (UPF, "University of French Polynesia"), located in [[Faa'a]], Tahiti.
-It is a small university counting around 2,000 students.
-Luise Peltzer, former minister of culture of French Polynesia has been elected president of the University for 5 years. There are about 60 researchers at the university, including physicists Pascal Ortega  (lightning studies) and Alessio Guarino  ([[nonlinear]] physics). In the Human Sciences department, sociologist [[Laura Schuft]] deserves to be mentioned for her study on the integration of [[Metropolitan France|mainland French]] workers in Tahiti.
-==Miscellaneous topics==
+On Tahiti, Papeete is a cosmopolitan city with a strong western influence. Residents enjoy French cuisine. Food, most clothing and other goods are imported, largely from France. The cost of living in Papeete and other urban areas on Tahiti is high, by Pacific Island standards. The lifestyle is much slower on more remote islands, with more subsistence activities.
-French Polynesia has one of the lowest crime rates within France and its territories. However, petty crime, such as pickpocketing and purse snatching, occurs.
-Medical treatment is generally good on the major islands, but is limited in areas that are more remote or less populated. Patients with emergencies or with serious illnesses are often referred to facilities on Tahiti for treatment. In [[Papeete]], the capital of Tahiti, two major hospitals as well as several private clinics provide 24-hour medical service. Serious medical problems requiring hospitalization or medical evacuation can cost thousands of dollars. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services.
+French national holidays are celebrated. Canoe racing and other water sports are popular. Tahitian music and dances have enthusiastic audiences.
-As an overseas territory of France, defence and law-enforcement are provided by the [[Military of France|French Forces]] (Army, Navy, Air Force) and [[French Gendarmerie|Gendarmerie]].
+French Polynesia has one of the lowest crime rates within France and its territories. However, petty crime, such as pocket picking and purse snatching, occurs.
-==See also==
+==Notes==
-* [[Communications in French Polynesia]]
+<references/>
-* [[Universite de la Polynesie Francaise]], University of French Polynesia
-* [[French overseas departments and territories]]
-* [[Administrative divisions of France]]
-* [[Islands controlled by France in the Indian and Pacific oceans]]
-* [[Music of French Polynesia]]
-* [[Conseil du Scoutisme polynésien]]
 ==External links==
-{{sisterlinks}}
+All links retrieved April 11, 2024.
-* [http://www.southpacific.org/text/finding_tahiti.html Finding French Polynesia]
 * [http://www.janeresture.com/tahitihome/tahiti.htm Jane's Tahiti Home Page: tourist information on French Polynesia]
-* [http://www.pacific-pictures.com/tahiti/ French Polynesia Photos]
-* [http://www.mapsouthpacific.com/tahiti/index.html Map of French Polynesia]
-* [http://www.polynesie-francaise.gouv.fr/ Government of French Polynesia]
 * [http://www.presidence.pf/ Presidency of French Polynesia]
 * [http://www.upf.pf University of French Polynesia]
-* [http://www.polynesie-francaise.gouv.fr/hc/inter/inter-subdiv.asp ''subdivisions administratives'' of French Polynesia]
-{{Overseas french departements}}
-{{Polynesia}}
 {{Oceania}}
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