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This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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@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. In recent
years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded.

Geography French Polynesia

Location:
Oceania, archipelagoes 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)
land: 3,660 sq km
water: 507 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
2,525 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 0.75%
permanent crops: 5.5%
other: 93.75% (2005)

Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
occasional cyclonic storms in January

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
includes five archipelagoes (4 volcanic, 1 coral); 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:
274,578 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.1% (male 36,541/female 34,999)
15-64 years: 67.9% (male 96,769/female 89,593)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 8,428/female 8,248) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 27.9 years
male: 28.2 years
female: 27.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.48% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
16.68 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
4.69 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
2.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at