runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2001)

Military Faroe Islands

Military branches: no regular indigenous military forces; small Police
Force and Coast Guard are maintained

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Denmark

Transnational Issues Faroe Islands

Disputes - international: Faroese are considering proposals for
full independence; Denmark dispute with Iceland over the Faroe Islands
fisheries median line boundary of 200 NM; Denmark disputes with Iceland,
the UK, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary
outside 200 NM

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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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.

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: 507 sq km land: 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: 2% permanent crops: 6% other: 92% (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