French Polynesia
French Polynesia (/ˌpɒlɪˈniːʒə/ ⓘ POL-in-EE-zhə; French: Polynésie française [pɔlinezi fʁɑ̃sɛːz]; Tahitian: Pōrīnetia Farāni) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) in the South Pacific Ocean. The total land area of French Polynesia is 3,521 square kilometres (1,359 sq mi), with a population of 278,786 (Aug. 2022 census) of which at least 205,000 live in the Society Islands and the remaining population lives in the rest of the archipelago.
French Polynesia | |
|---|---|
| Motto: | |
| Anthem: La Marseillaise ("The Marseillaise") | |
| Regional anthem: "Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" | |
Location of French Polynesia (circled in red) | |
| Sovereign state | France |
| Protectorate proclaimed | 9 September 1842 |
| Territorial status | 27 October 1946 |
| Collectivity status | 28 March 2003 |
| Country status (nominal title) | 27 February 2004 |
| Capital | Papeete 17°34′S 149°36′W |
| Largest city | Fa'a'ā |
| Official languages | French |
| Recognised regional languages | |
| Ethnic groups (1988) | 66.5% unmixed Polynesians 7.1% mixed Polynesians 9.3% Demis 11.9% Europeans 4.7% East Asians |
| Demonym(s) | French Polynesian |
| Government | Devolved parliamentary dependency |
| Emmanuel Macron | |
| Dominique Sorain | |
| Moetai Brotherson | |
| Legislature | Assembly of French Polynesia |
| French Parliament | |
• Senate | 2 senators (of 348) |
| 3 seats (of 577) | |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,167 km2 (1,609 sq mi) |
• Land | 3,521.2 km2 (1,359.5 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | 12 |
| Population | |
• Aug. 2022 census | 278,786 (175th) |
• Density | 79/km2 (204.6/sq mi) (130th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2019 estimate |
• Total | US$6.01 billion |
• Per capita | US$21,615 |
| Currency | CFP franc (₣) (XPF) |
| Time zone | |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
| Mains electricity |
|
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +689 |
| ISO 3166 code | |
| Internet TLD | .pf |
French Polynesia is divided into five groups of islands:
- the Society Islands archipelago, comprising the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands
- the Tuamotu Archipelago
- the Gambier Islands
- the Marquesas Islands
- the Austral Islands.
Among its 121 islands and atolls, 75 were inhabited at the 2017 census. Tahiti, which is in the Society Islands group, is the most populous island, being home to nearly 69% of the population of French Polynesia as of 2017. Papeete, located on Tahiti, is the capital of French Polynesia. Although not an integral part of its territory, Clipperton Island was administered from French Polynesia until 2007.
Hundreds of years after the Great Polynesian Migration, European explorers began traveling through the region, visiting the islands of French Polynesia on several occasions. Traders and whaling ships also visited. In 1842, the French took over the islands and established a French protectorate that they called Établissements français d'Océanie (EFO) (French Establishments/Settlements of Oceania).
In 1946, the EFO became an overseas territory under the constitution of the French Fourth Republic, and Polynesians were granted the right to vote through citizenship. In 1957, the EFO were renamed French Polynesia. In 1983 French Polynesia became a member of the Pacific Community, a regional development organization. Since 28 March 2003, French Polynesia has been an overseas collectivity of the French Republic under the constitutional revision of article 74, and later gained, with law 2004-192 of 27 February 2004, an administrative autonomy, two symbolic manifestations of which are the title of the President of French Polynesia and its additional designation as an overseas country.