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French Polynesia Country Guide
Explore French Polynesia in Oceania
The topography includes mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs. The average density of population is approximately 65 per km². The notable climate conditions in French Polynesia can be described as tropical, but moderate. Possible natural disasters include occasional cyclonic storms in January.
To reach someone in French Polynesia dial +689 prior to a number. There are 54,300 installed telephones. And there are 208,300 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".pf". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 220V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of French Polynesia
Two red horizontal bands encase a wide white band in a 1:2:1 ratio; centered on the white band is a disk with a blue and white wave pattern depicting the sea on the lower half and a gold and white ray pattern depicting the sun on the upper half; a Polynesian canoe rides on the wave pattern; the canoe has a crew of five represented by five stars that symbolize the five island groups; red and white are traditional Polynesian colors note: similar to the red-white-red flag of Tahiti, the largest of the islands in French Polynesia, which has no emblem in the white band; the flag of France is used for official occasions.
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 halted in January 1996. In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Oceania Neighbours: Capital: Papeete |
| Size | 4,167 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 1,608 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut |
| Population | 270,485 |
| Currency | Name Franc, Currency Code:XPF |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .pf |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +689 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 208,300 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 54,300 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 4,167 (sq km) | 175 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 277,293 | 181 |
| Population growth rate | 1.00 (%) | 115 |
| Birth rate | 15.70 (births/1,000 population) | 127 |
| Death rate | 4.85 (deaths/1,000 population) | 191 |
| Net migration rate | -0.91 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 146 |
| Infant mortality rate | 4.83 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 181 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 76.59 (years) | 75 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.97 (children born/woman) | 133 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 33.20 (%) | 18 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 5,650,000,000 | 167 |
| GDP - real growth rate | -0.40 (%) | 189 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 22,000 | 68 |
| Labor force | 116,000 | 181 |
| Unemployment rate | 11.70 (%) | 124 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 15.30 (% of GDP) | 190 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | 3.90 (% of GDP) | 17 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.10 (%) | 12 |
| Exports | 200,000,000 | 185 |
| Imports | 2,200,000,000 | 161 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 725,000,000 (kWh) | 155 |
| Electricity - consumption | 674,300,000 (kWh) | 161 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 140,000 (kW) | 161 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 66.40 (% of total installed capacity) | 118 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 33.60 (% of total installed capacity) | 65 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 8,000 (bbl/day) | 159 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 7,246 (bbl/day) | 139 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 1,221,000 (Mt) | 163 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 55,000 | 162 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 222,800 | 177 |
| Internet hosts | 37,949 | 103 |
| Internet users | 120,000 | 153 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 53 | 86 |
| Roadways | 2,590 (km) | 170 |
| Merchant marine | 12 | 107 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases