"text":"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":{
"Location":{
"text":"Oceania, five archipelagoes (Archipel des Tuamotu, Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between South America and Australia"
},
"Geographic coordinates":{
"text":"15 00 S, 140 00 W"
},
"Map references":{
"text":"Oceania"
},
"Area":{
"total":{
"text":"4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls; 67 are inhabited)"
},
"land":{
"text":"3,827 sq km"
},
"water":{
"text":"340 sq km"
}
},
"Area - comparative":{
"text":"slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut"
},
"Land boundaries":{
"text":"0 km"
},
"Coastline":{
"text":"2,525 km"
},
"Maritime claims":{
"territorial sea":{
"text":"12 nm"
},
"exclusive economic zone":{
"text":"200 nm"
}
},
"Climate":{
"text":"tropical, but moderate"
},
"Terrain":{
"text":"mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs"
"text":"includes five archipelagoes: four volcanic (Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) and one coral (Archipel des Tuamotu); 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"
"text":"the term \"Polynesia\" is an 18th-century construct composed of two Greek words, \"poly\" (many) and \"nesoi\" (islands), and refers to the more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean"
"text":"overseas lands of France; overseas territory of France from 1946-2003; overseas collectivity of France since 2003, though it is often referred to as an overseas country due to its degree of autonomy"
"text":"President of French Polynesia Edouard FRITCH (since 12 September 2014)"
},
"cabinet":{
"text":"Council of Ministers approved by the Assembly from a list of its members submitted by the president"
},
"elections/appointments":{
"text":"French president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; French Polynesia president indirectly elected by Assembly of French Polynesia for a 5-year term (no term limits)"
"text":"unicameral Assembly of French Polynesia or Assemblee de la Polynesie Francaise (57 seats; elections held in two rounds; in the second round, 38 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; the party receiving the most votes gets an additional 19 seats; members serve 5-year terms)"
"text":"two seats were elected to the French Senate for a 6-year term on 20 September 2014 (next to be held in September 2022); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Popular Rally 1, People's Servant Party 1; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly for a 5-year term on 17 June 2012 (next to be held by June 2017); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2; the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) is France's ruling party,"
"text":"percent of vote by party - Popular Rally 45.1%, UPD 29.3%, A Tia Porinetia 25.6%; seats by party - Popular Rally 38, UPD 11, A Tia Porinetia 8"
"text":"Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel (composition NA); note - appeals beyond the French Polynesia Court of Appeal are heard by the Court of Cassation (in Paris)"
"text":"A Tia Porinetia [Teva ROHFRITSCH] ++ Alliance for a New Democracy or ADN (includes the parties The New Star and This Country is Yours) ++ New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON] ++ Our Home alliance ++ People's Servant Party (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU] ++ Popular Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE] ++ Union for Democracy alliance or UPD [Oscar TEMARU]"
"text":"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":{
"text":"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"
}
},
"National symbol(s)":{
"text":"outrigger canoe; national colors: red, white"
},
"National anthem":{
"name":{
"text":"\"Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui\" (Long Live Tahiti Nui)"
},
"lyrics/music":{
"text":"Maeva BOUGES, Irmine TEHEI, Angele TEROROTUA, Johanna NOUVEAU, Patrick AMARU, Louis MAMATUI, and Jean-Pierre CELESTIN (the compositional group created both the lyrics and music)"
},
"note":{
"text":"adopted 1993; serves as a local anthem; as a territory of France, \"La Marseillaise\" is official (see France)"
"text":"under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has acquired autonomy in all areas except those relating to police, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are fashioned after those of the French prime minister"
"text":"Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence agricultural economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. With the halt of French nuclear testing in 1996, the military contribution to the economy fell sharply. ++ ++ After growing at an average yearly rate of 4.2% from 1997-2007, GDP stagnated in 2008 and fell by 4.2% in 2009, marking French Polynesia’s entry into recession. GDP growth was positive in 2010-12. Following steady employment level increases between 2002 and 2007 that averaged 2.4% yearly, the number of workers fell by an annual average of 2.2% between 2008 and 2013, due in part to decreased tourism (down an average of 4% per year) in that time period. ++ ++ French Polynesia’s tourism-dominated service sector accounted for 85% of total value added for the economy in 2009, employing 80% of the workforce. A small manufacturing sector predominantly processes products from French Polynesia’s primary sector - 3% of total economy - including agriculture, pearl farming, and fishing."
"text":"the publicly owned French Overseas Network (RFO), which operates in France's overseas departments and territories, broadcasts on 2 TV channels and 1 radio station; 1 government-owned TV station; a small number of privately owned radio stations (2008)"
