Akrotiri (2006) | French Polynesia (2002) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 5 archipelagic divisions named Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, and Iles Sous-le-Vent
note: Clipperton Island is administered by France from French Polynesia |
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 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits; poultry, beef, dairy products |
Airports | - | 45 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 37
over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 22 under 914 m: 8 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 5 (2002) |
Area | total: 123 sq km
note: includes a salt lake and wetlands |
total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
land: 3,660 sq km water: 507 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut |
Background | By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area. | 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. |
Birth rate | - | 18.17 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $1 billion
expenditures: $900 million, including capital expenditures of $185 million (1996) (1996) |
Capital | name: Episkopi Cantonment; also serves as capital of Dhekelia
geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Papeete |
Climate | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters | tropical, but moderate |
Coastline | 56.3 km | 2,525 km |
Constitution | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960 | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri |
conventional long form: Territory of French Polynesia
conventional short form: French Polynesia local long form: Territoire de la Polynesie Francaise local short form: Polynesie Francaise former: French Colony of Oceania |
Currency | - | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF); note - may adopt the euro in 2003 |
Death rate | - | 4.49 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus | overseas territory of France since 1946 |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (overseas territory of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (overseas territory of France) |
Disputes - international | - | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $367 million (1997) (1997) |
Economy - overview | Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported. | Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence 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. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. Other sources of income are pearl farming and deep-sea commercial fishing. The small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural products. The territory substantially benefits from development agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses and strengthening social services. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 379.44 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | - | 408 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 54%
hydro: 46% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | - | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m |
Environment - current issues | shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base | NA |
Ethnic groups | - | Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4% |
Exchange rates | - | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 135.04 (January 2002), 133.26 (2001), 129.44 (2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25 (1998), 106.11 (1997); note - pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY (since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defence elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch |
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Michel MATHIEU (since 24 October 2001)
head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 4 April 1991); President of the Territorial Assembly Lucette TAERO (since 17 May 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Government and the president of the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly |
Exports | - | $205 million f.o.b. (1999) |
Exports - commodities | - | cultured pearls 50%, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat (1997) |
Exports - partners | - | Japan 62%, US 21% (1999) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of the UK is used | two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered on the white band is a disk with blue and white wave pattern on the lower half and gold and white ray pattern on the upper half; a stylized red, blue and white ship rides on the wave pattern; the French flag is used for official occasions |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 6%
industry: 18% services: 76% (1997) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 4% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 34 37 N, 32 58 E | 15 00 S, 140 00 W |
Geography - note | British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus | 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 |
Highways | - | total: 792 km
paved: 264 km unpaved: 528 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | - | $749 million f.o.b. (1999) |
Imports - commodities | - | fuels, foodstuffs, equipment |
Imports - partners | - | France 53%, US 13%, Australia 10% (1999) |
Independence | - | none (overseas territory of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts |
Infant mortality rate | - | 8.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 1.5% (1994) |
International organization participation | - | ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | - | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | - | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif |
Labor force | - | 70,000 (1996) (1996) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 13%, industry 19%, services 68% (1997) (1997) |
Land boundaries | total: 47.4 km
border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km |
0 km |
Land use | - | arable land: 1.64%
permanent crops: 6.01% other: 92.35% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English, Greek | French (official), Tahitian (official) |
Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply | based on French system |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (49 seats - changed from 41 seats for May 2001 election; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 6 May 2001 (next to be held NA May 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 28, Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia 13, New Fatherland Party 7, other 1 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on NA September 1998 (next to be held NA September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, UMP 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 75.23 years
male: 72.88 years female: 77.69 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 14 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1977 est.) |
Location | peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus | Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from South America to Australia |
Map references | Middle East | Oceania |
Maritime claims | - | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,240 GRT/7,765 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces on Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit | defense is the responsibility of France |
Military branches | - | no regular indigenous military forces; French Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie |
National holiday | - | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | - | noun: French Polynesian(s)
adjective: French Polynesian |
Natural hazards | - | occasional cyclonic storms in January |
Natural resources | - | timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower |
Net migration rate | - | 3.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON]; People's Rally for the Republic of Polynesia or RPR (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; The New Star (Te Fetia Api) [Boris LEONTIEFF] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,300 military personnel are on the base; there are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military personnel or civilian staff on both Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base, but do not live there |
257,847 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 1.67% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Mataura, Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa |
Radio broadcast stations | FM 1
note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006) |
AM 2, FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998) |
Radios | - | 128,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | - | Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6% |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 52,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 5,427 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006) | 7 (plus 17 low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | - | mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs |
Total fertility rate | - | 2.18 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | NA% |
Waterways | - | none |