Compare French Polynesia (2003) - United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2007)

Compare French Polynesia (2003) z United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2007)

	French Polynesia (2003)	United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2007)

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: 28.3% (male 37,804; female 36,249) 15-64 years: 66.3% (male 90,421; female 83,304) 65 years and over: 5.4% (male 7,226; female 7,121) (2003 est.)	-
Agriculture - products	coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits; poultry, beef, dairy products, coffee	-
Airports	45 (2002)	Baker Island: one abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered with vegetation and unusable Howland Island: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred NOONAN; the aviators left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable Johnston Atoll: one closed and not maintained Kingman Reef: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938 Midway Islands: 3 - one operational (2,409 m paved); no fuel for sale except emergencies Palmyra Atoll: 1 - 1,846 m unpaved runway; privately owned (2006)
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: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls) land: 3,660 sq km water: 507 sq km	total - 6,959.41 sq km; emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged - 6,937 sq km Baker Island: total - 129 sq km; emergent land - 2.1 sq km; submerged - 127 sq km Howland Island: total - 139 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 136 sq km Jarvis Island: total - 152 sq km; emergent land - 5 sq km; submerged - 147 sq km Johnston Atoll: total - 276.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 274 sq km Kingman Reef: total - 1,958.01 sq km; emergent land - 0.01 sq km; submerged - 1,958 sq km Midway Islands: total - 2,355.2 sq km; emergent land - 6.2 sq km; submerged - 2,349 sq km Palmyra Atoll: total - 1,949.9 sq km; emergent land - 3.9 sq km; submerged - 1,946 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut	Baker Island: about two and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Howland Island: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Jarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Johnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Kingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Midway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Palmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
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.	The following US Pacific island territories constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex and as such are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of Interior. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a single country's jurisdiction. They protect many endemic species including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere. Baker Island: The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Howland Island: Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British companies mined for guano until about 1890. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island, similar to the effort on nearby Baker Island, but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The famed American aviatrix Amelia EARHART disappeared while seeking out Howland Island as a refueling stop during her 1937 round-the-world flight; Earhart Light, a day beacon near the middle of the west coast, was named in her memory. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Jarvis Island: First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935 until it was abandoned in 1942 during World War II. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Johnston Atoll: Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now complete. Cleanup and closure of the facility was completed by May 2005. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Air Force are currently discussing future management options; in the interim, Johnston Atoll and the three-mile Naval Defensive Sea around it remain under the jurisdiction and administrative control of the US Air Force. Kingman Reef: The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge. Midway Islands: The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a National Wildlife Refuge and are the site of the world's largest Laysan albatross colony. Palmyra Atoll: The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not include Palmyra Atoll, which is now partly privately owned by the Nature Conservancy with the rest owned by the Federal government and managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. These organizations are managing the atoll as a wildlife refuge. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12 nm US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and designated as a National Wildlife Refuge in January 2001.
Birth rate	17.74 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	-
Budget	revenues: $1 billion expenditures: $900 million, including capital expenditures of $185 million (1996)	-
Capital	Papeete	-
Climate	tropical, but moderate	Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun Johnston Atoll and Kingman Reef: tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation Midway Islands: subtropical with cool, moist winters (December to February) and warm, dry summers (May to October); moderated by prevailing easterly winds; most of the 1,067 mm (42 in) of annual rainfall occurs during the winter Palmyra Atoll: equatorial, hot; located within the low pressure area of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where the northeast and southeast trade winds meet, it is extremely wet with between 4,000-5,000 mm (160-200 in) of rainfall each year
Coastline	2,525 km	Baker Island: 4.8 km Howland Island: 6.4 km Jarvis Island: 8 km Johnston Atoll: 34 km Kingman Reef: 3 km Midway Islands: 15 km Palmyra Atoll: 14.5 km
Constitution	28 September 1958 (French Constitution)	-
Country name	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	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Baker Island; Howland Island; Jarvis Island; Johnston Atoll; Kingman Reef; Midway Islands; Palmyra Atoll
Currency	Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF); note - may adopt the euro in 2003	-
Death rate	4.53 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	-
Debt - external	$NA	-
Dependency status	overseas territory of France since 1946	unincorporated territories of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system note on Palmyra Atoll: incorporated Territory of the US; partly privately owned and partly federally owned; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm territorial sea or within the lagoon
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (overseas territory of France)	none (territories of the US)
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (overseas territory of France)	-
Disputes - international	none	none
Economic aid - recipient	$367 million (1997)	-
Economy - overview	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. 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 benefits substantially from development agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses and strengthening social services.	no economic activity
Electricity - consumption	398.3 million kWh (2001)	-
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	-
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	-
Electricity - production	428.3 million kWh (2001)	-
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 60.7% hydro: 39.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0%; note - sun, wind, biomass (2001)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Baker Island, unnamed location - 8 m; Howland Island, unnamed location - 3 m; Jarvis Island, unnamed location - 7 m; Johnston Atoll, Sand Island - 10 m; Kingman Reef, unnamed location - less than 1 m; Midway Islands, unnamed location - 13 m; Palmyra Atoll, unnamed location - 2 m
Environment - current issues	NA	Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Johnston Atoll: no natural fresh water resources Kingman Reef: none Midway Islands and Palmyra Atoll: NA
Ethnic groups	Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%	-
Exchange rates	Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 126.41 (2002), 133.26 (2001), 129.44 (2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25 (1998) note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro	-
Executive branch	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	NA (2001)	-
Exports - commodities	cultured pearls 50%, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat (1997)	-
Exports - partners	France 37.4%, Japan 35.5%, US 17.5% (2002)	-
Fiscal year	calendar year	-
Flag description	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	the flag of the US is used
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	15 00 S, 140 00 W	Baker Island: 0 13 N, 176 28 W Howland Island: 0 48 N, 176 38 W Jarvis Island: 0 23 S, 160 01 W Johnston Atoll: 16 45 N, 169 31 W Kingman Reef: 6 23 N, 162 25 W Midway Islands: 28 12 N, 177 22 W Palmyra Atoll: 5 53 N, 162 05 W
Geography - note	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	Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference Kingman Reef: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public Midway Islands: a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife observation and photography Palmyra Atoll: the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation make the environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Island territories; it supports one of the largest remaining undisturbed stands of Pisonia beach forest in the Pacific
Highways	total: 2,590 km paved: 1,735 km unpaved: 855 km (1999)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	-
Imports	NA (2001)	-
Imports - commodities	fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment	-
Imports - partners	France 58.9%, Australia 12.2%, New Zealand 6.9%, US 6.6% (2002)	-
Independence	none (overseas territory of France)	-
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	-
Industries	tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates	-
Infant mortality rate	total: 8.78 deaths/1,000 live births male: 10.12 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)	-
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1.5%	-
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)	-
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 13%, industry 19%, services 68% (1997)	-
Land boundaries	0 km	none
Land use	arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 6.01% other: 92.35% (1998 est.)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Languages	French (official), Tahitian (official)	-
Legal system	based on French system	the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
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: 75.45 years male: 73.08 years female: 77.93 years (2003 est.)	-
Literacy	definition: age 14 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1977 est.)	-
Location	Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from South America to Australia	Oceania Baker Island: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,830 nm (3,389 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia Howland Island: island in the North Pacific Ocean 1,815 nm (3,361 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia Jarvis Island: island in the South Pacific Ocean 1,305 nm (2,417 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and the Cook Islands Johnston Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1,328 km) southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands Kingman Reef: reef in the North Pacific Ocean 930 nm (1,722 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa Midway Islands: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,260 nm (2,334 km) northwest of Honolulu near the end of the Hawaiian Archipelago, about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo Palmyra Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 960 nm (1,778 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa
Map references	Oceania	Oceania
Maritime claims	exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 12,679 GRT/13,915 DWT ships by type: cargo 2, passenger/cargo 3, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.)	-
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of France	defense is the responsibility of the US
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	Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard Kingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of less than 1 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA
Natural resources	timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower	terrestrial and aquatic wildlife
Net migration rate	2.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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) [leader NA]	-
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	-
Population	262,125 (July 2003 est.)	no indigenous inhabitants note: public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service Johnston Atoll: in previous years, an average of 1,100 US military and civilian contractor personnel were present; as of May 2005 all US government personnel had left the island Midway Islands: approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fish and Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at the atoll Palmyra Atoll: four to 20 Nature Conservancy and US Fish and Wildlife staff
Population below poverty line	NA%	-
Population growth rate	1.62% (2003 est.)	-
Ports and harbors	Mataura, Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998)	-
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: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2003 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	7 (plus 17 low-power repeaters) (1997)	-
Terrain	mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs	low and nearly level sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs that have developed at the top of submerged volcanic mountains, which in most cases rise steeply from the ocean floor
Total fertility rate	2.14 children born/woman (2003 est.)	-
Unemployment rate	11.8% (1994)	-
Waterways	none	-

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