French Polynesia (2008) | Jersey (2002) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (overseas lands of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are five archipelagic divisions named Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, Iles Sous-le-Vent | none (British crown dependency) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 25.4% (male 36,223/female 34,677)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 98,784/female 91,585) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 8,933/female 8,761) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 17.9% (male 8,287; female 7,729)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 30,099; female 30,347) 65 years and over: 14.8% (male 5,729; female 7,584) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | fish; coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, coffee; poultry, beef, dairy products | potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products |
Airports | 54 (2007) | 1 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 37
over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 27 under 914 m: 3 (2007) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 8 (2007) |
- |
Area | total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
land: 3,660 sq km water: 507 sq km |
total: 116 sq km
land: 116 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut | about 0.7 times the size of 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. In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded. | The island of Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in both France and England. These islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. |
Birth rate | 16.41 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 10.86 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $865 million
expenditures: $644.1 million (1999) |
revenues: $601 million
expenditures: $588 million, including capital expenditures of $98 million (2000 est.) |
Capital | name: Papeete
geographic coordinates: 17 32 S, 149 34 W time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Saint Helier |
Climate | tropical, but moderate | temperate; mild winters and cool summers |
Coastline | 2,525 km | 70 km |
Constitution | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice |
Country name | conventional long form: Overseas Lands of French Polynesia
conventional short form: French Polynesia local long form: Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynesie Francaise local short form: Polynesie Francaise former: French Colony of Oceania |
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey
conventional short form: Jersey |
Currency | - | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Jersey pound |
Death rate | 4.61 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | none |
Dependency status | overseas lands of France; overseas territory of France from 1946-2004 | British crown dependency |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas lands of France) | none (British crown dependency) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas lands of France) | none (British crown dependency) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $579.8 million (2004) | none |
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. | The economy is based largely on international financial services, agriculture, and tourism. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and represents an important export income earner. Milk products go to the UK and other EU countries. In 1996 the finance sector accounted for about 60% of the island's output. Tourism, another mainstay of the economy, accounts for 24% of GDP. In recent years, the government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey, with the result that an electronics industry has developed alongside the traditional manufacturing of knitwear. All raw material and energy requirements are imported, as well as a large share of Jersey's food needs. Light taxes and death duties make the island a popular tax haven. |
Electricity - consumption | 429.7 million kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | NA kWh
note: electricity supplied by France |
Electricity - production | 462 million kWh (2005) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 143 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Ethnic groups | Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4% | UK and Norman-French descent |
Exchange rates | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - NA (2007), 95.03 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003)
note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro |
Jersey pounds per US dollar - 0.6981 (January 2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997); the Jersey pound is at par with the British pound |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Anne BOQUET (since September 2005)
head of government: President of French Polynesia Oscar TEMARU (since 13 September 2007); note - President TEMARU resigned on 27 January 2008; President of the Territorial Assembly Antony GEROS (since 9 May 2004) 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 for five-year terms (no term limits) |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief Air Chief Marshall Sir John CHESHIRE (since 24 January 2001) and Bailiff Philip Martin BAILHACHE (since NA February 1995) cabinet: committees appointed by the Assembly of the States elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch |
Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | $NA |
Exports - commodities | cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat | light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles |
Exports - partners | France 46.3%, Japan 20.8%, Niger 12.8%, US 12.5% (2006) | UK |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered on the white band is a disk with a blue and white wave pattern on the lower half and a 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 | white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the flag and in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red shield holding the three lions of England in yellow |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $2.2 billion (1999 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3.1%
industry: 19% services: 76.9% (2005) |
agriculture: 5%
industry: 2% services: 93% (1996) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $24,800 (1999 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.1% (2002) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 15 00 S, 140 00 W | 49 15 N, 2 10 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 | largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier |
Government - note | under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has acquired autonomy in all areas except those relating to police and justice, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are fashioned after those of the French prime minister | - |
Heliports | 1 (2007) | - |
Highways | - | total: 577 km (1995)
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | 5,678 bbl/day (2004) | $NA |
Imports - commodities | fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals |
Imports - partners | France 52.7%, Singapore 14.9%, NZ 6.8%, US 6.6% (2006) | UK |
Independence | none (overseas lands of France) | none (British crown dependency) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates | tourism, banking and finance, dairy |
Infant mortality rate | total: 7.84 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.01 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
5.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.1% (2006 est.) | 4.7% (1998) |
International organization participation | FZ, ITUC, PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WMO | - |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | NA |
Irrigated land | 10 sq km (2003) | 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 | Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff) |
Labor force | 65,930 (December 2005) | 57,050 (1996) (1996) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 13%
industry: 19% services: 68% (2002) |
- |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.75%
permanent crops: 5.5% other: 93.75% (2005) |
arable land: NEGL%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
Languages | French 61.1% (official), Polynesian 31.4% (official), Asian languages 1.2%, other 0.3%, unspecified 6% (2002 census) | English (official), French (official), Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts |
Legal system | the laws of France, where applicable, apply | English law and local statute |
Legislative branch | unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (57 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 27 January 2008 (first round) and 10 February 2008 (second round) (next to be held NA 2013) election results: percent of vote by party - Our Home alliance 45.2%, Union for Democracy alliance 37.2%, Popular Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) 17.2% other 0.5%; seats by party - Our Home alliance 27, Union for Democracy alliance 20, Popular Rally 10 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be held in 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 in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, UMP 1 |
unicameral Assembly of the States (55 voting members - 12 senators (elected for 6-year terms), 12 constables or heads of parishes (elected for 3-year terms), 29 deputies (elected for 3-year terms); the bailiff and the deputy bailiff; and 3 non-voting members - the Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General, and the Solicitor General all appointed by the monarch
elections: last held NA (next to be held NA) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 52 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 76.31 years
male: 73.88 years female: 78.86 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 78.78 years
male: 76.34 years female: 81.4 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 14 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1977 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
Location | Oceania, archipelagoes in the South Pacific Ocean about one-half of the way from South America to Australia | Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France |
Map references | Oceania | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 23,684 GRT/17,291 DWT
by type: cargo 4, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1 registered in other countries: 2 (Wallis and Futuna 2) (2007) |
none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | no regular military forces; Gendarmerie and National Police Force | - |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) |
Nationality | noun: French Polynesian(s)
adjective: French Polynesian |
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander |
Natural hazards | occasional cyclonic storms in January | NA |
Natural resources | timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower | arable land |
Net migration rate | 2.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 2.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Alliance for a New Democracy or ADN [Nicole BOUTEAU and Philip SCHYLE](includes the parties The New Star and This Country is Yours); Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON]; Our Home alliance; People's Rally for the Republic of Polynesia or RPR (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; Union for Democracy alliance or UPD [Oscar TEMARU] | none; all independents |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 278,963 (July 2007 est.) | 89,775 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.461% (2007 est.) | 0.44% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998) | AM NA, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | NA |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6% | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church, Methodist, Presbyterian |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.045 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.079 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.066 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | NA years of age; universal adult |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: 3 submarine cables |
Telephones - main lines in use | 53,600 (2006) | 65,500 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 152,000 (2006) | 4,400 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 7 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997) | 2 (1997) |
Terrain | mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs | gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast |
Total fertility rate | 1.98 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.57 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 11.7% (2005) | 0.7% (1998 est.) |
Waterways | - | none |