French Polynesia (2008) | New Zealand (2008) | |
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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 | 16 regions and 1 territory*; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Chatham Islands*, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wellington, West Coast |
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: 20.8% (male 437,547/female 417,698)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 1,393,057/female 1,378,358) 65 years and over: 11.9% (male 214,189/female 274,922) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | fish; coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, coffee; poultry, beef, dairy products | dairy products, lamb and mutton; wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef; fish |
Airports | 54 (2007) | 121 (2007) |
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: 41
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 26 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 8 (2007) |
total: 80
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 31 under 914 m: 46 (2007) |
Area | total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
land: 3,660 sq km water: 507 sq km |
total: 268,680 sq km
land: 268,021 sq km water: NA note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands |
Area - comparative | slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut | about the size of Colorado |
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 Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances. |
Birth rate | 16.41 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 13.61 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $865 million
expenditures: $644.1 million (1999) |
revenues: $54.36 billion
expenditures: $48.51 billion (2007 est.) |
Capital | name: Papeete
geographic coordinates: 17 32 S, 149 34 W time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Wellington
geographic coordinates: 41 28 S, 174 51 E time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in March note: New Zealand is divided into two time zones, including Chatham Island |
Climate | tropical, but moderate | temperate with sharp regional contrasts |
Coastline | 2,525 km | 15,134 km |
Constitution | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) | consists of a series of legal documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments, as well as The Constitution Act 1986, which is the principal formal charter; adopted 1 January 1987, effective 1 January 1987 |
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: none
conventional short form: New Zealand abbreviation: NZ |
Death rate | 4.61 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 7.54 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $50.02 billion (31 December 2007 est.) |
Dependency status | overseas lands of France; overseas territory of France from 1946-2004 | - |
Dependent areas | - | Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas lands of France) | chief of mission: Ambassador William P. McCORMICK
embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington mailing address: P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, APO AP 96531-1034 telephone: [64] (4) 462-6000 FAX: [64] (4) 499-0490 consulate(s) general: Auckland |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas lands of France) | chief of mission: Ambassador Roy N. FERGUSON
chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800 FAX: [1] (202) 667-5227 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York |
Disputes - international | none | asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency) |
Economic aid - donor | - | ODA, $276 million (2006 est.) |
Economic aid - recipient | $579.8 million (2004) | - |
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. | Over the past 20 years the government has transformed New Zealand from an agrarian economy dependent on concessionary British market access to a more industrialized, free market economy that can compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real incomes - but left behind many at the bottom of the ladder - and broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector. Per capita income has risen for eight consecutive years and reached $27,800 in 2007 in purchasing power parity terms. Consumer and government spending have driven growth in recent years, and exports picked up in 2006 after struggling for several years. Exports were equal to about 22% of GDP in 2007, down from 33% of GDP in 2001. Thus far the economy has been resilient, and the Labor Government promises that expenditures on health, education, and pensions will increase proportionately to output. Inflationary pressures have built in recent years and the central bank raised its key rate 13 times since January 2004 to finish 2007 at 8.25%. A large balance of payments deficit poses another challenge in managing the economy. |
Electricity - consumption | 429.7 million kWh (2005) | 37.39 billion kWh (2006 est.) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 462 million kWh (2005) | 42.06 billion kWh (2006 est.) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Marine Life Conservation |
Ethnic groups | Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4% | European 69.8%, Maori 7.9%, Asian 5.7%, Pacific islander 4.4%, other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified 3.8% (2001 census) |
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 |
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.3811 (2007), 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003) |
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); represented by Governor General Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 10 December 1999); Deputy Prime Minister Michael CULLEN (since July 2002) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general |
Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | 15,720 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat | dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery |
Exports - partners | France 46.3%, Japan 20.8%, Niger 12.8%, US 12.5% (2006) | Australia 20.5%, US 13.1%, Japan 10.3%, China 5.4%, UK 4.9% (2006) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March
note: this is the fiscal year for tax purposes |
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 | blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3.1%
industry: 19% services: 76.9% (2005) |
agriculture: 4.3%
industry: 26.2% services: 69.6% (2007 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.1% (2002) | 3% (2007 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 15 00 S, 140 00 W | 41 00 S, 174 00 E |
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 | about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world |
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 | while not an official symbol, the Kiwi, a small native flightless bird, represents New Zealand |
Heliports | 1 (2007) | - |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA (1991 est.) |
Illicit drugs | - | significant consumer of amphetamines |
Imports | 5,678 bbl/day (2004) | 140,900 bbl/day (2004) |
Imports - commodities | fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment | machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics |
Imports - partners | France 52.7%, Singapore 14.9%, NZ 6.8%, US 6.6% (2006) | Australia 20.5%, China 12.3%, US 11.8%, Japan 9.2%, Germany 4.4%, Singapore 4.4% (2006) |
Independence | none (overseas lands of France) | 26 September 1907 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 1.8% (2007 est.) |
Industries | tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates | food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining |
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.) |
total: 5.67 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.48 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.1% (2006 est.) | 2.5% (2007 est.) |
International organization participation | FZ, ITUC, PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WMO | ADB, ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 10 sq km (2003) | 2,850 sq km (2003) |
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 | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; High Court; note - judges appointed by the Governor-General |
Labor force | 65,930 (December 2005) | 2.23 million (2007 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 13%
industry: 19% services: 68% (2002) |
agriculture: 7%
industry: 19% services: 74% (2006 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.75%
permanent crops: 5.5% other: 93.75% (2005) |
arable land: 5.54%
permanent crops: 6.92% other: 87.54% (2005) |
Languages | French 61.1% (official), Polynesian 31.4% (official), Asian languages 1.2%, other 0.3%, unspecified 6% (2002 census) | English (official), Maori (official), Sign Language (official) |
Legal system | the laws of France, where applicable, apply | based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
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 House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (120 seats; 69 members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies including 7 Maori constituencies, and 51 proportional seats chosen from party lists; to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 17 September 2005 (next to be held not later than 15 November 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NZLP 41.1%, NP 39.1%, NZFP 5.7%, Green Party 5.3%, Maori 2.1%, UF 2.7%, ACT New Zealand 1.5%, Progressive 1.2%, other 1.3%; seats by party - NZLP 50, NP 48, NZFP 7, Green Party 6, Maori 4, UF 3, ACT New Zealand 2, Progressive 1 note: results of 2005 election saw the total number of seats increase to 121 because the Maori Party won one more electorate seat than its entitlement under the party vote |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 76.31 years
male: 73.88 years female: 78.86 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 78.96 years
male: 75.97 years female: 82.08 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 14 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1977 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.) |
Location | Oceania, archipelagoes in the South Pacific Ocean about one-half of the way from South America to Australia | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia |
Map references | Oceania | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
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) |
total: 11 ships (1000 GRT or over) 108,667 GRT/89,458 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1) registered in other countries: 8 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Cook Islands 1, Dominica 3, France 1, UK 1) (2007) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | - |
Military branches | no regular military forces; Gendarmerie and National Police Force | New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF): New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force (2008) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1% (2005 est.) |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840); ANZAC Day (commemorated as the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915) |
Nationality | noun: French Polynesian(s)
adjective: French Polynesian |
noun: New Zealander(s)
adjective: New Zealand |
Natural hazards | occasional cyclonic storms in January | earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity |
Natural resources | timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower | natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone |
Net migration rate | 2.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 3.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Pipelines | - | condensate 331 km; gas 1,896 km; liquid petroleum gas 172 km; oil 288 km; refined products 260 km (2007) |
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] | ACT New Zealand [Rodney HIDE]; Green Party [Jeanette FITZSIMONS]; Maori Party [Whatarangi WINIATA]; National Party or NP [John KEY]; New Zealand First Party or NZFP [Winston PETERS]; New Zealand Labor Party or NZLP [Helen CLARK]; Progressive Party [James (Jim) ANDERTON]; United Future or UF [Peter DUNNE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 278,963 (July 2007 est.) | 4,115,771 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.461% (2007 est.) | 0.95% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998) | AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998) |
Railways | - | total: 4,128 km
narrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2006) |
Religions | Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6% | Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26% (2001 census) |
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: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.048 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.011 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.779 male(s)/female total population: 0.987 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
general assessment: excellent domestic and international systems
domestic: NA international: country code - 64; the Southern Cross submarine cable system provides links to Australia, Fiji, and US; satellite earth stations - 1 InMarSat (Pacific Ocean), 7 other |
Telephones - main lines in use | 53,600 (2006) | 1.729 million (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 152,000 (2006) | 3.53 million (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 7 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997) | 41 (plus about 700 repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs | predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains |
Total fertility rate | 1.98 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.79 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 11.7% (2005) | 3.5% (2007 est.) |