nd Hunter Islands, east of
New Caledonia

Illicit drugs:

metropolitan France: transshipment point for South American cocaine,
Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics
French Guiana: small amount of marijuana grown for local
consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe
Martinique: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for
the US and Europe

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@French Polynesia

Introduction
French Polynesia

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.

Geography
French Polynesia

Location:

Oceania, archipelagoes in the South Pacific Ocean about half way
between South America and Australia

Geographic coordinates:

15 00 S, 140 00 W

Map references:

Oceania

Area:

total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
land: 3,660 sq km
water: 507 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

2,525 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical, but moderate

Terrain:

mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m

Natural resources:

timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 0.75%
permanent crops: 5.5%
other: 93.75% (2005)

Irrigated land:

10 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:

occasional cyclonic storms in January

Environment - current issues:

NA

Geography - note:

includes five archipelagoes (four volcanic, one 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

People
French Polynesia

Population:

283,019 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 24.8% (male 35,903/female 34,364)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 100,700/female 93,492)
65 years and over: 6.6% (male 9,374/female 9,186) (2008 est.)

Median