ultry, beef, dairy products

Exports: $212 million (f.o.b., 1996)

Exports - commodities: cultured pearls 50%, coconut products,
mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat (1997)

Exports - partners: US 11%, France 6% (1997)

Imports: $860 million (c.i.f., 1996)

Imports - commodities: fuels, foodstuffs, equipment

Imports - partners: France 44.7%, US 13.9% (1994)

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid - recipient: $450.4 million (1995)

Currency: 1 Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (CFPF) = 100
centimes

Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1
- 117.67 (January 2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25 (1998), 106.11 (1997),
93.00 (1996), 90.75 (1995); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 CFPFs
to the French franc

Fiscal year: calendar year

@French Polynesia:Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 32,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 4,000 (1995)

Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios: 128,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 7 (plus 17 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 40,000 (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA

@French Polynesia:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 792 km
paved: 792 km
unpaved: 0 km (1995 est.)

Ports and harbors: Mataura, Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa

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 (1999
est.)

Airports: 45 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 30
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 6 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 10 (1999 est.)

@French Polynesia:Military

Military branches: French Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force),
Gendarmerie

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France

@French Polynesia:Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

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FRENCH SOUTHERN AND

______________________________________________________________________

GABON

@Gabon:Introduction

Background: Ruled by autocratic presidents since independence from
France in 1960, Gabon introduced a multiparty system and a new
constitution in the early 1990s that allowed for a