French Polynesia

2,525 km

includes five archipelagoes: four volcanic (Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) and one coral (Archipel des Tuamotu); the Tuamotu Archipelago forms the largest group of atolls in the world -- 78 in total, 48 inhabited; Makatea in the Tuamotu Archipelago is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean -- the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru

10 sq km (2012)

total: 0 km

Oceania, five archipelagoes (Archipel des Tuamotu, Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between South America and Australia

Oceania

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

occasional cyclonic storms in January

mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs

66.8% (2017 est.)

total dependency ratio: 46 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 29.3 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 16.8 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 6 (2025 est.)

0.87 (2025 est.)

total: 4.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total population: 78.9 years (2024 est.) male: 76.6 years female: 81.3 years

136,000 PAPEETE (capital) (2018)

total: 35.8 years (2025 est.) male: 35 years female: 35.6 years

noun: French Polynesian(s) adjective: French Polynesian

-0.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

0.02 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

the majority of the population lives in the Society Islands, one of five archipelagos that includes the most populous island, Tahiti, with approximately 70% of the nation's population

breakdown

{"male":{"value":156084,"unit":"people","formatted":"156,084","name":"Male Population"},"female":{"value":149423,"unit":"people","formatted":"149,423","name":"Female Population"}}

meta

{"year":2025}

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

1.78 children born/woman (2025 est.)

1.01 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 1.01 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

tropical, but moderate

sea-level rise; cyclones, storms, and tsunamis producing floods, landslides, erosion, and reef damage; droughts; fresh water scarcity

agricultural land: 8.7% (2023 est.) arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 7.5% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 0.5% (2023 est.) forest: 43.1% (2023 est.) other: 48.3% (2023 est.)

urban population: 62.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.65% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 147,000 tons (2024 est.)

5 administrative subdivisions (subdivisions administratives, singular - subdivision administrative): Iles Australes (Austral Islands), Iles du Vent (Windward Islands), Iles Marquises (Marquesas Islands), Iles Sous-le-Vent (Leeward Islands), Iles Tuamotu-Gambier note: the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands together make up the Society Islands (Iles de la Société)

name

Papeete

geo

{"lat":-17.5333,"lng":-149.5667}

timezone

{"difference":"UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)","note":null,"dst":null}

meta

{}

see France

history: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) amendment process: French constitution amendment procedures apply

conventional long form: Overseas Lands of French Polynesia conventional short form: French Polynesia local long form: Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynésie française local short form: Polynésie Française former: Establishments in Oceania, French Establishments in Oceania etymology: the term "Polynesia" is an 18th-century construct composed of two Greek words, poly (many) and nesoi (islands), and refers to the more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean

overseas country of France note: overseas territory of France from 1946-2003; overseas collectivity of France since 2003, but it is often referred to as an overseas country due to its degree of autonomy

chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Alexander ROCHATTE (since 1 September 2025) head of government: President of French Polynesia Moetai BROTHERSON (since 12 May 2023) cabinet: Council of Ministers approved by the Assembly from a list of its members submitted by the president election/appointment process: French president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; French Polynesia president indirectly elected by Assembly of French Polynesia for a 5-year term (no term limits)

description: two horizontal red bands flank a wide white band in a 1:2:1 ratio; centered on the white band is a disk with a blue-and-white wave pattern depicting the sea on the lower half and a gold-and-white ray pattern depicting the sun on the upper half; a stylized red Polynesian canoe on the disk has a crew of five, represented by five stars meaning: the stars symbolize the five island groups; red and white are traditional Polynesian colors note 1: similar to the red-white-red flag of Tahiti, the largest and most populous of the French Polynesian islands, but the Tahitian flag has no emblem on the white band note 2: the flag of France is used for official occasions

French Polynesia has acquired autonomy from France in all areas except those relating to police, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are similar to those of the French prime minister

parliamentary democracy (Assembly of French Polynesia); an overseas collectivity of France

highest court(s): Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel (composition NA) judge selection and term of office: judges assigned from France for 3 years subordinate courts: Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Première Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif note: appeals beyond the French Polynesia Court of Appeal are heard by the Court of Cassation (in Paris)

the laws of France apply

legislature name: Assembly of French Polynesia (Assemblée de la Polynésie française) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 57 (directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 4/30/2023 parties elected and seats per party: People's Servant People (38); List of the People (15); I Love Polynesia (3); Rally of the Mahoi People (1) percentage of women in chamber: 49.1% expected date of next election: 2028 note 1: elections held in two rounds; in the second round, 38 members are directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by a closed-list proportional representation vote; the party receiving the most votes gets an additional 19 seats note 2: French Polynesia indirectly elects 2 senators to the French Senate for 6-year terms with one-half the membership renewed every 3 years and directly elects 3 deputies to the French National Assembly for 5-year terms

title: "Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" (Long Live Tahiti Nui) lyrics/music: Maeva BOUGES, Irmine TEHEI, Angele TEROROTUA, Johanna NOUVEAU, Patrick AMARU, Louis MAMATUI, and Jean-Pierre CELESTIN (created both the lyrics and music) history: adopted 1993; serves as a local anthem _____ title: "La Marseillaise" (The Song of Marseille) lyrics/music: Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle history: official anthem, as a French territory

red, white

total World Heritage Sites: 2 (1 cultural, 1 mixed); note - excerpted from the France entry selected World Heritage Site locales: Taputapuātea (c); Te Henua Enata – The Marquesas Islands (m)

outrigger canoe, Tahitian gardenia flower (Gardenia taitensis)

I Love Polynesia (A here la Porinetia) List of the People (Tapura Huiraatira) People's Servant Party (Tavini Huiraatira) Rally of the Maohi People (Amuitahiraʻa o te Nunaʻa Maohi) (formerly known as Popular Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira))

18 years of age; universal

$411.963 million (2016 est.) $291.182 million (2015 est.) $264.32 million (2014 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

small, territorial-island tourism-based economy; large French financing; lower EU import duties; Pacific Islands Forum member; fairly resilient from COVID-19; oil-dependent infrastructure

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 110.306 (2024 est.) 110.347 (2023 est.) 113.474 (2022 est.) 100.88 (2021 est.) 104.711 (2020 est.)

6.4% (2022 est.) 0.5% (2021 est.) -0.1% (2020 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

119,100 (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

3% (2023 est.) 4.5% (2022 est.) 2.1% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$6.007 billion (2024 est.) $5.935 billion (2023 est.) $5.892 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2015 dollars

9.1% of GDP (2023 est.) 10% of GDP (2022 est.) 9.5% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

11.8% (2024 est.) 11.8% (2023 est.) 11.9% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

36.9% (2024 est.)

imports: 1 metric tons (2023 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity: 345,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 669.5 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 42.663 million kWh (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 7,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

28 (2022 est.)

French public overseas broadcaster Réseau Outre-Mer provides 2 TV channels and 1 radio station; 1 government-owned TV station; a small number of privately owned radio stations (2019)

.pf

percent of population: 73% (2017 est.)

total subscriptions: 334,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 119 (2023 est.)

54 (2025)

F-OH

total: 24 (2023) by type: general cargo 14

total ports: 6 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 1 very small: 5 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: Atuona, Baie Taiohae, Papeete, Port Rikitea, Uturoa, Vaitape

no regular military forces

defense is the responsibility of France, and it maintains a military garrison in French Polynesia (Forces Armées en Polynésie Française, FAPF)