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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. |
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Location:
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Oceania,
archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the
way from South America to Australia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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15 00 S, 140 00 W |
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Map references:
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Oceania |
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Area:
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total:
4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
water: 507 sq km
land: 3,660 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly less
than one-third the size of Connecticut |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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2,525 km |
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Climate:
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tropical, but
moderate |
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Terrain:
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mixture of rugged
high islands and low islands with reefs |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m |
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Natural resources:
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timber, fish,
cobalt, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land:
1.64%
permanent crops: 6.01%
other: 92.35% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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occasional
cyclonic storms in January |
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Environment - current issues:
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NA |
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Geography - note:
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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 |
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Population:
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266,339 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
27.5% (male 37,372; female 35,818)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 92,594; female 85,455)
65 years and over: 5.7% (male 7,616; female 7,484)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
27.1 years
male: 27.4 years
female: 26.7 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.57% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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17.34
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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4.58 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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2.94 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
8.61 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 9.92 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 75.67 years
male: 73.29 years
female: 78.18 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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Nationality:
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noun:
French Polynesian(s)
adjective: French Polynesian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Polynesian 78%,
Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4% |
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Religions:
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Protestant
54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6% |
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Languages:
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French
(official), Tahitian (official) |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 14 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 98% (1977 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Territory of French Polynesia
conventional short form: French Polynesia
local short form: Polynesie Francaise
local long form: Territoire de la Polynesie Francaise
former: French Colony of Oceania |
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Dependency status:
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overseas
territory of France since 1946 |
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Government type:
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NA |
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Capital:
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Papeete |
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Administrative divisions:
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none (overseas
territory of France); there are no first-order administrative
divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 5
archipelagic divisions named Archipel des Marquises, Archipel
des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, and Iles Sous-le-Vent
note: Clipperton Island is administered by France from
French Polynesia |
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Independence:
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none (overseas
territory of France) |
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National holiday:
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Bastille Day, 14
July (1789) |
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Constitution:
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28 September 1958
(French Constitution) |
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Legal system:
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based on French
system |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Michel
MATHIEU (since 24 October 2001)
head of government: President of the Territorial
Government of French Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 4 April
1991); President of the Territorial Assembly Lucette TAERO
(since 17 May 2001)
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 |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral
Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (49 seats -
changed from 41 seats for May 2001 election; members are
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 6 May 2001 (next to be held NA May
2006)
note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on NA
September 1998 (next to be held NA 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 NA 2007); results - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, UMP 1
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 28,
Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia 13, New
Fatherland Party 7, other 1 |
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Judicial branch:
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Court of Appeal
or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de
Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal
Administratif |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Independent Front
for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar
TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON];
People's Rally for the Republic of Polynesia or RPR (Tahoeraa
Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; The New Star (Te Fetia Api)
[leader NA] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none (overseas
territory of France) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none (overseas
territory of France) |
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Economy - overview:
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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. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $4.58 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $17,500 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
6%
industry: 18%
services: 76% (1997) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1.5% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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70,000 (1996) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 13%,
industry 19%, services 68% (1997) |
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Unemployment rate:
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11.8% (1994) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$1 billion
expenditures: $900 million, including capital
expenditures of $185 million (1996) |
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Industries:
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tourism, pearls,
agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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428.3 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
60.7%
hydro: 39.3%
other: 0%; note - sun, wind, biomass (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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398.3 million kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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4,750 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coconuts,
vanilla, vegetables, fruits; poultry, beef, dairy products,
coffee |
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Exports:
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$244 million
f.o.b. (2002) |
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Exports - commodities:
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cultured pearls,
coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat |
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Exports - partners:
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France 37.9%,
Japan 35.7%, US 17.9% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$1.341 billion
f.o.b. (2002) |
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Imports - commodities:
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fuels,
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment |
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Imports - partners:
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France 57.6%,
Australia 11.9%, New Zealand 6.8%, US 6.5% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$NA (2000 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$367 million
(1997) |
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Currency:
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Comptoirs
Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF) |
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Currency code:
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XPF |
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Exchange rates:
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Comptoirs
Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 105.73
(2003), 126.72 (2002), 133.26 (2001), 129.43 (2000), 111.93
(1999)
note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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52,500 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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90,000 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 689; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 2, FM 14,
shortwave 2 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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7 (plus 17
low-power repeaters) (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.pf |
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Internet hosts:
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3,661 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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35,000 (2002) |
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Railways:
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0 km |
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Highways:
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total:
2,590 km
paved: 1,735 km
unpaved: 855 km (1999) |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Ports and harbors:
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Mataura, Papeete,
Rikitea, Uturoa |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 10
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 17,537 GRT/15,150 DWT
by type: cargo 3, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3,
refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2003 est.) |
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Airports:
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49 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 37
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
under 914 m: 7 (2003 est.)
914 to 1,523 m: 23 |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 7 (2003 est.) |
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Heliports:
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1 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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no regular
military forces; Gendarmerie and National Police Force |
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Military - note:
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defense is the
responsibility of France |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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