Simple directory > Regional > French Polynesia

Country : French Polynesia Official name: Territoire de la Polynésie Française (Territory of French Polynesia) Head of State: President of France (Jacques Chirac), represented by Préfet (Commissioner) Michel Mathieu (since 2001) Head of government: President of the Territorial Government Oscar Temaru (UPLD) (elected 3 Mar 2005) Ruling party: Area: 3,600 square km (35 islands and 83 atolls) Population: 259,900 (2004) Capital: Papeete (on Tahiti) Official language: French and Reo Maohi (Tahitian) Currency: Comptoirs Français du Pacifique franc (CFPf) = 100 centimes Exchange rate: CFPf92.21 per US$ (Nov 2004) (pegged CFPf119.25 per euro) GDP per capita: US$5,000 (2003) GDP real growth: 4.00% (2003) Labour force: 70,000 (2003) Unemployment: 11.80% (2003) Inflation: 1.50% (2003) Balance of trade: -US$940.00 million (2003) Visitor numbers: 212,767 (2003)

Historical profile

French Polynesia was settled by Polynesians betweeen 300 and 800 AD. From these islands, Hawaii, the Cook Islands and New Zealand were colonised.

1843 Tahiti, the largest island, and Moorea became French protectorates.

1880 Tahiti became a French colony. The other islands were annexed under the name Comptoirs Français de l'Océanie.

1957 The group of islands became the Overseas Territory of French Polynesia and were administered by a governor in Papeete on Tahiti.

1960 An international airport opened at Faa'a on Tahiti.

1963 Nuclear tests were conducted for the first time at Mururoa Atoll by the French government.

1977 Following increasing support for calls for independence, a constitution permitting increased powers for the council of ministers was approved by the French government.

1984 Despite concerns that French proposals for increased internal autonomy remained inadequate, a new statute was approved by the French government, permitting increased powers for the government, particularly in commerce.

1983 Despite strong protests in French Polynesia, the French authorities insisted that nuclear tests would continue for ‘as long as necessary'.

1984 A French law conferred conduct of certain local affairs (local budget, health services, primary education, culture, social welfare, public works, agriculture and sports) to the council of ministers.

1986 The Tahoeraa Huiraatira- Rassemblement pour la République (TH-RPR) (People's Front-Rally for the Republic) won the Territorial Assembly elections.

1987 Following accusations of misappropriation of public funds, Gaston Flosse resigned as president of the territory's council of ministers and was replaced by Jacques Teuira. Teuira was then replaced by Alexandre Léontieff of the Tavini Huiraatira/Serviteur du Peuple (TH-FLP) (People's Servant).

1990 Amendments to the Polynesian constitution, which augmented the president's and the Territorial Assembly's powers, were approved by the French parliament.

1996 Gaston Flosse was re-elected present of the council of ministers. France ended nuclear testing. The French government relinquished control over all the territory's affairs except for defence, law enforcement, the justice system and the local currency.

2000 The transformation of the Térritoire d'Outre-Mer (TOM) (overseas territory) of French Polynesia into a Pays d'Outre-Mer (POM) (overseas country) was postponed until a later unspecified date. Flosse was re-elected.

2001 There were public demonstrations against the introduction in the 2002 budget of new taxes on alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, sugar and cars. The ruling TH-RPR was re-elected.

2002 France was denounced in a meeting of non-governmental organisations held in Hiroshima, Japan, over its refusal to recognise health problems related to nuclear tests it had conducted in French Polynesia. An appeal court in Paris dismissed fraud accusations against President Gaston Flosse.

2003 The University of French Polynesia is to offer medical studies under a partnership agreement with the University of Bordeaux, France. In June, the Territorial Assembly passed an amendment bringing the territory's operating budget to CFPf111.7 billion (US$1.0 billion).

2004 President Gaston Flosse called early elections in May, following the dissolution of the Territorial Assembly by President Jacques Chirac as a consequence of the introduction of the new autonomy law which had, among other things, changed French Polynesia from a POM to a TOM. After the parliamentary elections, President Flosse's TH-RPR was one seat short of a majority. On 15 June, Oscar Temaru (UPLD) was elected president of the territorial government; the Union pour la Démocratie (UPLD) (Union for Democracy) formed a government with the support of the two independents; the coalition held 30 seats in the 57-member Assembly. President Temaru reduced the number of ministers in his cabinet from 16 to 10, and announced that they would take a pay cut. On 9 October, President Oscar Temaru's government was ousted in a parliamentary motion of censure adopted by 29 votes out of 57. On 23 October, former president Gaston Flosse (TH-RPR)was re-elected, also with 29 votes.

2005 By-elections were held in Tahiti and Moorea on 13 February after the previous election of 23 May 2004 was invalidated (37 seats out of the total 57). The final result of the parliamentary elections was: 27 seats for the UPLD, 27 for the TH-RPR, and three for the Alliance pour la Démocratie Nouvelle (ADN) (Alliance for a New Democracy). On 19 February, President Gaston Flosse (TH-RPR) was ousted in a vote of no confidence filed by the opposition leader, Oscar Temaru (UPLD), supported by the ADN. On 3 March, Oscar Temaru, leader of the pro-independence movement, was elected president.

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