Constitution)
Legal system: based on French system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of
France (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner of the
Republic Paul RONCIERE (since NA 1994)
head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 4 April 1991); President of the Territorial Assembly Justin ARAPARI (since 13 May 1996)
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 seven-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
Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 12 May 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 22, Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia 10, New Fatherland Party 5, other 4
note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 24 September 1989 (next to be held NA September 1998); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UC 1; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 25 May - 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 2
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First
Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative
Law or Tribunal Administratif
Political parties and leaders: Centrist Union or UC [leader NA];
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 (Tahoeraa Huiraatira)
[Gaston FLOSSE]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), FZ,
ICFTU, SPC, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of
France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of
France)
Flag description: two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered on the white band is a disk with blue and white wave pattern on the lower half and gold and white ray pattern on the upper half; a stylized red, blue and white ship rides on the wave pattern; the French flag is used for official occasions
French Polynesia Economy
Economy - overview: Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. The small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural products. The territory benefited from a five-year (1994–98) development agreement with France aimed principally at creating new jobs.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.6 billion (1997 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.5% (1997 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,800 (1997 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4%
industry: 18%
services: 78% (1997)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1994)
Labor force: 70,000 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 13%, industry 19%, services 68% (1997)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1 billion
expenditures: $900 million, including capital expenditures of $185 million (1996)
Industries: tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 430 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 51.16%
hydro: 48.84%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 399.9 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits; poultry, beef, dairy products
Exports: $205 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Exports - commodities: cultured pearls 50%, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat (1997)
Exports - partners: Japan 62%, US 21% (1999)
Imports: $749 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Imports - commodities: fuels, foodstuffs, equipment
Imports - partners: France 53%, US 13%, Australia 10% (1999)
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: $367 million (1997)
Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)
Currency code: XPF
Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 127.11 (January 2001), 129.44 (2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25 (1998), 106.11 (1997), 93.00 (1996); note - pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro
Fiscal
