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GOVERNMENT OF FRENCH POLYNESIA
French Polynesia is a parliamentary democracy (Assembly of French Polynesia); an overseas collectivity of France. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]
Names of the Country: Official Name: Overseas Lands of French Polynesia; conventional short form: French Polynesia; local long form: Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynesie Francaise; local short form: Polynesie Francaise; Former name: Establishments in Oceania, French Establishments in Oceania. 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. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]
Dependency Status: overseas country of France; It was an overseas territory of France from 1946-2003; overseas collectivity of France since 2003, though it is often referred to as an overseas country due to its degree of autonomy. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]
Under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has acquired autonomy in all areas except those relating to police, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are fashioned after those of the French prime minister
Capital: Papeete (located on Tahiti): Geographic Coordinates: 17 32 S, 149 34 W. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]
Administrative Divisions: 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; The Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands together make up the Society Islands (Iles de la Societe). [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]
Independence: none (overseas land of France). National Holiday: Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); the local holiday is Internal Autonomy Day, 29 June (1880). [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]
National Symbols of French Polynesia
Flag: two red horizontal bands encase 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 Polynesian canoe rides on the wave pattern; the canoe has a crew of five represented by five stars that symbolize the five island groups; red and white are traditional Polynesian colors. It is identical to the red-white-red flag of Tahiti, the largest and most populous of the islands in French Polynesia, but which has no emblem in the white band; the flag of France is used for official occasions. [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2023]
National Symbols: outrigger canoe, Tahitian gardenia (Gardenia taitensis) flower; national colors: red, white
National Anthem: name: "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 (the compositional group created both the lyrics and music). It was adopted in 1993; serves as a local anthem; as a territory of France, "La Marseillaise" is official (see France)
Constitution and Legal System of French Polynesia
Constitution: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution). Amendments: French constitution amendment procedures apply. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]
Legal System: the laws of France, where applicable, apply. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]
Citizenship: see France. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]
Executive Branch of French Polynesia
Chief of State: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Dominique SORAIN (since 10 July 2019)
Head of Government: President of French Polynesia Moetai BROTHERSON Edouard FRITCH (since 12 May 2023). [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]
Cabinet: Council of Ministers approved by the Assembly from a list of its members submitted by the president. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]
Executive Branch Elections and Appointments: 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). [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]
Legislative Branch of French Polynesia
has a unicameral Assembly of French Polynesia or Assemblée de la Polynésie française (57 seats; elections held in 2 rounds; in the second round, 38 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by a closed-list proportional representation vote; the party receiving the most votes gets an additional 19 seats; members serve 5-year terms; French Polynesia indirectly elects 2 senators to the French Senate via an electoral college by absolute majority vote for 6-year terms with one-half the membership renewed every 3 years and directly elects 3 deputies to the French National Assembly by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for 5-year terms
Elections: Assembly of French Polynesia: last held on 16 and 30 April 2023 (next to be held in 2028); French Senate: last held on 28 September 2020 (next to be held on 30 September 2023) French National Assembly: last held in 2 rounds on 12 and 19 June 2022 (next to be held in 2027)
Results of the Last Legislative Election: Assembly of French Polynesia: percent of vote by party: People's Servant Party 66.7 percent; List of the People 26.3 percent, I Love Polynesia 5.3 percent, Rally of Mahoi People 1.8 percent; seats by party: People's Servant People 38; List of the People 15, I Love Polynesia 3, Rally of the Mahoi People 1, composition: men 27, women 30, percent of women 52.6 percent French Senate: percent of vote by party: NA; seats by party: Popular Rally 1, People's Servant Party 1; composition: NA French National Assembly: percent of vote by party: NA; seats by party: People's Servant Party 3; composition: NA
Judicial Branch of French Polynesia
Highest Court: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel (composition NA); Appeals beyond the French Polynesia Court of Appeal are heard by the Court of Cassation (in Paris)
Judge Selection and Term of Office for the Highest Court: judges assigned from France normally for 3 years. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]
Subordinate Courts: Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif
Elections and Political Parties
Voting Age: 18 years of age; universal. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]
Elections: Assembly of French Polynesia: last held on 16 and 30 April 2023 (next to be held in 2028) French Senate: last held on 28 September 2020 (next to be held on 30 September 2023) French National Assembly: last held in 2 rounds on 12 and 19 June 2022 (next to be held in 2027)
Political Parties:
I Love Polynesia (A here la Porinetia) led by Nicole SANQUER
List of the People (Tapura Huiraatira) led by Edouard FRITCH
People's Servant Party (Tavini Huiraatira) led Oscar TEMARU
Rally of the Maohi People (Amuitahiraʻa o te Nunaʻa Maohi) led Gaston FLOSSE (formerly known as Popular Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira)). [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2023]
Government Spending, Taxes and Revenues
Government Budget: revenues: $1.891 billion (2012); expenditures: $1.833 billion (2011); Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): 1.2 percent (of GDP) (2012); ranking compared to other countries in the world: 28. [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2023]
Taxes: 39.4 percent (of GDP) (2012); ranking compared to other countries in the world: 13. [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2023]
Military and International Relations of French
Military and Security Forces: no regular military forces. Defense is the responsibility of France; France maintains forces (about 900 troops) in French Polynesia
International Organization That It Participates In: ITUC (NGOs), PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WMO
Image Sources:
Text Sources: CIA World Factbook, 2023; “Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Volume 2: Oceania,” edited by Terence E. Hays, 1991, Wikipedia, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Times of London, Lonely Planet Guides, Library of Congress, The Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, BBC, CNN, and various books, websites and other publications.
Last updated August 2023