Enid Blyton

The French Polynésie is a whole of 5 Archipel S French, located in the south of the Pacific Ocean, approximately 6  000  km in the east of the Australia. It includes/understands the Archipelago of the Company with the Windward Islands and the islands Under-the-Wind, the archipelago of the Tuamotu, the archipelago of the Gambier, the archipelago of the Australes and that of the Marquises, as well as immense adjacent maritime spaces. Its zip code begins with 987 .

History

There is 5  000 years (3  000 front J. - C), of the inhabitants of the littoral of the China of the South, farmers of millet and rice, start to cross the strait to settle with Taiwan. Towards 2  000 before J. - C., of the migrations take place of Taiwan towards the Filipino . New migrations start soon of Philippines towards Célèbes and Timor and from there, the other islands of the archipelago Indonesia N. Towards 1  500 av. J. - C., another movement carries out Filipino in New Guinea and beyond that, the islands of the Pacifique. The Austronésiens are undoubtedly the first navigators of the history of humanity.

See also: Settlement of Oceania

It is a whole of island S Polynesian which was annexed and colonized by the France during the 19th century. It had as a name until in 1958 that of the “  French establishments of the Oceania   ”.

Statute

French Polynesia is a community of overseas, currently governed by of February 27th, 2004. It profits from a broad political autonomy.

Nevertheless of a free association of States as can the being the old New Zealand dependences it is not a question. As a community of overseas French C.O.M., the administration of the kingly functions (defense, police force, justice, treasure) is ensured by the State represented on the territory by a High commissionership of the Republic. The French language remains obligatory in these services, however in justice, the laws and the stops can be returned in reo maohi with a French translation. Moreover the Polynesian native language teaching (tahitien, mangarevien, tuamote, marquisien) is organized in the whole of the school and university cycles. Image: Office of the High Commission Papeete.jpg|thumb| High commissionership of the Republic with PAPEETE]] On the educational level, the archipelago is managed by a Vice-vice-chancellorship but from many competences were transferred to the Polynesian minister of education and its two great services D.E.P. (Division of primary school educations) and D.E.S. (Division of secondary educations).

Policy

Leitartikel  : Political of French Polynesia
France carried out 46 atmospheric nuclear tests in Polynesia between 1966 and 1974, followed of more than 150 underground testing. In September 1995, Jacques Chirac, then president of France started a great number of protests in the world by finishing its nuclear tests on the Atoll of Moruroa (called often wrongly Mururoa ), after a three years moratorium. The tests are definitively stopped since January 1996.

Subdivisions

See the article : Common of French Polynesia

French Polynesia is made up of 5 administrative subdivisions (listed here the North-East in South-west)  :

  • the subdivision of the Marquesas Islands in the North-East of French Polynesia (closest in the South to Hawaii and the East of Kiribati), made up of two groups of islands distincts :
    • the Northern group, around the island of Nuku Hiva (largest and the most populated Marchionesses, and the third larger island of French Polynesia after Tahiti, which is the seat of the commune of Taiohae , the village chief town of the Marchionesses) and of the island of Ua Pou   ;
    • the Southern group, around the island of Hiva Oa.
  • the largest subdivision of the Tuamotu-Gambier , of five, made up in fact of two archipels :
    • the Archipelago of Tuamotu, also called Paumotu or Dangerous islands , in the 84 islands, reefs and atolls low depth extending from the North-West (close to Kiribati) in the center and the East of French Polynesia. The archipelago, immense and slightly populated, is composed of several groups of atolls (some almost completely immersed in low depth) and îlots :
      • the islands of the King Georges in the North-West of Tuamotu (of which atolls of Ahe, Manihi, Takaroa, Takapoto),
      • the islands To train in the South of the preceding ones, made up of broad atolls (of which the atoll of Rangiroa, the principal island of Tuamotu, the largest atoll of Polynesia and the larger second in the world, where is also produced the Vin of Tahiti , and atolls of Mataiva, Tikehau, Arutua, Apataki, Kaukura, Toau, Aratika, Kauehi),
      • the islands Raéffsky, in the center of Tuamotu (of which the atoll of Fakarava, the second larger atoll of French Polynesia, atolls close to Raraka, Faaite, Tahanea, Motutunga, Katiu, Makemo, Northern Marutea, Raroia, Takume, and the island of Anaa more to the South),
      • the islands of the Disappointment, in the North-East of Tuamotu (of which small atolls of Tepoto, Napuka, and Puka-Puka),
      • a group of atolls and small islands scattered in the center of Tuamotu (of which atolls of Marokau - Ravahere, Hao, Amanu, and the island of Vahitahi and its neighbors), and more with the North-East a string of islands (Fangatau, Fakahina, Tatakoto, Pukarua, Reao, these last being sometimes counted among the islands of the Disappointment),
      • the islands of the Duke of Gloucester, small size and almost uninhabited, with the South-south-west of Tuamotu (of which the island of Hereheretue), managed since Hao.
      • a group of small islands and atolls in the South-east of Tuamotu (of which atolls of Moruroa and Fangataufa in the course of retrocession by the French State with the Polynesian civil administration, as well as the atolls of Southern Marutea and islands of the Group Actéon), managed from the Gambiers  islands; ;
    • the islands Gambier in the South-east (closest to the British islands Pitcairn ), whose largest island are Mangareva (which is the seat of the commune of Rikitea , the chief town of Tuamotu-Gambier), three other large islands being Aukena, Akamaru and Taravai, all encircled by the same coral reef from where emergent ten small islands.
  • the Archipelago of the Company, in the West of French Polynesia, is populated and the most divided administratively into deux :
    • the subdivision of the islands Under-the-Wind , the West-north-west part of the archipelago, of which most known islands sont :
      • Bora-Bora and Maupiti in North, closest to the islands Cook   ;
      • Huahine, also called “  the island with the femmes  ”   ;
      • Raiatea, largest as of these islands, on which the chief place is (the commune of Uturoa)   ;
      • Tahaa, located in the same lagoon as Raiatea  ;
      • the atolls Motu One, Maupihaa, Manuae and Tupai.
    • the subdivision of the Windward Islands , the East-south-east part of the archipelago, of which most known islands sont :
      • Tahiti, the largest most populated island and of all French Polynesia, formed by two volcanos connected by the isthmus of Taravao. The Mont Orohena culminates on the North-western part Tahiti Nui , “  large Tahiti  ”, which is the seat of the commune of PAPEETE , chief town of Windward Islands and capital of French Polynesia (the South-eastern part of the island east Tahiti Iti , “  small Tahiti  ”)   ;
      • the island close to Moorea, so called “  the island sœur  ”, formed by the volcano of the Toheia Mount and encircled of a barrier of corail  ;
      • but also small islands of Maiao and Mehetia and the atoll of Tetiaroa.
  • the subdivision of the Southern islands , in one the Southern third of French Polynesia, made up in fact of two archipels :
    • the islands Tubuaï being formed in South-west (name of its larger island Tubuaï and of its common chief town Mataura also including/understanding the common partners of Taahueia and Mahu, and forming a chain extending from the island Maria in the island Raivavae via the islands of Rimatara and Rurutu), in the East of the principal part (southern) of the islands Cook   ;
    • the islands of Bottom, to which belonged the island of Grated or Rapa Iti “  small Rapa  ” (not to be confused with the Easter Island also called Grated Harmed “  large Rapa  ” very isolated and located much further at the East towards the Chile, but which would have been colonized since Gambier) and the islands Marotiri (southernmost of all the islands of French Polynesia, and isolated).
Because of the weak population of many islands or villages, disseminated on an often immense marine territory, those are managed administratively like common partners, and a Polynesian commune often gathers several common partners and a whole of islands, sometimes on a very wide territory. The average surface of the Polynesian communes is thus very definitely higher than that of the communes of metropolises, even if their terrestrial surface remains finally very modest, even by counting the uninhabited islands. The originality is thus in the common partners centered on a village with each one their usual cheffery, one of them sheltering the chief town of the commune and the principal public services (administrative and postal).

The pattern of the Polynesian settlement very unequal, is concentrated on a limited number of islands having sufficient resources (in particular out of water, rare and invaluable in Polynesia, as well for drinking water as agriculture). Two of the subdivisions of French Polynesia hardly do not reach, in the totality of the communes which compose them, the population of many communes of metropolis (thus the Marchionesses in entirety add up only the population of a metropolitan small town). Contrary, the archipelago of the Company concentrates the essence of the population on an exiguous terrestrial territory and with the limited resources.

The difficulties of Polynesia lie primarily in the immense distances on the territory, and the transport infrastructure necessary to manage them effectively (this is why the communes count finally few inhabitants, compared to metropolis).

It should be added that the uninhabited and desert island of Clipperton, disputed possession of the French Republic to broad of the Mexico, and very far away from French Polynesia does not form part of it administratively nor politically. This island was only managed from French Polynesia by the High-Commissioner of the Republic representing the French State in the Pacifique zone.

Geography

Leitartikel  : Geography of French Polynesia

This territory includes/understands several groups of islands and atolls of which most important and the most populated is Tahiti. French Polynesia is located in an area where reign an intense seismic activity.

The islands of Polynesia result from the volcanic activity of " points chauds" located at the intersection of seismic faults. These islands follow then the movement of the plate océanienne (which moves towards western north), the " not chaud" remaining, him, fixed. Consequently, the craters which one can still guess are only vestiges of the volcanic activity and are not extinct volcanos. These volcanic solid masses are inserted gradually in the terrestrial coat, until disappearing from surface (the only visible trace is then the coral reef, whose growth continues compensates for the depression of the support : the islands are then called atolls, in opposition to the high islands which, they, are mountainous). It is however a model which, if he describes very well the geology of the islands of the Company (with a very young island - Tahiti - located at the south-east of the Archipelago, whose planar ones are still visible, and of the older islands, such Raïatea or Bora Bora - located at the North-West) cannot only return account to him of the situation of the other Polynesian archipelagoes.

The exiguity of the emerged grounds makes that number of the atolls are uninhabited, or only used for fishing and the pearl-bearing culture.

The very many atolls of Tuamotu make navigation dangerous in the area, and are famous for their strandings. Their lagoon is fed out of oceanic water by some master keys (of the ruptures of the coral barrier), and the deep craters offer very cold and limpid water contrasting with warm water of the weak funds of the plates lagunaires, which shelter a rich fauna and marine flora. On the parts emerged on the other hand, the lack or sometimes the complete absence of fresh water gives a very poor terrestrial flora, and these very sorry atolls often are inhabited shellfish and are used as refuges with the birds.

In Tahiti, the largest island, the vestiges of the two volcanos continue to culminate with sizeable heights (2241  m for the Orohena, the most mount of French Polynesia) around broad valleys and fertile alluvial plains and on the sides of which were formed by places of the coral solid masses. The coasts, protected by the coral solid masses are slightly eroded by the sea because of a very weak marling, and offer long basaltic beaches. Tahiti and other close Windward Islands are located, in a single way in the world, on a oceanic point where the effect of tide caused by the moon is almost null except at the beginning of southern (full moon of All Saints' day).

This single fact gives beaches very accessible to any hour, but of the difficult ports of access (on the condition of crossing the not very major and dangerous oceanic master keys because of the swell), it on the other hand allows the culture of the not very deep water pearls on the Polynesian atolls thanks to the purity of water which crosses weak but regular oceanic current. It allows also the installation of lake villages in the lagoons limpid water. Very short and very abrupt plate gives to the oceanic swell a power which gives remarkable rollers close to the beaches, which in fact a paradise for the surfers.

On the other hand with the Marchionesses whose geological formation is more recent, the volcanos are slightly eroded and offer an abrupt mountainous landscape, crossed narrow valleys, short beaches with deep water. The Marchionesses do not have a coral barrier.

Their landscape offers, seen sea, a pace of cathedrals emerged from water, from where run out of the cascades feeding of very short brackish rivers crossing the beaches, the coast being sown small splits encircled by a forest of tropical trees. The richness of these islands was appraisal since antiquity, and the Marchionesses conceal archeological sites testifying to colonization and the Polynesian cultures oldest.

Economy

Leitartikel  : Economy of French Polynesia

French Polynesia has a fairly developed economy, dependant on the importation of goods, Tourisme and budgets on behalf of France, in particular the DGDE. The tourist complexes are very present and often more than at half vacuums on the most important islands.

The culture of the Perle S for the jewelry also is very developed.

Demography

Leitartikel  : Demography of French Polynesia

Communications

Leitartikel  : Communications in French Polynesia

Religions

Source: Y. Iron and G. Malogne-Iron, chapter “French Polynesia” in Manfred Ernst (to dir.), Globalization and the Re-Shaping off Christianity in Oceania , Suva (Fiji), PTC, 2006.

Christianity occupies a central place in the contemporary Polynesian company. In 1951, the census mentioned five churches and indicated that a quarter of the population was catholic, a little more Protestant half (54,81%), the remaining churches - adventists, sanito (reorganized Mormon church) and Mormon (church of Jesus-Christ of the saints of the last days) not gathering with them three but 6,41% of the inhabitants of French Polynesia. In 1971, date of the last census including the religious membership, the Catholic church clearly had progressed (34,5%), the evangelic church of French Polynesia (EEPF, historical Protestant woman - 50,5%) declined a little. During years 1980 of new churches developed - pentecotists in particular - while the churches adventist and, especially, Mormons progress in a very significant way, at the expense generally of the EEPF. The last indications available, published in 2006, show that from now on close to a Polynesian on five belongs neither to the Catholic church nor with the EEPF (renamed Protestant church my' ohi in 2004).

Protestant Church my' ohi (EPM): The EPM gathers approximately 38% of the Polynesian population. It is the heiress of the first Protestant missions in Oceania, which introduced Christianity in Tahiti. March 5th, 1797, dates to which the missionaries of the ship the Duff chartered by the London Missionary Society unloaded in bay of Matavai, is registered since 1978 on the calendar of the Polynesian official festivals and is commemorated each year by the EPM.

Catholic church : The Catholic church also represents it around 38% of the population. The catholic missions were established as from 1834 in the archipelagoes which form French Polynesia today: in the islands Gambier (brothers of the Congregation of Crowned the Hearts of Jesus and Marie, called of Picpus) with the conversion of king Maputeoa in 1836, in the Marquesas Islands (the first mission is founded in 1839 on the island of Nuku Hiva), then in Tahiti. Since the end of the year 1970, the charismatic Revival occupies an important place in the life of the Catholic church in French Polynesia: at least a quarter of the faithful ones.

Mormon churches : First Mormon missions as from 1844, in the Tuamotu islands and in the Southern islands (Tubuai). French Polynesia counts two Mormon churches: the church of Jesus-Christ of the saints of the last days (6,5% of the population) which knew a strong growth during the years 1980 and the community of Christ (reorganized church, locally called “sanito”: 3,6%).

the adventist church (5,8%): In French Polynesia, the adventists are called “petania” (“Pitcairn” in tahitien), in reference to the inhabitants of the island of Pitcairn who were the first adventists in Oceania, since 1886, and to the Pitcairn sailing ship whose stopover in December 1890 in Tahiti marked the beginning of the adventist mission in the islands of the Company.

Other churches : Pentecotists since 1962 (initially in the Chinese community of Tahiti, then as from the years 1980 in the whole of the population - 1,5%).

Other religions : Religion bahá' í, Buddhism (Chinese traditional and Zen) and Judaism (a synagog in Tahiti).

The witnesses of Jéhovah (2%) are present since the beginning of the years 1960.

Culture

Transport

Leitartikel  : Transports in French Polynesia

Tourism

Leitartikel  : Tourism in French Polynesia

Others

French Polynesia low has one of the rates of criminality of France and its departments and overseas territories.

The medical cover generally good on the most important islands but is limited in the more remote or less populated areas. The people needing care urgent or suffering of grave diseases are often transferred to Tahiti to be neat there (one finds two hospitals and several private clinics there).

Although the most important roads are tarred and maintained well, much of minor roads these advantages do not have. The road traffic is particularly dense in Tahiti.

Codes

French Polynesia has as codes:
  • F-OH, according to the List of prefixes ICAO of registration of the aircraft
  • NT, according to the List of the prefixes of codes ICAO of the airports,
  • PF, according to the standard ISO 3166-1 (code list country), code alpha-2,
  • PYF, according to the standard ISO 3166-1 (code list country), code alpha-3,

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