01
Physical geography
Mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs.
Local timePapeetē ·
Oceania / Polynesia · Card 008
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is a French overseas collectivity made up of widely scattered Pacific islands. Its capital, Papeetē, is on Tahiti.
Find French Polynesia
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Papeetē
- Languages
- French & Polynesian languages
- Currency
- CFP franc (XPF)
- Population
- 282,4652025 · World Bank
- Area
- 4,167 km²1,608.89 square miles
- Status
- French overseas collectivityAutonomy statute adopted in 2004.
French Polynesia in context
Oceania and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Papeetē; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
French is official. Tahitian and other Polynesian languages are important in daily life and cultural expression.
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Location
Oceania, five archipelagoes (Archipel des Tuamotu, Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between South America and Australia.
Flag
Two horizontal red bands flank 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 stylized red Polynesian canoe on the disk has a crew of five, represented by five stars
History & status
The islands have a long Polynesian settlement history. France annexed Tahiti in 1880, and the wider territory later became known as French Polynesia. An autonomy statute adopted in 2004 expanded local governing powers within the French Republic. French nuclear testing at Moruroa and Fangataufa from 1966 to 1996 remains an important part of the territory’s modern history.
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France annexes Tahiti
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The territory takes the name French Polynesia
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French nuclear testing in the territory ends
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An expanded autonomy statute is adopted
Economy
Main activities
Tourism, public services and transfers from France are central to the economy. Cultured black pearls, fishing and agricultural products contribute to exports. The islands are spread across a very large ocean area, increasing the cost of transport, infrastructure and public service delivery.
Industry and production
Tourism, cultured black pearls, fishing, food production and public services.
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Thousands of people282.52025 · thousands of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 114,010 | 114.010 |
| 1980 | 156,471 | 156.471 |
| 1990 | 203,776 | 203.776 |
| 2000 | 240,337 | 240.337 |
| 2010 | 270,580 | 270.580 |
| 2020 | 279,209 | 279.209 |
| 2025 | 282,465 | 282.465 |
Real GDP, 1990–2024
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars5.92024 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5,157,102,802 | 5.157 |
| 1991 | 5,345,622,078 | 5.346 |
| 1992 | 5,267,715,608 | 5.268 |
| 1993 | 5,199,357,379 | 5.199 |
| 1994 | 5,112,719,178 | 5.113 |
| 1995 | 5,092,832,264 | 5.093 |
| 1996 | 5,058,784,819 | 5.059 |
| 1997 | 5,052,571,890 | 5.053 |
| 1998 | 5,140,151,877 | 5.140 |
| 1999 | 5,237,328,134 | 5.237 |
| 2000 | 5,407,300,958 | 5.407 |
| 2001 | 5,388,829,857 | 5.389 |
| 2002 | 5,434,429,137 | 5.434 |
| 2003 | 5,550,015,578 | 5.550 |
| 2004 | 5,603,920,611 | 5.604 |
| 2005 | 5,621,291,279 | 5.621 |
| 2006 | 5,671,297,393 | 5.671 |
| 2007 | 5,767,991,632 | 5.768 |
| 2008 | 5,768,381,984 | 5.768 |
| 2009 | 5,524,299,140 | 5.524 |
| 2010 | 5,388,066,377 | 5.388 |
| 2011 | 5,228,474,144 | 5.228 |
| 2012 | 5,179,978,074 | 5.180 |
| 2013 | 5,200,635,900 | 5.201 |
| 2014 | 5,231,504,506 | 5.232 |
| 2015 | 5,325,846,362 | 5.326 |
| 2016 | 5,448,457,903 | 5.448 |
| 2017 | 5,682,340,239 | 5.682 |
| 2018 | 5,785,013,023 | 5.785 |
| 2019 | 5,940,599,015 | 5.941 |
| 2020 | 5,312,451,133 | 5.312 |
| 2021 | 5,491,263,055 | 5.491 |
| 2022 | 5,652,560,509 | 5.653 |
| 2023 | 5,809,297,012 | 5.809 |
| 2024 | 5,874,732,293 | 5.875 |
Government
An autonomous overseas collectivity within the French Republic. An elected Assembly chooses the President of French Polynesia, who leads the local government. A High Commissioner represents the French state, which retains responsibilities including defence, justice and currency.
Knowledge check
Three questions about French Polynesia.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which cultivated product is a notable French Polynesian export?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.