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Geography of French Polynesia

Location:Oceania, archipelagoes in the South Pacific Ocean about one-half of the way from South America to Australia
Geographic coordinates:15 00 S, 140 00 W
Map references:Oceania
Area:total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
land: 3,660 sq km
water: 507 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries:0 km
Coastline:2,525 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:tropical, but moderate
Terrain:mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m
Natural resources:timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower
Land use:arable land: 0.75%
permanent crops: 5.5%
other: 93.75% (2005)
Irrigated land:10 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:occasional cyclonic storms in January
Environment - current issues:NA
Geography - note:includes five archipelagoes (4 volcanic, 1 coral); Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru

French Polynesia Quickstats

  • Population: 278,963 (July 2007 est.)
  • Area: 4,167 sq km
  • Density: 62 /km² (130th)
  • GDP (total): $4.58 billion (not ranked)
  • GDP (per capita): $17,500¹ (not ranked)
  • Literacy: 98%

Languages of French Polynesia

Useful to know

  • Currency: CFP franc (XPF)
  • Dial code: +689

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