French Polynesia History Infoplease

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French Polynesia

French Polynesia, officially Territory of French Polynesia, internally self-governing overseas country (2002 pop. 245,516) of France, consisting of 118 islands in the South Pacific. The capital is Papeete, on Tahiti. The territory comprises five main groups: the Society Islands; Marquesas Islands; Austral Islands; Tuamotu Archipelago; and Gambier Islands. The small, uninhabited atoll of Clipperton Island, c.3,400 mi (5,470 km) NE of Tahiti, is administered by France from French Polynesia.

Tropical fruits are grown on plantations, and cultured pearls, coconut oil, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, and shark meat are exported. Tourism is important to the economy. Foodstuffs, fuel, and equipment are the largest imports.

The inhabitants of the territory are mainly indigenous Polynesians or those of mixed Polynesian and European descent (known as Demis); about 55% are Protestant and 30% Roman Catholic. There is a considerable Chinese and a smaller French minority. French and Tahitian are both official languages. French Polynesia is administered by a French-appointed high commissioner and by an elected assembly that elects a territorial president and a council of ministers. The territory elects two deputies to the French national assembly and one member of the senate.

European contact began in the 16th cent., and the area was widely explored by the French during the 18th and 19th cent., when French missionaries also came to the region. The Marquesas and Society groups were annexed by France in 1842, Tahiti in 1844, and by the end of the 19th cent. the other islands had come under French administration. Uniform governance of the area began in 1903, and the islands became an overseas territory in 1946. France began testing nuclear weapons in some parts of French Polynesia in the 1960s, meeting with widespread local opposition; a series of six tests in 1995Ò96 was declared by France to be the last. Many inhabitants have sought a greater measure of independence from French control, and limited autonomy was awarded in 1984. In 2004 the territory became a French overseas country. France granted the territory greater autonomy in most local affairs and regional relations but retained control of law enforcement, defense, and the money supply.

Elections in May, 2004, brought a coalition of independents and pro-independence legislators to power, and Oscar Temaru, of the pro-independence Union for Democracy, became territorial president. Temaru's coalition lost a confidence vote in Oct., 2004, and Gaston Flosse, long-time leader of the government and an opponent of independence, was returned to power. The change led to political tensions in French Polynesia; at the same time, the French State Council called for rerunning the balloting for nearly two thirds of the seats. The Feb., 2005, revote enabled Temaru to form a new coalition, and he again became territorial president. Temaru again lost a confidence vote in Dec., 2006, and Gaston Tong Sang, the pro-autonomy mayor of Bora Bora, was elected to succeed Temaru.