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French Polynesia: France
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French Polynesia, an French overseas territory, is a group of Polynesian islands annexed by France during the 19th century. It is made up of several groups of islands, the largest and most populated of which is Tahiti. French Polynesia has a moderately developed economy, which is dependent on imported goods, tourism and the financial assistance of mainland France. Tourist facilities are well developed and are available on the major islands.
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French Polynesia has been a colony of France since 1843. Prior to the 1960s, French Polynesia's national economy was based on meager exports of copra, vanilla, coffee, and phosphate. Local people made their livelihoods through subsistence farming and fishing, in addition to petty marketing of agricultural and other commodities.
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The way of life in French Polynesia varies depending on location. Papeete is a cosmopolitan city with a strong Western influence. Residents of the city enjoy French cuisine and eat mainly imported food. Most clothing and other goods are ... imported, largely from France. By Pacific Island standards, the cost of living in Papeete and other urban areas on Tahiti is extremely high. On more remote islands, the lifestyle is much slower in pace.
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French Polynesia’s local productive capacity is small. As a result, French Polynesia imports approximately eight times as much as it exports (2005 figures) with over 52% of imports originating from France. Exports are made up by black pearls, fish, noni juice, fishing boats and coconut oil, with smaller quantities of shells, cosmetics, vanilla, and handicrafts. The tourism industry is another significant source of revenue and employment for French Polynesia. There has been good investment in recent years in new hotel construction, new cruise ships and Tahiti’s own international airline, Air Tahiti Nui. However, French Polynesia’s tourist industry has suffered from the general worldwide recession in the wake of the terrorist attacks in the United States, the war in Iraq and SARS.
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Beginning c.300 A.D., migrating Polynesians settled the islands that later became French Polynesia, and from the islands subsequently settled Hawaii, New Zealand, and other parts of Polynesia. 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 ... 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 1995รข€“96 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.
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Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence agricultural economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. With the halt of French nuclear testing in 1996, the military contribution to the economy fell sharply. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. Other sources of income are pearl farming and deep-sea commercial fishing. The small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural products. The territory benefits substantially from development agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses and strengthening social services.
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