All Destinations | Europe | Asia | North America | Africa | South America | Oceania | Hotels
| |
| Location | |
| |
| Flag | |
| |
| Quick Facts | |
| Capital | Papeete |
| Government | French overseas country (pays d'outre-mer) |
| Currency | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique- Franc Pacifique (XPF); |
| Area | total: 4,167 km2 (118 islands and atolls) water: 507 km2 land: 3,660 km2 |
| Population | 274,578 (July 2006 est.) |
| Language | French (official) |
| Religion | Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6% |
| Calling Code | +689 |
| Internet TLD | .pf |
| Time Zone | UTC-9 to UTC-10 |
French Polynesia (Polynésie française) is a set of islands that is an overseas country attached to France. Located in the South Pacific Ocean, it is halfway between California and Australia.
Tahiti and her islands cover four million square kilometers of ocean which is the same area as the European Union. However the land above sea level accounts for some 7,000 square kilometers consisting of 118 islands, grouped into 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.