French Polynesia
About French Polynesia
French Polynesia, French Polynesia Française formerly called French Oceania, is a French Overseas Territory, which consists of a number of islands, located in Polynesia in the South Pacific. The capital is the city of Papeete on the island of Tahiti.
From 1946 to 2003, French Polynesia’s status as a French overseas territory (Territoire d’outre-mer). Since 2004, French Polynesia had the status of a French overseas country (pays d’outre-mer).
The islands of French Polynesia have a total area of 4.167 km ² spread over an area of over 2,500,000 km ² stretch of ocean. French Polynesia was in 2002 245.405 inhabitants, of whom 83% Polynesians, 12% Europeans, and 5% Asian. 69% of the population lived in 2002 on the island of Tahiti. The city of Papeete has 127,635 inhabitants (2002). The most famous islands in French Polynesia is Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora.
One of the things that have made French Polynesia known include French painter Paul Gauguin who stayed on Tahiti and Marquesas Islands in the period 1891-1893 and 1895-1903 Funds and painted several of his famous paintings with Polynesian motifs. Additionally, one of the atolls were used for testing of atomic bombs on the outlying atolls of Mururoa and Fangataufa Tuamotuøgruppen the French military in the period 1966 to 1996. It was also after visit to Tahiti to history’s enough-known mutiny took place, namely the “Mutiny on the Bounty”, where Fletcher Christian led the mutiny and later sailed to the island of Pitcairn. In conclusion it may be mentioned that it was on the atoll Raroia in Tuamotuøgruppen that Thor Heyerdahl and Kon-Tiki ended their 101-day voyage in 1947.
Gabon & French Guiana
