French Polynesia (Tahitian: Pōrīnetia Farāni; French: Polynésie française) is an overseas collectivity of France (as a former colony) in Polynesia composed of 118 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over an expanse of more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) in the South Pacific Ocean. French Polynesia is divided into five groups of islands: the Society Islands archipelago, composed of the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands (Not to be confused with the ones in The Caribbean), the Tuamotu Archipelago, the Gambier Islands, the Marquesas Islands and the Austral Islands, with Tahiti in the Society Islands being the most populous island and the location of the capital of the territory, Papeete, as well as the largest city, Fa'a'ā.
French Polynesia is notable for being one of the last places on Earth to be settled by humans, with the Marquesas Islands first being settled by Austronesian peoples in about 200 BC, and the Society Islands around AD 300. The territory is a famous surfing spot with its reef break waves, with Teahupoʻo being regularly ranked in the best waves of the world, and the 7th stop of the World Championship Tour, the Billabong Pro Tahiti surf competition, being hosted annually there. French Polynesia is also known for its diving, with each archipelago offering opportunities for divers, and the Fakarava and Rangiroa in the Tuamotu islands being the most famous spots in the area.
Examples of media set in French Polynesia:
The French Polynesian flag
The flag consists of two red horizontal bands encasing a wide white band in a 1:2:1 ratio, red and white being traditional Polynesian colors, with a disk with a blue and white wave pattern depicting the sea on the lower half and a gold and white ray pattern depicting the sun on the upper half centered on the white band. A Polynesian canoe is riding on the wave pattern, with a crew of five represented by five stars that symbolize the five island groups.
The French national anthem
Allons enfants de la patrie,
Le jour de gloire est arrivé!
Contre nous, de la tyrannie
L'étendard sanglant est levé.
L'étendard sanglant est levé.
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes
Mugir ces féroces soldats?
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras
Égorger vos fils et vos compagnes!
Aux armes, citoyens!
Formez vos bataillons!
Marchons, marchons,
Qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons!
—
Let us go, children of the motherland,
The day of glory has come!
Against us, the tyranny's
bloody flag has been raised.
Bloody flag has been raised.
Can you hear in the countryside,
These ferocious soldiers bellowing?
They come all the way into your arms
To arms, citizens!
Form your batallions!
Let us march, let us march,
The French Polynesian territorial anthem
ʻUa rahu te atua (i) tōʻu ʻāiʻa
Hono noʻanoʻa o te motu rau
Heihei i te pua riʻi au ē
E firi nape mōrohi ʻore
ʻO tāʻu īa e faʻateniteni nei
ʻUa rahu te atua (i) tōʻu ʻāiʻa
Hono noʻanoʻa o te motu rau
Heihei i te pua riʻi au ē
E firi nape mōrohi ʻore
ʻO tāʻu īa e faʻateniteni nei
Tē tūoro nei te reo here
O te huia
ʻA hiʻi i tō aroha
ʻIa ora ʻo Tahiti Nui ē
Tē tūoro nei te reo here
O te huia
ʻA hiʻi i tō aroha
ʻIa ora ʻo Tahiti Nui ē
—
Mon pays est né de Dieu
Collier d’îles multiples
Aux délicates senteurs
Reliées d’une tresse immortelle
Aujourd’hui je te loue
Mon pays est né de Dieu
Collier d’îles multiples
Aux délicates senteurs
Reliées d’une tresse immortelle
Voici que s’élève la voix
De tes enfants
Répands ton amour
Pour que vive Tahiti Nui
Voici que s’élève la voix
De tes enfants
Répands ton amour
Pour que vive Tahiti Nui
—
My country is born of God
Multiple islands necklace
With delicate slices
Rated with an immune brace
Today I honor you
My country is born of God
Multiple islands necklace
With delicate slices
Rated with an immune brace
Here is the voice
From your children
Reflect your love
For Tahiti Nui to live
Here is the voice
From your children
Reflect your love
For Tahiti Nui to live
Government
- Devolved parliamentary dependency
- President: Emmanuel Macron
- President of French Polynesia: Moetai Brotherson
- High Commissioner of the Republic: Dominique Sorain
Miscellaneous
- Capital: Papeete
- Largest city: Faʻaʻā
- Population: 275,918
- Area: 3,521.2 km² (1,359.5 sq mi)
- Currency: CFP franc (₣) (XPF)
- ISO-3166-1 Code: PF
