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Country Guide > Australia and South Pacific > Tahiti and her Islands | |
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General Information Area 4167 sq km (1609 sq miles). Population 245,516 (official estimate 2002). Population Density 58.9 per sq km. Capital Papeete (Tahiti Island). Population: 26,181 (2002). Geography French Polynesia comprises 120 islands divided into five archipelagos: the Society Archipelago, Tuamotu Archipelago, Marquesas Islands, Austral Islands and Mangreva Islands. The Windward and Leeward Islands, collectively called the Society Archipelago, are mountainous with coastal plains. Tahiti, the largest of the Windward group, is dominated by Mount Orohena at 2236m (7337ft) and Mount Aorai at 2068m (6786ft). Moorea lies next to Tahiti, a picturesque volcanic island with white sand beaches. The Leeward Islands to the west are generally lower in altitude. The largest islands are Raiatea and Bora Bora. Tuamotu Archipelago comprises 80 coral atolls, located 298km (185 miles) east of Tahiti. The Marquesas Islands lie 1497km (930 miles) northeast of Tahiti and are made up of two clusters of volcanic islands divided into a southern and northern group. The grass-covered Austral Islands south of Tahiti are scattered in a chain from east to west over a distance of 499km (310 miles). Government French Overseas Territory since 1946. Head of State: President Jacques Chirac since 1995, represented locally by High Commissioner Michel Mathieu since 2001. Head of Government: Gaston Flosse, President of the Council of Ministers since 1991. Language The official languages are French and Tahitian. Other Polynesian languages are spoken by the indigenous population. English is widely understood, mainly by islanders accustomed to dealing with foreign visitors. Religion Approximately 55 per cent Protestant and 34 per cent Catholic. Time Tahiti and Her Islands span three time zones. Gambier Islands GMT - 9. Marquesas Islands GMT - 9.5. Society Archipelago, Tubuai Islands, Tuamotu Archipelago (except Gambier Islands), Tahiti GMT - 10. Electricity 110/220 volts AC, 60Hz. US-style two-pin plugs are in use. Communications Telephone IDD is available. Country code: 689. Outgoing international code: 00. Operator assistance may be required for international calls. Mobile telephone GSM 900 network. Network operators include Vini (website: www.vini.pf). Fax Post offices and some hotels have facilities. Internet There are Internet cafes in Papeete and Moorea. Telegram Facilities are limited to Papeete and Uturoa (Raiatea). Telegrams can be sent from the post office on boulevard Pomare, Papeete. Post Airmail to Western Europe takes up to two weeks. Post office hours (in Papeete): Mon-Fri 0700-1800, Sat-Sun 0800-1000 (outside Papeete, there is a restricted service in the afternoons and at weekends). Press There is an English-language weekly, the Tahiti Beach Press. Radio BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online. |