French Polynesia

Year

INTRODUCTION

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Ministry of Health
Ministere de la Santé et de la Fonction Publique, de la Rénovation et de la Déconcentration de l’administration, B.P. 611, 98713 Papeete, Tahiti, Polynésie Française
Tel:(689) 460056
Fax:(689) 460059
Maheata.schyle@sante.gov.pf
WHO Representative for the South Pacific
Level 4, Provident Plaza 1, Downtown Boulevard, 33 Ellery Street, Suva
Tel:(679) 330-4600330-4631/ 330-4635 / 331-7447
Fax:(679) 330-0462 / 331-1530
who@sp.wpro.who.int

French Polynesia covers an area of 4167 million square kilometres (km2), with a land area of 3521 km2, and is made up of 35 volcanic islands and about 183 low-lying coral atolls in five archipelagos.  Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati to the north-west and Cook Islands to the west.  The small, uninhabited island of Clipperton, located far to the north-east, some 600 km off the coast of Mexico, is administered from French Polynesia, under the direct jurisdiction of the High Commissioner.  Some 75% of the inhabitants live in the Society Islands, which constitute about one-half of the land area (census 2002).


Table 1.  Core population and health data (2002)

Population

[Total]

245 516

Life expectancy
at birth (years)

[Both]

…

[0-14 years]

74 391 (30.30%)

[Male]

70.50 (2000)

[65+ years]

11 048 (4.50%)

[Female]

75.40 (2000)

Crude birth rate
(per 1000 population)

 

19.80

Total fertility rate

 

2.50 (1999)

Crude death rate
(per 1000 population)

 

4.70

% of population served with safe water

[Total]

100.00 (2000)

[Urban]

100.00 (2000)

[Rural]

100.00 (2000)

Infant mortality rate
(per 1000 live births)

 

6.70

% of population with adequate sanitary facilities

[Total]

98.00 (2000)

[Urban]

99.00 (2000)

[Rural]

97.00 (2000)

Maternal mortality rate
(per 100 000 live births)

 

0.00

 

 

 

Disclaimer: The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply the expression of an opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or areas or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.