Tahiti Nui Mare'a'rea (Tahitian) ("Tahiti of the Golden Haze") | |||||
| Anthem | "Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" | ||||
| Capital (and largest city) |
Papeete | ||||
| Other cities | Puna'auia, Fa'a'ā | ||||
| Language official |
French, Tahitian | ||||
| others | 'Uvean, Futunan | ||||
| Religion | Catholicism, traditional beliefs | ||||
| Demonym | Polynesian | ||||
| Government | Colonial Federation | ||||
| Emperor | HIM Napoleon V de Bourbon-Bonaparte | ||||
| Established | 22 September 1946 | ||||
| Currency | French franc | ||||
French Polynesia (French: Polynésie Française, Tahitian: Pōrīnetia Farāni) is a colonial federation in Oceania (more precisely in the omonimous region of Polynesia), created by the union of all French colonies and protectorates in the Pacific Ocean, with the exception of New Caledonia. The country is made up of 121 islands and atolls, as well as numerous islets, stretching over an expanse of over more than 3,000 kilometers, between the Pitcairn Islands to the east and the Cook Islands to the west.
French Polynesia is divided into six main archipelagos: the Society Islands, on which the capital Papeete stands on the island of Tahiti; the Tuamotu Islands; the Gambier Islands; the Marquesas Islands; the Austral Islands; and the archipelago of Wallis and Futuna. While a vast variety of Polynesian languages are spoken on the islands, French and Tahitian (which is the language spoken on Tahiti, the most populous island) function as lingua franca and official languages of the government.
The islands' population is a mixture of ethnic Polynesians, French immigrants, and people of mixed descent. The country has a modest economy, mainly revoling around tourism and goods imported from France; its driving sector is agriculture, especially of coconuts, noni, vanilla and fruits. The world-famous Tahitian black pearls are also of note. Tahiti is quite known for having been the home of painter P. Gauguin, who died on the island, and captured many scenes of native life in his masterpieces: a museum dedicated to him, where many of his works can be admired, has been recently opened in Papeete.