World Factbook
French Polynesia
Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynésie française
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: two horizontal red bands flank a wide white band in a 1:2:1 ratio; centered on the white band is 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; a stylized red Polynesian canoe on the disk has a crew of five, represented by five stars meaning: the stars symbolize the five island groups; red and white are traditional Polynesian colors
note 1: similar to the red-white-red flag of Tahiti, the largest and most populous of the French Polynesian islands, but the Tahitian flag has no emblem on the white band
note 2: the flag of France is used for official occasions
Capital
name
Papeete (located on Tahiti)
etymology
the name derives from the Tahitian words pape (water) and ete (basket), referring to a place where people came to get water
time difference
UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
geographic coordinates
17 32 S, 149 34 W
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
see France
Constitution
history
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
amendment process
French constitution amendment procedures apply
Country name
former
Establishments in Oceania, French Establishments in Oceania
etymology
the term "Polynesia" is an 18th-century construct composed of two Greek words, poly (many) and nesoi (islands), and refers to the more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean
local long form
Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynésie française
local short form
Polynésie Française
conventional long form
Overseas Lands of French Polynesia
conventional short form
French Polynesia
Independence
none (overseas land of France)
Legal system
the laws of France apply
Government type
parliamentary democracy (Assembly of French Polynesia); an overseas collectivity of France
Judicial branch
note
note: appeals beyond the French Polynesia Court of Appeal are heard by the Court of Cassation (in Paris)
highest court(s)
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel (composition NA)
subordinate courts
Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Première Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif
judge selection and term of office
judges assigned from France for 3 years
Executive branch
cabinet
Council of Ministers approved by the Assembly from a list of its members submitted by the president
chief of state
President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Alexander ROCHATTE (since 1 September 2025)
head of government
President of French Polynesia Moetai BROTHERSON (since 12 May 2023)
election/appointment process
French president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; French Polynesia president indirectly elected by Assembly of French Polynesia for a 5-year term (no term limits)
National holiday
Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790)
note 1: the local holiday is Internal Autonomy Day, 29 June (1880)
note 2: often incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, France's national celebration commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison on 14 July 1789 and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are la Fête nationale (National Holiday) and le Quatorze Juillet (14th of July)
Dependency status
overseas country of France
note: overseas territory of France from 1946-2003; overseas collectivity of France since 2003, but it is often referred to as an overseas country due to its degree of autonomy
Government - note
French Polynesia has acquired autonomy from France in all areas except those relating to police, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are similar to those of the French prime minister
National color(s)
red, white
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
2 (1 cultural, 1 mixed); note - excerpted from the France entry
selected World Heritage Site locales
Taputapuātea (c); Te Henua Enata – The Marquesas Islands (m)
Political parties
I Love Polynesia (A here la Porinetia) List of the People (Tapura Huiraatira) People's Servant Party (Tavini Huiraatira) Rally of the Maohi People (Amuitahiraʻa o te Nunaʻa Maohi) (formerly known as Popular Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira))
Legislative branch
note
note 1: elections held in two rounds; in the second round, 38 members are directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by a closed-list proportional representation vote; the party receiving the most votes gets an additional 19 seats note 2: French Polynesia indirectly elects 2 senators to the French Senate for 6-year terms with one-half the membership renewed every 3 years and directly elects 3 deputies to the French National Assembly for 5-year terms
term in office
5 years
number of seats
57 (directly elected)
electoral system
proportional representation
legislature name
Assembly of French Polynesia (Assemblée de la Polynésie française)
scope of elections
full renewal
legislative structure
unicameral
most recent election date
4/30/2023
expected date of next election
2028
percentage of women in chamber
49.1%
parties elected and seats per party
People's Servant People (38); List of the People (15); I Love Polynesia (3); Rally of the Mahoi People (1)
National anthem(s)
title
"La Marseillaise" (The Song of Marseille)
history
official anthem, as a French territory
lyrics/music
Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle
National symbol(s)
outrigger canoe, Tahitian gardenia flower ( Gardenia taitensis )
Administrative divisions
5 administrative subdivisions ( subdivisions administratives , singular - subdivision administrative ): Iles Australes (Austral Islands), Iles du Vent (Windward Islands), Iles Marquises (Marquesas Islands), Iles Sous-le-Vent (Leeward Islands), Iles Tuamotu-Gambier
note: the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands together make up the Society Islands (Iles de la Société)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (overseas lands of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy
none (overseas lands of France)
International organization participation
ITUC (NGOs), PIF, SPC, UPU, WMO