France, as one of the last colonial countries, still has five overseas communities, and French Polynesia is one of them. French Polynesia has a fair amount of autonomy even allowing it to have its own president. It is the only one of the family of communities with the name “overseas country.” 1)
French Polynesia includes 5 archipelagos and more than 150 islands in the Pacific Ocean. Together these territories have an area of 3521 square kilometers and a population of about 260,000. 2)
The capital of French Polynesia is the city of Papeete, located on the island of Tahiti. 3)
The population living in the area is mainly Polynesians making up 78%, Europeans making up over 9%, and Chinese 11% of the total. There is also a group of several thousand residents hailing from other Pacific islands. 4)
The Windward Islands were discovered by James Cook in 1769. The islands have been part of French Polynesia since 1843 as a protectorate and since 1880 as a colony. 5)
The Windward Islands form an archipelago consisting of the islands of Tahiti, Moorea, Mehetia, Tetiaroa, and Malao. All of them, along with the entire archipelago, are part of French Polynesia. 6)
Tuamotu is another archipelago from French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. The archipelago is formed by 78 coral atolls and islands. 7)
The Gambier Islands is an archipelago in French Polynesia consisting of 14 islands. They are small islands of volcanic origin. The main island of the archipelago is Mangareva. 8)
Marquesas is one of the most famous by name volcanic islands of French Polynesia. They have been a French colony since 1842. 9)
The Tubuai Islands are a group of small volcanic islets surrounded by coral atolls. The islets are scattered over 800 kilometers. 10)
Mururoa Atoll is perhaps the most famous part of the French overseas possessions, mainly due to the nuclear test explosions performed on it by the French. A total of 127 underground and 37 atmospheric explosions were performed. The atoll is home to a French nuclear testing ground. The infamy of the place, is mainly related to atmospheric explosions, as there are inhabited islands not far from the atoll. 11)
Reports compiled by the commissioner of the French Council for Nuclear Safety and Radioactivity indicate that there is a very high risk of a collapse of the atoll, which will result in an incalculable tsunami. There is no turning back from this disaster, the only question is when it will happen. 12)
French nuclear tests, especially atmospheric ones, have poisoned more than 100,000 people in Polynesia. 13)
The island of Bora-Bora is a coral atoll in French Polynesia. A place dreamed of by many people who want to feel the exoticism of the Pacific. Undoubtedly, the name of the island attracts the attention of many people. 14)
French Polynesia is famous for the wealth provided by the ocean waters and their greatest treasure, which is black pearls. The farm turns ordinary white pearls into original black ones. The entire process can be traced by visiting one such farm. 15)
Fakarava atoll in French Polynesia, a world-renowned diving center. The atoll is classified by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve. 16)