French Polynesia includes five island groups in the Pacific Ocean. They occupy a huge area - about 2.5 million square meters. km. surface. Not all islands in French Polynesia have a permanent population. There are only 118 atolls and islands, of which 25 are uninhabited. The most important, densely populated and popular island is Tahiti. It is part of the Society Island group. Most residents of French Polynesia prefer Tahiti. The capital is also located here - the city of Papeete.
General information
The colonization of the islands of French Polynesia began a long time ago. Gradually, 5 archipelagos entered the state association. The last group to join is the Ostral. Today the total land area of the islands is 4167 sq. km. Of the five archipelagos, 1 is coral and 4 others are volcanic. The surface landscape is a mixture of reef low and high mountain islands. Tourists most often visit the Tuamotu Atolls, Society Islands and the Marquesas Islands. French Polynesia is considered an overseas community and is administratively divided into regions and communes.
Administrative areas:
- Leeward Islands (belong to Society Islands).
- Windward Islands (from the Society Islands group).
- Marquesas Islands.
- Gambier and Tuamotu Islands.
- Ostral Islands.
a brief description of
The Society Islands are divided into Leeward and Windward. They form the region's most populated archipelago. These islands of French Polynesia are distinguished by their volcanic origin. They are surrounded by lagoons, coral reefs and rainforests. The archipelago was designated by James Cook. The Tuamotu Islands are famous for their black pearls. The archipelago includes 78 atolls and low islands. The largest atoll is Rangiroa.
The high-mountainous areas of land in the ocean are the Marquesas Islands. This group is located near the equator. There is a population on only six islands. The Gambier Islands are 15 land areas in the eastern part of French Polynesia. They are very close to the Tuamotu archipelago, but are considered a separate group due to the differences in the culture of the local population. The Gambier Islands are derived from volcanoes, and the Tuamotu are coral atolls. In the South Pacific are the Ostral Islands. Tourism is poorly developed there, as the archipelago is practically uninhabited.
Economy
The islands of French Polynesia are famous for their black pearls, which are exported. Local residents are also involved in tourism and fishing. The islands grow coconuts, vanilla, fruits and vegetables. The overseas community exports vanilla, pearls and coconuts, and imports industrial machinery and food.
