French Polynesia
Oceania · Capital: Papeetē
How it is run: French Polynesia is a territory or observer, so some decisions about it are made elsewhere. The research links below explain who is in charge.
French Polynesia is home to 282,465 people in Polynesia, where people speak French.
Numbers that tell a story 🔢
👥 People
282,465 people
That is about 35 people out of every million on Earth (counted in 2025).
🗺️ Land
4,167 km²
About the size of a small US state such as Vermont or New Hampshire.
🏙️ How crowded
About 68 people per square kilometre — a comfortable mix of cities and open land.
📊 Size in its region
8th most people in Oceania
8th largest by land in Oceania.
🗣️ Official languages
French
💰 Money
CFP franc (₣)
Life here today 🩺
These come from World Bank open data — the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
❤️ How long people live
84.2 years on average
One of the healthier countries — good hospitals and clean water make a big difference.
💼 Money made per person each year
about US$22,440
An upper-middle-income country: growing cities, and more families joining the middle class.
🏢 Living in cities
61.8% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
🎒 Kids under 15
18.5% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details 🧭
📞 Phone code
+689
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
🌐 Websites end in
.pf
🧑 People here are called
French Polynesian
🏷️ Name at home
Polynésie française
Also written: Polynésie française, French Polynesia, Pōrīnetia Farāni.
🌊 Coast or inland
Has a coastline
🕊️ UN voting group
Not a UN member
Neighbours & borders 🤝
French Polynesia has no land borders at all. It is surrounded by water, so boats and planes are the way in and out.
Say its name around the world 🗣️
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Polinesia Francesa
French
Polynésie française
Arabic
بولينزيا الفرنسية
Chinese
法属波利尼西亚
Japanese
フランス領ポリネシア
Russian
Французская Полинезия
Portuguese
Polinésia Francesa
German
Französisch-Polynesien
Put it in perspective 📏
- Australia — the most populated country in Oceania — has about 97.8× as many people as French Polynesia.
- French Polynesia covers roughly 40 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in French Polynesia lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 141 km.
Fast facts 🧠
Fact of the day: French Polynesia is not a full UN member state, so it doesn't get its own vote in the General Assembly.
🏷️ Official name
French Polynesia
🏙️ Capital
Papeetē
🌍 Region
Oceania · Polynesia
🔤 Country code
PF
🕊️ UN status
Not a UN member state
🚩 Independence
Linked territory
More about French Polynesia 🔎
🧭 Where on the map
15.0° S, 140.0° W
🌐 Half of the world
Southern & Western hemisphere
🕰️ Clock check
Roughly UTC-9 — when it is noon in London it is about 03:00 in Papeetē.
- The capital of French Polynesia is Papeetē — that's where the country's big decisions get made.
- French Polynesia sits in Polynesia, in the southern and western half of the globe.
- French Polynesia is a territory linked to another country, so some decisions are made elsewhere.
- Because of where French Polynesia sits, the school day there starts many hours before or after yours does.
- French Polynesia lies in the tropics, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, so the sun gets very high overhead.
Countries nearby 🤝
Talk about it 💬
- French Polynesia has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- French Polynesia can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If French Polynesia spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz 🧪
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of French Polynesia?
Papeetē
Which money do people spend in French Polynesia?
CFP franc (₣)
How many countries share a land border with French Polynesia?
None — no land neighbours at all.
Roughly how many people live in French Polynesia?
282,465 people
Keep researching 🔍
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further — and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here — kid-friendly encyclopedias 📚
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources 🏛️
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy 📰
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card 🏫
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians — all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.