Geography of French Polynesia

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This article describes the geography of French Polynesia.

Location
Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between South America and Australia
Geographic coordinates
15°00′S, 140°00′W
Map references
Oceania
Area
  • Total: 4,167 km² (118 islands and atolls)
  • Land: 3,660 km²
  • Water: 507 km²
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
2,525 km
Maritime claims
  • Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  • Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate
Tropical, but moderate
Terrain
Mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
Elevation extremes
  • Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
  • Highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m
Natural resources
Timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower
Land use
  • Arable land: 1%
  • Permanent crops: 6%
  • Permanent pastures: 5%
  • Forests and woodland: 31%
  • Other: 57% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land
NA km²
Natural hazards
Occasional cyclonic storms in January
Environment - current issues
NA
Geography - note
Includes five archipelagoes; Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru

[edit] See also


Flag of French Polynesia Archipelagos of French Polynesia Flag of France

Society Islands (Leeward Islands, Windward Islands) · Tuamotu Islands 
Gambier Islands  · Austral Islands  · Marquesas Islands


v • d • e
Geography of Oceania
 Australasia
  Melanesia
 Micronesia
  Polynesia

American Samoa · Cook Islands · French Polynesia · Niue · Pitcairn Islands · Samoa · Tokelau · Tonga · Tuvalu · Wallis and Futuna
1 Often included in Polynesia.  2 Often included in Southeast Asia.  3 Often included in Australasia.
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