Geography of French Polynesia

This article describes the geography of French Polynesia.

Map of French Polynesia

French Polynesia is located in Oceania. It is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between South America and Australia (Geographic coordinates: 15°00′S 140°00′W). Its area is about 4,167 km² (around 130 islands), of which 3,827 km&sup2 is land and 340 km&sup2 is (inland) water. It has a coastline of 2,525 km but no land borders with order countries.

Maritime claims

• Territorial sea: 12 nautical mile
• Exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical mile

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 ( Tahiti ) 2,241 m

Natural resources

Timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower

Land use

• Arable land: 0.68%
• Permanent crops: 6.28%
• Other: 93.03% (2012)

Irrigated land

10 km² (2003)

Natural hazards

Occasional cyclonic storms in January

Environment - current issues

NA

Geography - note

Includes five archipelagoes: four volcanic islands and one coral; 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

See also

• French Polynesia