Figure 1.--Here we see boys class at a missionary school in Papeete (1926). At the time, France did not have an extensive public school system. As in most Pacific islands, it was the missionaries who founded the education system. We are not sure about girls education. The boys are wearing western style clothing. We suspect there my have been a dress code. Only a French boy is wearing shoes. Another French boy beside him are barefoot.

French Polynesia is an overseas country (pays d'outre-mer) of France. It consists of several groups of Polynesian islands in the South Pacific. French Polynesia is some of the most easterly South Pacific Islands, located between American Samoa and Easter Islands, the furthest eastern expansion of the Polynesian people. Polynesians first reached the Marquesas (300 AD). And then the Society Islands (800 AD). There was no central Polynesian state, but rather loose often warring chieftainships, but a recognition of a common culture. Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan sighted Pukapuka in the Tuāmotu-Gambier Archipelago (1521). Dutch explorer Jakob Roggeveen encountered Bora Bora in the Society Islands (1722). British explorer Samuel Wallis landed on Tahiti (1767). French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville visited Tahiti (1768). British navigator James Cook visited islands in the group (1769). Christian missions were established by Spanish Catholic priests who began work in Tahiti (1774). The London Missionary Society began working on the islands (1797). The island groups that now comprise French Polynesia were not united in a political sense the French established a protectorate (1889). Colonial authorities on French Polynesia were among the first French colonial officials during World War II after the fall of France (June 1940) to afirm loyalty to the Free French who were committed to fight the Germans (1940 ). Many Polynesians served with French forces in the War. Soon after the fall of France, the Japanese Konoe Cabinet added French Polynesia among the many South Pacific island territories to be added to the empire (September 1940). After the Japanese launched the Pacific War, they added many of the targeted islands to their Empire, but the U.S. Navy victory at Midway (June 1942) made it impossible to expand into the central Pacific. Thus French Polynesia remained beyond the range of Japanese expansion, but provided the U.S. Navy important rear area supply bases. The various islands are mostly small nd not well known. The best known island in French Polynesia is Tahiti in the Society Islands group. Tahiti is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory--Papeetē. Although not an integral part of FP, Clipperton Island was administered from French Polynesia until 2007. We do not yet have much information on French Polynesia, but we do have an education page.

Poltical Status

French Polynesia is an overseas country (pays d'outre-mer) of France.

Geography

French Polynesia (FP) consists of several groups of Polynesian islands in the South Pacific. It is some of the most easterly South Pacific Islands, located between American Samoa and Easter Islansd, the furthest eastern expansion of the Polynesian people. The various islands are mostly small and not well known. The best known island in French Polynesia is Tahiti in the Society Islands group. Tahiti is also the largest and most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory--Papeetē. The other archipelagoes are the Tuamotu Archipelago, Gambier Islands, Marquesas Islands, and Tubuai Islands. FP includes some 130 islands widely scattered across a huge swath of the South Pacific (latitudes 7° and 27° S and longitudes 134° and 155° W). Unlike many Pacific islands, the FP are not mostly coral atolls. They are primarily protrusions of parallel submarine ridges aligned from the northwest to the southeast. The Society Islands are the most westerly and extensive group. They are two-fifths of the land area and nearly nine-tenths of the population. The Socitties like the Caribbean consist of two groups, the Îles du Vent (Windward Islands) in the east and the Îles Sous le Vent (Leeward Islands) in the west. There are a few small coral atolls, but the the Societies were mostly born from ancient submarine volcanoes. The resulting volcanic cones are now highly eroded and been divided into high crests and deep, radiating valleys with lush tropical vegetation. Many of the eroded volcanmic peaks drop steeply into narrow coastal strips or directly in ome cases to lagoons or the open sea. The coast of most islands have protective coral reefs. Although not an integral part of FP, Clipperton Island was administered from French Polynesia until 2007.

History

Polynesians first reached the Marquesas (300 AD). And then the Society Islands (800 AD). There was no central Polynesian state, but rather loose often warring chieftainships, but a recognition of a common culture. Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan sighted Pukapuka in the Tuāmotu-Gambier Archipelago (1521). Dutch explorer Jakob Roggeveen encountered Bora Bora in the Society Islands (1722). British explorer Samuel Wallis landed on Tahiti (1767). French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville visited Tahiti (1768). British navigator James Cook visited islands in the group (1769). Christian missions were established by Spanish Catholic priests who began work in Tahiti (1774). The London Missionary Society began working on the islands (1797). The island groups that now comprise French Polynesia were not united in a political sense the French established a protectorate (1889). Colonial authorities on French Polynesia were among the first French colonial officials during World War II after the fall of France (June 1940) to afirm loyalty to the Free French who were committed to fight the Germans (1940). Many Polynesians served with French forces in the War. Soon after the fall of France, the Japanese Konoe Cabinet added French Polynesia among the many South Pacific island territories to be targeted (September 1940). Unlike many other targets, it was not for the resources, but to create island bastions that would isolate Australia and New Zealand. After the Japanese launched the Pacific War, they succeeded in seizing many of the targeted islands for their Empire, but the U.S. Navy victory at Midway (June 1942) made it impossible to expand further into the central Pacific. French Polynesia thus remained beyond the range of Japanese expansion and provided the U.S. Navy important rear area supply bases.

Economy

The Poynesiuan economy before European contact was a subsistence economy pursued by a stobe-age people. Work was highly organised and performed as coimmunity efforts under the direction of the Arii ruling class and the priests. Agricultural land on the small islands was at a premium. Various labor intensive projects were adopted to increase arable acerage. They terraced the volcanic mountains. Stone walls were constructed to contain river banks. And artifical soil was created on baren coral atols by diffing cultication trenches. Artifical lagoon ponds were created out of coral rock to trap abnd culture fish--a form of extensive aquaculture. The ruling class organized these activities and distributed the fruits of the population's labor. This began to change with the arrival of Europeans aboard ships. The country was not immediately colonnized, but European contact had profound consequences. The most significant was the exposure to European diseases for which the Polynesins had no immunity. The result was the death of many Polynesians, substantially reducing the population. Thus decline as well as the adoption of Chistianity impacted the economy and culture. This caused a shift from communal productuin to more family based production. In addition, settlemented began to shift toward the coast as supplying passing ships became an important part of the economy. The European sailors purchased water, salt pork, dried fish, and fresh fruits. The use of the lagoons increased. As Europeans began to settle, agruiculture began to shift from subsistence crops to cash crops like citrus, coprah, coffee, cotton, and vanilla. Tahitian black pearls and sandalwood also became important. Santdalwood trees were nearly wiped out. Cotton production did not last long as it was not competitive with American cotton. Coffee and orange production were adversely affected by imported diseases. Coprah and vanilla priducers found some success but after World War II had trouble competing in larger producers in world markets. Gunao mining on Makatea begn (1917) but ended when the resource was played out. (1966). World War II andthe arrival of the Americans expanded contact with the outside world. Service industries to supply American and French servicemen. With post-War air travel, the tourist industry began to become important, but has limits, primarily because of the distanbce from European and Americam sun seakers who have closer options. French subsidies funance public adminitration and help to maintain the living stanfard.

Religion

Polynesians tend to take religion seriously, more seriously now than the Europeans that brought Christianity to them. The vast majority of Polynesians identify with a religious community. The Protestants were the first to reach Polynesia. Catholic priests began workin on the islands (1774), but fir some reason had only limited success. The first Protestant missionnaries from the London Missionary Society arrived in Tahiti seeking to evangelise the people throughout Polynesia (1797). Conversion proceeded very rapidly. And the straight-laced missionaries set out to also change Polynesian culture, seeing problems with the way the people, esecially the women, dressed and behaved. The Protestant missionaries converted the people on all five archipelagos in less than 30 years. This all ocurred decades before the French seized control of the islands. Catholic missionaries arrived after most of the population had already been converted (1830). They began on the Gambier Islands and gradually spread throughout the rest of Polynesia. Other religions like the Mormons, Sanitos and Adventists arrived in the late-19th century. Almost all Polynesians are Christians of various denominations: Protestants (50 percent), Catholics (35 percent), Mormons (5 percent), the Sanitos (5 percent), Adventistes (4 percent) and Jehovah Witnesses (2 percent). This varies regionally. The people on the Marquesas are mostly Catholic.

Ethnicity

French Polynesia includes the islands at the outer extreme of maritime migration from Asia with he exception of Easter Island. The islands were uninhabited at the time that Polynesians reached them. And when the Europeans began making contact, the population was entirely Polynesian. Polynesians constitute about 78 percent of the population. Only small numbers of Europeans were on the islands when the French colonized the islands (late-19th century). Other than the French and a few Americans who now consitute about 10 percent of the population. The only other major ethnic group is the Chinese. The Polynesians were not too interested in working on the oplantations tha French settlers founded. So they brouught in Chinese to work on their plantations (early-20th century). Most were recruited in southeast China (Kwantung) to work on cotton plntations. They were not awarded French citizenship for many years (1974). Today they make up about 12 percent of the population. They are primarily on Tahiti. It is becoming more difficicult assesing ethnicity in FP. There has been a great deal of ethnic mixing since World War II. Until that time, the three ethnic groups were fairly discrete. This is much less true today.

Education

French Polynesia is an Overseas Territory that includes Tahiti and 118 smaller islands in the eastern South Pacific. There are five major islands (archipelagos): Society Islands, which include Tahiti and Moorea; the Marquesas Islands; the Austral Islands; the Tuamotu Archipelago; and the Gambier Islands. The first schools in French Polynesia were the French missionary schools. Several different churches established mission schools, but we have not yet found much information about them. We are not sure when the French administration began opening public schools. We believe this was primarily a development after World War II. France has over time granted French Polynesia, now an Overseas Territory, greater autonomy in most local affairs and regional relations but retained control of law enforcement, defense, the money supply, and education. State public schools are run by the French administration and comply with French standards. The French have established primary, secondary, and vocational schools Formal education on Tahiti is now compulsory for every child up to 14 years of age. Primary education begins at age 5 years and continues until the children are 12 years old at which time they begin secondary school. There are a number of technical and vocation schools in Tahiti, including hotel, restaurant, nursing and teaching programmes. There is also an imprtant adult education program. Education at these facilities is free. French Polynesians are able to attend college in France or pursue a degree at the French University of the Pacific (UFP), which has a campus in French Polynesia. Something like 95 percent of the population is literate, some estimates are even higher. There is no gender differential.

Created: 2:15 AM 8/5/2012
Last updated: 1:24 PM 5/22/2018