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Tahiti, and most of French
Polynesia, was initially inhabited by Polynesians, whose ancestors
had developed their culture on more westerly Pacific islands
between 2000 and 1000 BC. The first Polynesians
reached the Society Islands group (of which
Tahiti is part) by at least the 9th century AD,
and possibly centuries earlier than this.
About 78 per cent of the people are Polynesian,
many of whom have some Chinese or European ancestry; 10 per cent are
French, and 12 per cent are Chinese—descendants of labourers brought to
work in the cotton industry in the 19th
century. The cotton industry failed and now the Chinese control much of
Tahiti's retail and shipping trade. French Polynesia includes
130 islands, with more than half of the population living on Tahiti. Papeete,
the capital of French Polynesia, is the largest city.
Language French is the official
language in the territory. It is used exclusively at school and is
spoken widely on Tahiti. Tahitian, however, is an official regional
language of the Society Islands. It remains the language used by the
majority of the people and is spoken in the home, although less often on
Tahiti than on the other Society Islands. The Tahitian alphabet has 13
letters; in Tahitian, all syllables end with a vowel. The Chinese
community speaks the Hakka dialect of
Chinese, as well as French or Tahitian. English is not widely spoken,
although it is understood in areas that cater for tourists. Each of the
different island groups in French Polynesia has its own language, some of
which are similar to Tahitian and some of which are very different.
Religion Tahitians no longer
worship the many gods of nature they once did, but they are still
influenced by traditional beliefs. Members of the London Missionary
Society arrived in the late 18th century; other missionaries followed, and
the islanders were soon converted to Christianity,
which continues to play an important part in their lives. Currently, 55
per cent of the population is Protestant, about 30 per cent is Roman
Catholic, 6 per cent belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints (Mormon), and 2 per cent is Seventh-Day Adventist. There are small
minorities of other Christians, Jews,
and Buddhists.
Factsheet:
- Population:
237,844 (July 1998 est.)
- Age structure:
0-14 years: 33% (male 40,264; female 38,770)
15-64 years: 62% (male 77,011; female 71,100)
65 years and over: 5% (male 5,347; female 5,352) (July 1998
est.)
- Population growth rate: 1.81% (1998
est.)
- Birth rate: 22.67 births/1,000
population (1998 est.)
- Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population
(1998 est.)
- Net migration rate: 0.39
migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
- Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
- Infant mortality rate: 13.67
deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.25 years
male: 69.87 years
female: 74.75 years (1998 est.)
- Total fertility rate: 2.71 children
born/woman (1998 est.)
- Nationality:
noun: French Polynesian(s)
adjective: French Polynesian
- Ethnic groups: Polynesian 78%, Chinese
12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%
- Religions: Protestant 54%, Roman
Catholic 30%, other 16%
- Languages: French (official), Tahitian
(official)
- Literacy:
definition: age 14 and over can read and write, but definition
of literacy not available
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 98% (1977 est.)
For
more general information
on French Polynesia, go to: |
