Overview
French Polynesia is a group of islands in the South Pacific scattered over 965, 255 square miles of ocean. They are located south of the equator and east of the International Date Line. The most well-known island in the group is Tahiti, which also has the largest population. The capital of French Polynesia, Papeete, is also on the island of Tahiti.
In the 19th century, France annexed the Polynesian island groups. In 1995 France began resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year moratorium causing protests on all of the islands. Four months later the tests were suspended. Recently the islands’ autonomy has greatly increased. French is the official language of the islands but indigenous languages as well as various Polynesian and Asian dialects are also spoken. The literacy rate is defined as persons over the age of fourteen with the ability to read and write. Of the 287,032 inhabitants 98% meet this rule.
Education
The educational system of French Polynesia follows that of France.
