Guam Government

As a French overseas collective the government of French Polynesia operates under a parliamentary representative democratic system. Officially it is known as a semi-autonomous French territory with its own individual laws, budget, assembly, and president. Its head of state, the president, has executive powers afforded to him or her by the local government. Legislative powers, on the other hand, are shared between the government and the Assembly of French Polynesia. The region’s governmental system was established according to the French Constitution as well as the Organic Law.

The governing body of French Polynesia, known as the Assembly, is made up of 57 elected members in six multi seat districts. These districts include the Windward Islands (37 members), Leeward Islands (eight members), Austral Islands (three members), Gambier Islands and the Islands Tuamotu- East (three members), Islands Tuamotu-West (three members), and Marquesas Islands (three members). One of the duties of the Assembly is to elect French Polynesia’s president who serves for a period of five years with no limits on how many times he or she may run for this office.

The governing body of French Polynesia, the Assembly of French Polynesia, meets in the Place Tarahoi located in Papeete, Tahiti. During the 19th century this building was the property of Tahiti's royal family. Today the historic structure is home not only to the French Polynesian Assembly but it also houses the Presidential Palace which is the official residence of the collective’s head of state. Located in the Pouvanaa-a-Oopa district of Papeete the modern version of this building was designed in 1996 by then President Gaston Flosse.

French Polynesia has a two-party system that is dominated by the alliances of the Union for Democracy and the Alliance for a New Democracy.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Hagatna
Languages	English 43.6%, Filipino 21.2%, Chamorro 17.8%, other Pacific island languages 10%, Asian languages 6.3%, other 1.1% (2010 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Chamorro 37.3%, Filipino 26.3%, white 7.1%, Chuukese 7%, Korean 2.2%, other Pacific Islander 2%, other Asian 2%, Chinese 1.6%, Palauan 1.6%, Japanese 1.5%, Pohnpeian 1.4%, mixed 9.4%, other 0.6% (2010 est.)
Religion	Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.)
Government	Presidential democracy; a self-governing unincorporated territory of the US
Independance	None (territory of the US)
Area	544.00 km²
Land Area	544.00 km²
Population	162,742.00
Location	Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines
GDP(PPP)	$4,882,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$30,500.00 (USD)
Export Commodities	Its main exports are transshipments of refined petroleum products, construction materials, and fish.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include petroleum, food, and manufactured goods.
Climate	Tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season (January to June), rainy season (July to December); little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain	Volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat coralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steep coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low hills in center, mountains in south

Guam Government

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