French Polynesia is a truly unique location, replete with culture, history, and traditions. As of the last census in 2012, the population in French Polynesia was measured as 268,270 people. The Society Island group is a combination of the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands, the Tuamotu Archipelago, the Gambier Islands, the Marquesas Islands and the Austral Islands. Among those 118 islands and atolls, 67 are inhabited. The top exports for the territory are vanilla, noni juice, and the famous Tahitian black pearls. The pearls accounted for 55% of the islands exports (for value) in 2008. The only official language of French Polynesia is French. The majority religion for the area is Christianity, with Protestant denominations being the majority. The motto of the islands is: "Liberté, égalité, fraternité"
The first European contact with one of the islands came in 1521 with the travels of Ferdinand Magellan. Various French and English explorers came to the islands between the 18th century and the mid 19th century. The reigning King Pomare II was forced to flee the islands in 1803. In 1842, France recognized Tahiti as a French Protectorate, after their Catholic missionaries were forcibly expelled from the island in 1834. In 1880, France officially annexed Tahiti, making it a colony rather than a protectorate. The protectorate status was instead extended to the surrounding islands that make up French Polynesia today. Between 1885 and 1903, the islands were given a governor and general assembly, issued postage stamps, and the name was changed to Établissements Français de l'Océanie, meaning French Establishments in Oceania. In 1940, French Polynesia formally recognized the Free French Forces and many Polynesians proudly served in the World War. By 1946, Polynesians were given full French Citizenship and the islands became an overseas territory. In 1957, the name of the islands became French Polynesia as we know today. Beginning in 1962, the Moruroa Atoll was used for nuclear testing causing much protest. In 2003, French Polynesia gained full overseas collectivity status. In the 2007 French presidential election, French Polynesian voters gave the most support to Nicolas Sarkozy, who won the election. This trend, seeing as most Sarkozy supporters were anti-independence, suggested that French Polynesia has no plans for an independence referendum just yet. Only time may tell what is yet in store for the small collectivity.
0 Comments
New Caledonia is a land rich in history. In matters of population, New Caledonia rests at 268,767 people (last measured in 2014). New Caledonia is made up of the Chesterfield Islands, the Loyalty Islands, the Isle of Pines, and Grande Terre. The islands are known for their bounty of sandalwood, as well as their very unique variety of local flora and fauna. New Caledonia also contains 25% of the World's nickel resources. French is the majority spoken language and Christianity is the dominant religion. The motto of New Caledonia is "Land of speech, land of sharing". The earliest European contact with the islands was made by James Cook in 1774. He titled it "New Caledonia" after the east coast of the island reminded him of Scotland. In 1853 Febvrier Despointes, an admiral of France, officially took possession of New Caledonia and founded Port-de-France (Now Noumea). The island was used by France as a penal colony, with over 10,000 prisoners hosted there. Many of the prisoners were Communards arrested from the failed French Commune. In 1878, High Chief Atal led a bloody war that ended with 200 dead Frenchmen and 1000 dead natives. In 1940, the general council of New Caledonia declared the colonies support for Free France. The Pro-Vichy governor was deposed and exiled to French Indochina. By 1942, the islands became a prominent staging base for the American Navy and Army in the South Pacific, the island owing to the victory at the Battle for the Coral Sea. During 1946, New Caledonia's status was upgraded to "overseas dependency". By 1953, French citizenship was extended to all New Caledonian citizens. The Noumea Accord was signed in 1998, marking a slow transfer of power from the French to the local Caledonians. When the Noumea Accords expire in 2018, New Caledonia is set to hold an independence referendum, where they will decide if they want full control of government, or have the French retain their current role in leading. A special thank you goes out to Julius D. for the suggestions to my blog. Thank you for your support! Hello blog followers! I am Tom Hodek, the moderator and author of this blog. This blog was created for the purpose of lending exposure to the issues of French Polynesia and Caledonia not being able to govern themselves, and also to the inherent beauty of the islands. It will be an interesting journey, and I will be glad for you all to accompany me!
|
Tom HodekHi! My name is Thomas Hodek and I am the author of this site. This is an active project for an English course I am enrolled in. I am an American student and award-winning actor. My goal with this site is to spread awareness of the plight of the French colonies, which are not yet autonomous. A side note: This blog is very much a work in progress, so be patient with it! Archives
November 2016
Categories |