French Polynesia
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Official Name: Polynésie Française
Population: 264,000
Capital: Papeete - Pop. 132,000
Area: 4,167 sq. km. / 2,589 sq. miles.
Language: Fench
Religion: Christian, Indigenous
Status of Homosexuality: Legal
Telephone Country Code: 689
French Polynesia is a French overseas collectivity in the southern Pacific Ocean . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands , the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory (Papeete ). Although not an integral part of its territory, Clipperton Island was administered from French Polynesia until 2007.
In April 2009, the French National Assembly voted to approve the extension of PACS to two French overseas collectivities : New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna . Thus, same-sex and opposite-sex couples in New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna are now able to enter a PACS in the same way as couples in Metropolitan France . Given their autonomous status, these collectivities did not automatically begin performing PACS when they were introduced in Metropolitan France in 1999. Indeed, in other collectivites, such as French Polynesia and Mayotte , PACS cannot yet be performed.
