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French Polynesia
Population & Culture
Tahiti’s multiethnic population brings together Polynesians (83%, around 20% of which are of mixed ancestry), Europeans (12%, essentially city-dwellers), and Chinese (5%, their ancestors having settled here at the end of the 19th century). According to the most recent census (November 2002), Tahiti and its islands regroup 245 405 individuals, 75% of which live on the so-called Wind Islands (Tahiti and Moorea), with more than 127 600 people living in the urban area around Papeete (a strip of land measuring around 40 km). The population growth rate is considerable: +11.8% since the 1996 census. This increase can be explained not only by natural demographic growth but also by positive net migration, a result of state officials moving here when they retire.
Between tradition and modernity
Religion holds an important place in this society. Protestants now hold the majority (approx. 45%), followed by Catholics (34%), and, in smaller numbers, Mormons, 7th day Adventists, etc. Churches run youth organisations and play a major role in social and political life. Moreover, demographic analysis indicates westernization (longer life spans, less children per family, etc), a phenomenon that seems confirmed by changes in lifestyles, which tend towards consumerism. If many Polynesians still use local dialects as well as French when talking among themselves, these are becoming less used, especially among the younger generations. Despite the modernization of this society, Polynesian welcoming rituals still retain their authenticity and flamboyance. Welcomed by chants and flower necklaces, visitors start a journey into an enchanting universe as soon as they step on the tarmac – a journey which, somehow, always ends up being too short…
