In French Polynesia, there are two levels of administrative divisions: five administrative subdivisions (French: subdivisions administratives) and 48 communes.[1][2] Many of the communes are further subdivided into communes associées.[2] The breakdown into administrative subdivisions was as a result of the law #71-1028, dated December 24, 1971.[3] The compositions of the administrative subdivisions and the communes were defined in the decrees #72-408 and #72-407 of May 17, 1972, respectively.[4][5] These subdivisions were confirmed in the decree #2005-1611 of December 20, 2005.[6] Below are several lists of the divisions, according to different sorting schemes.
List of division level types
The 5 administrative subdivisions and 48 communes of French Polynesia.
Administrative subdivisions
Communes
Notes
For French administrative convenience, Clipperton Island had been attached to French Polynesia until February 20, 2007, but never formed part of any administrative subdivision or commune of French Polynesia. On February 21, 2007, Clipperton Island was transferred from the High Commissioner of the republic in French Polynesia to the Minister of Overseas France.[9][10][11]
Area statistics
The communes of French Polynesia have the following statistical info:
The average size of French Polynesian communes is 78.06 km2, while the median area is 55.4 km2, higher than the average and median areas of metropolitan French communes (14.88 km2 and 10.73 km2, respectively), but the size of these communes is predominantly dependent on the land area of the islands they occupy.
Population statistics
The communes of French Polynesia have the following statistical info:
The average commune population is 5,725, while the median is 2,268, much higher than the average and median metropolitan French commune (1,542 and 380, respectively).
^ a bCodification des collectivités d'outre-mer (COM), INSEE, 1 March 2017
^ a bLoi n° 2004-193 du 27 février 2004 complétant le statut d'autonomie de la Polynésie française (1), Légifrance
^Loi n°71-1028 du 24 décembre 1971 relative à la création at à l'organisation des communes dans le territoire de la Polynésie française, Légifrance
^Décret n°72-408 du 17 mai 1972 portant création de subdivisions administratives dans le territoire de la Polynésie française, Légifrance
^ a bDécret n°72-407 du 17 mai 1972 portant création de communes dans le territoire de la Polynésie française, Légifrance
^ a b c dDécret n° 2005-1611 du 20 décembre 2005 pris pour l'application du statut d'autonomie de la Polynésie française, Légifrance
^ a b"R1- Population sans doubles comptes, des subdivisions, communes et communes associées de Polynésie française, de 1971 à 1996". Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française. Archived from the original on 2012-11-14. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
^ a bRépartition de la population en Polynésie française en 2017 Archived 2018-10-24 at the Wayback Machine, Institut de la statistique de la Polynésie française
^Ben Cahoon. "French Minor Dependencies". Worldstatesmen.org.
