French Polynesia is a collection of 118 islands and atolls, in the central Pacific, about 6,000 kilometres east of northern Australia. With a land surface area of a little over 4,000 square kilometres and a population of almost 300,000, French Polynesia controls an economic zone of over 5 million square kilometres.

With gradually increasing levels of self-government, French Polynesia became an Overseas Collectivity in 2004. Since that time political instability has been quite substantial with popular protests, votes of no-confidence in leaders, allegations of voting irregularities and constantly changing governments being commonplace. France still officially governs French Polynesia and the Head of State is the French President.

The French government carried out nuclear testing on Mururoa Atoll in the 1960s and 70s and again in the 1990s before committing to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Local opposition became vehement during the period of the nuclear testing.

French is spoken throughout the nation and is taught in schools. French Polynesia gradually converted to Christianity following ongoing missionary involvement in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, with both Protestant and Roman Catholic churches being well represented.