FRENCH POLYNESIA

FRENCH POLYNESIA HAS A TERRITORY THAT IS ON 121 ISLANDS RULED BY FRANCE. EACH ISLAND'S CULTURE BLEND WITH THE OTHERS. THEY ARE BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AMERICA. RECENTLY THEIR IS 250,000. SOME FOLKS ARE MIXED ETHNIC. MOST FOLKS SPEAK FRENCH AND TAHITIAN. THEY HAD AN OLDER DIALECT.

THEIR FLAG SHOWS A CANOE THAT IS A SYMBOL FOR THEIR SEAFARING. THERE ARE TENSIONS BETWEEN THE MAJORITY OF POLYNESIANS AND THE MINORITY 0F EUROPEANS HERE. CHINESE COME DUE TO ECONOMICS. VIOLENCE IS RARE. MANY FOLKS HAVE INTERMARRIED.

IN RURAL AREAS PEOPLE PROVIDE MUCH OF THEIR OWN FOOD THROUGH FISHING , ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. AND GARDENING OF TARO, BREADFRUIT, POTATOES, AND MANIOC. THEY ALSO EAT RICE , CANNED GOODS, AND FRESH BREADS. IN URBAN AREAS CHINESE FOOD IS AVAILABLE. THEY COOK IN EARTHEN OVENS AND HAVE GATHERING ON SUNDAYS. TRADITIONAL FOODS IS SERVED AT WEDDING FEASTS.

THE ECONOMY IS DEPENDANT ON FRENCH SOCIAL PROGRAMS AND MILITARY SPENDING AND BLACK PEARLS. THEY HAVE AN ACTIVE INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL TRADE WITH ISLANDS. TOURISM IS UNDERDEVELOPED, BUT THOSE JOBS ARE SIGNIFICANT AND IS OWNED BY EACH FAMILY OR LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE. LAND IS OWNED BY EACH FAMILY OR LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE.

THEY HAVE A VERY ACTIVE IMPORT BUSINESS, A MULTINATIONAL BUSINESS. LOCAL GOODS ARE VANILLA BEANS, COCONUT SOAPS, FRUITS MILK AND YOGURT, CLOTHING, FLOWERS, AND HANDCRAFTS.

POLYNESIAN MEN DOMINATE IN SKILLS AND UNSKILLED PHYSICAL LABOR. THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR ARE CONTROLLED BY CHINESE AND EUROPEAN-POLYNESIAN FAMILIES. MEN ARE EXCLUSIVELY THE POLITICIANS. THE CLASS STRUCTURE IS SMALL UPPER CLASS, LARGE MID AND LOWER CLASS, AND SMALL NUMBER OF POOR FOLKS. FAMILIES OWN THEIR HOMES. THEY KNOW THEIR GENEOLOGY.

DURING THE 60'S A PLAN INVOLVING NUCLEAR TESTING NUCLEAR TESTING STARTED BUT WAS NOT CARRIED OUT. THE ISLANDERS RECEIVE FREE HEATH CARE AND PRIMARY EDUCATION. THE GENDER DIVISION WAS BECAUSE OF CHRISTIAN AND WESTERN CULTURAL SYSTEMS. MEN WERE BREADWINNERS AND WOMEN TOOK CARE OF CHILDREN. MEN PLANTED TARO, TREES, AND FISHED. WOMEN DID HOUSE CHORES AND RAISED CHILDREN.

SOME COUPLES MARRY AND SOME LIVE TOGETHER. BOTH ARE ACCEPTED. CHILDREN ARE RAISED BY EXTENDED FAMILY AND OTHER RELATIVES. THEY BELIEVE THAT CHILDREN HAVE THEIR OWN AUTONOMY. THE GOAL IS TO MAKE CHILDREN DOCILE SO THAT THEY WILL BE KIND. THEY HAVE A 98% LITERACY RATE AND THE SCHOOLS WERE BUILT BY FRENCH. PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE RUN BY CHURCHES AND SUBSIDIZED BY GOVERNMENT. ADULT EDUCATION IS FREE. FRENCH POLYNESIANS CAN ATTEND COLLEGE HERE OR IN FRANCE.

TAHITIANS GREET EACH OTHER BY SHAKING HANDS. WHEN GUESTS ARE INVITED FOR A MEAL THE HOSTS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO EAT! AFTER 1797 THE FOLKS HERE WERE CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY AFTER PROTESTANT MISSIONARIES CAME HERE. 49% OF THE POPULATION IS PROTESTANT, 33% IS CATHOLIC, 5%MORMON, 4% 7TH DAY ADVENTIST, BEFORE WESTERN CONTACT THEY HAD A GROUP OF DISTANT GODS AND A HOST OF FAMILY SPIRITS AFFECTING DAILY LIFE. MANY STILL BELIEVE IN ANCESTRAL SPIRITS. SOME STILL BELIEVE IN ANCESTRAL SPIRITS.. SOME VILLAGES USE THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF AND PRACTITIONERS TO CONTROL THE SPIRITS TO HEAL PEOPLE. THEY HAVE MANY ANCIENT TEMPLE PLATFORMS THAT ARE HOLLY PLACES. INDIGENOUS RELIGIOUS PRACTICES ARE LARGELY CEASED.

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