French Polynesia at its true size
French Polynesia covers 4,167 km², number 174 of 235 countries and territories by area. Home to 282,465 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50mRemote islands and overseas parts not drawn; the figures include them
| Area | 4,167 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 282,465 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 68 per km² |
| Capital | Papeete |
| Local time in Papeete | |
| Time zone | UTC−10 · UTC−10 to UTC−9, 3 time zones IANA |
| Currency | CFP Franc (XPF) Wikidata |
| Languages | French |
| Traffic | On the right |
| Region | Polynesia, Oceania |
| Status | Territory of France |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Calling code | +689 |
| Codes | PF · PYF · 258 |
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Weather data: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), updated hourly · Temperatures on the map
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of French Polynesia’s area, lit up on the map →
- Cabo Verde1.03×French Polynesia is 3% larger than Cabo Verde.
- Trinidad and Tobago0.81×French Polynesia is 19% smaller than Trinidad and Tobago.
- Brunei0.72×French Polynesia is 28% smaller than Brunei.
- Samoa1.47×French Polynesia is 47% larger than Samoa.
- Luxembourg1.61×French Polynesia is 61% larger than Luxembourg.
- Mauritius2.04×French Polynesia is 2.04 times larger than Mauritius.
How many times does French Polynesia fit into…
- Russia: about 4098 times
- Canada: about 2396 times
- United States: about 2358 times
Questions about French Polynesia
- How big is French Polynesia?
- French Polynesia covers 4,167 km², which makes it number 174 of 235 countries and territories by area. About 282,465 people live there (2025), 68 per km².
- Is French Polynesia bigger than Cabo Verde?
- French Polynesia is 3% larger than Cabo Verde. French Polynesia: 4,167 km²; Cabo Verde: 4,033 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort French Polynesia?
- French Polynesia lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Does French Polynesia have land borders?
- No. French Polynesia has no land neighbours; every border is a coastline.