History History

Presumably originating from Southeast Asia, the settlement of the Polynesian triangle began between 1300 and 1100 BC by the Samoan and Tongan islands

After a pause of more than a millennium, at the beginning of our Christian era, the populating of the Polynesian triangle continues by the Marquesas Islands around the year 300, which then becomes a new center of dispersion of the Polynesian people, the vastest territory that a civilization ever had. An immense triangle of 10,000 km is quickly colonized. Easter Island was discovered in 400, Hawaii in 500, the Society Islands in 600, New Zealand in 850 and the Tuamotu-Gambier around the year 1000.

Between 1520 and 1779, Western explorers succeeded one another in the conquest of new territories in the Pacific. In 1520, during his crossing of the Pacific Ocean, Magellan landed at the extreme north-east of the Tuamotus: it was the first Western discovery of what is now French Polynesia

From 1567 to 1569, in the conquest of new austral lands, the Spanish Alvaro de Mendaña crossed the Pacific but came back empty-handed. In 1595, assisted by the Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, he undertook his second crossing of the Pacific, from Peru to the Philippines. During his voyage, he discovered the Marquesas Islands and left the natives with a rather bloody souvenir of his passage - his policy being "shoot first, ask questions later"

In 1605, Queirós took over from Mendaña, who had died during the previous voyage. In 1606, he discovered several islands of the Tuamotu before reaching the New Hebrides

In 1616, the Dutch took over from the Spanish: Jacob Le Maire and Jan Schouten explored the Tuamotus

A century later, in 1722, their compatriot Jacob Roggeveen reached Easter Island, then Maupiti by heading west again

Among the English, it was John Byron who, on the orders of the King of England, was the first to explore the Pacific; in 1765, he discovered the last unknown islands of the Tuamotus. In 1767, Wallis landed in Tahiti, which he first named King George's Island

Less than a year later, Bougainville also landed in Tahiti and believing he was the first to discover the island, he named it "New Kythira"

In 1769, at the request of the Royal Society of London, Cook went to Tahiti for the first time to observe the passage of Venus in front of the sun; he returned there for a second expedition in 1773, and for a final one in 1777.

Famous episode of the Bounty mutiny. The crew of the English ship commanded by Captain Bligh mutinied to stay in Polynesia.

After the landing of the Europeans and especially the mutineers of the Bounty, the rules of the game are modified by the introduction of weapons in Tahiti. Indeed, thanks to the military support of the mutineers of the Bounty, who had become true mercenaries, Chief Tu rose to the rank of King of Tahiti. In 1791, he thus became the first Pomaré of a long dynasty. Welcoming the Europeans with benevolence, he was driven from power in 1797 by a popular uprising, but returned to power with the help of the British.

The first explorers were soon followed by whalers, bandits and pirates of all kinds who disembarked in the 1790s from England and New England. Traders plundered the sandalwood of the Marquesas Islands, adventurers began to exchange weapons and alcohol for food and sex; a veritable corruption took hold of Polynesian customs. The trade of love developed, and alcohol refineries were quickly established

Already upset, French Polynesia will soon discover a new category of visitors, just as harmful to the preservation of the local culture. On June 5, 1797, thirty English missionaries from the London Missionary Society (LMS) landed in Matavai Bay. In 1801, they were joined by new members with the objective of "civilizing the savages" and Christianizing the islands. Colonized, oppressed, without any grip on the new landmarks, the Tahitians are disoriented. The new germs and weapons did their work, and quickly, the Tahitian population declined. Measles, influenza, syphilis and dysentery hit the islands in successive epidemics. At the time of Cook, the population of Tahiti alone numbered between 50,000 and 140,000 individuals; ten years later, it was only 20,000 individuals, and then only 6,000 in 1820. The Marquesas, a more isolated archipelago, almost witnessed the elimination of their civilization; the population was divided by fifty in only one hundred years. The bases of the traditional culture and the Maohi civilization explode.

In 1803, on the death of his father Pomaré I, Pomaré II - whose real name was Vairatoa - acceded to the throne. Conscious of the interest of commercial exchanges with the English and the power of the British missionaries, Pomaré II imposes in 1815 by the arms the Pomaré code and the Christian religion during the battle of Fei Pi. This war officially marked the end of the Polynesian people's attachment to traditional cults, now subject to the rules of the Protestant denomination. In 1819, Pomaré II will be baptized.

In 1821, after the death of Pomaré II, his son Pomaré III, only one year old, was imposed by the English. A veritable plaything in the hands of Protestant missionaries, he ascended the throne at the age of five and died in 1827 at the age of eight

She was succeeded by her older sister, who was raised by Protestant priests. This new queen, Pomaré IV Vahiné, then 14 years old, reigned for fifty years. Even today, she remains popular for her antics and her taste for traditional music and dance, which she defended despite the strong influence of the missionaries of the time.

Numerous struggles for influence took place during this period between the English and the French, who were already coveting Polynesia and hoped to annex several islands. They began with the pastor Pritchard, a missionary of the London Missionary Society who, from 1827, tried to obtain from Queen Pomaré IV the British protectorate. He would probably have succeeded if the French, in the person of Admiral Dupetit-Thouars, had not interfered.

Expulsion of French Catholic missionaries at the request of English Protestants.

Forced to do so, Queen Pomaré IV signed a treaty formalizing the French protectorate over Tahiti and Moorea

The French finally imposed themselves militarily and the government, represented by Bruat, obtained successively from 1843 to 1900 the annexation of the Marquesas Islands, the Leeward Islands, the Gambier Archipelago and the Austral Islands

Departure of the English missionaries.

In 1877, upon the death of Pomaré IV, one of his sons succeeded him to become the last king of this dynasty, Pomaré V. In 1880, he abdicated and left the place to the direct administration of France; he died in 1891

The French Establishments of Oceania (EFO) participated in the Great War. On September 22, 1914, two German cruisers bombed Papeete; the market was destroyed and two deaths were reported. In 1916, the first "Pacific Battalion", made up of a contingent of one thousand Polynesian soldiers, was sent to the Eastern Fronts and to the Battle of the Marne: three hundred soldiers died. On their return, a political conscience was awakened and independence demands began to be expressed. In vain

In 1940, the EFO joined the Free French Forces and a new Pacific battalion was formed. In 1942, the American army set up a military base on the island of Bora-Bora.

In 1946 the Constitution of the Fourth Republic was passed. With the arrival of the French Union, the EFO went from being a colony to being an overseas territory; the right to vote was granted to its inhabitants. At the same time, the first anti-colonialist movement was taking shape: in 1949, Pouvanaa Oopa, a member of the first Pacific battalion during the Great War, was elected deputy and founded the RDPT, which would dominate political life in the 1950s. In 1957, thanks to the Defferre framework law, the EFO became French Polynesia. This change of name was accompanied by a more autonomous status for the territory. Pouvanaa Oopa became the first vice-president and head of a government of local elected officials. The assembly is endowed with increased competence. But the establishment of the^Fifth Republic in 1958 led to a form of "mise au pas", with a reinforcement of the governor's powers to the detriment of those of the local government.

Constitutional referendum to maintain the status of overseas territory: Polynesians vote "yes".

The construction of the Papeete-Faaa International Airport was decided in 1959 to promote the development of tourism, at a time when neighbouring Hawaii already receives 600,000 visitors a year. Its inauguration will take place on October 15, 1960.

Having to leave the Algerian Sahara soon, France decides to redirect its nuclear tests in the Pacific, in Polynesia. In 1961, the major works for the installation of the Centre d'Expérimentations du Pacifique to Mururoa begin; two years later, the CEP is ready to operate.

If the start of nuclear testing provoked a number of hostile reactions, it was above all a providential windfall for Polynesia. The geography of Mururoa atoll was transformed, and a town was built for 5,000 inhabitants. A test site was also created at Fangataufa, an advanced base was deployed at Hao and Papeete was chosen as a rear base. In the 1960s, money was poured in by the shovelful on the dream beaches. No one refused anything; the construction workers even partied with champagne every weekend! The transfers from the metropolitan area were indeed generous, de Gaulle having bought social peace at this price. In 1960, Makatea's phosphate production was at its peak, and tourism made its debut with the new airport. The Club Mediterranée de Moorea, now closed, opened its doors, followed by many other establishments. The filming of the Hollywood blockbuster The Mutineers of the Bounty added a layer of dollars to the beaches, hiring thousands of extras at a premium for several months. The actor Marlon Brando, seduced by the charm of these islands, ends up marrying his partner, and he buys the island of Tetiaroa. Polynesians, attracted by the economic development, flocked en masse to Papeete, where salaries and living standards were much higher. The town experienced a demographic explosion: the population quadrupled in thirty years! Houses were built in a hurry, a highway, factories, a container port; airports and ports were built on many islands, which accentuated the migratory flows. Meanwhile, the Polynesian economy continued to diversify: tourism developed - especially in Tahiti, Bora Bora and Moorea - and pearl farming was perfected. Since the first experimental pearls were produced in 1960, production exceeded 4 tons in 1995, making it the most important export product in terms of value. Regional development projects aim to rebalance the distribution of wealth between Papeete and the islands. Communications also allow the most isolated archipelagos, such as the Australs, Tuamotu-Gambier and the Marquesas, to be opened up.

Politically, French Polynesia adopted a status of autonomous management in 1977, and obtained the status of internal autonomy in 1984, giving it wider powers.

After 150 years of prohibition, France finally officially recognizes the Tahitian language.

After the cessation of nuclear testing in 1992, Polynesia entered the post-CEP era. In 1993, a Progress Pact was signed with France. But in 1995, Jacques Chirac was elected President of the French Republic and decided to resume nuclear testing at Mururoa. With this, independence and environmentalist revolts awoke in the Territory, setting fire to Papeete. The city, in riot, was invaded by demonstrators from disadvantaged neighborhoods, often those left behind by the financial windfall from nuclear testing. The pro-independence rioters ransacked the city center and the airport. But, far from being limited to French Polynesia, the outcry was worldwide, leading to environmental protests everywhere, and a new nickname for the French president: "Hirochirac". It must be said that France is the only developed country to continue real tests; Australia, New Zealand and many Western democracies call for a boycott of French products. For French Polynesia, the restart of the CEP means a new financial influx, but also a drop in the tourism sector. With the definitive end of the tests, France granted a financial compensation to Polynesia in 1996, for ten years.

In two years, El Niño brings its share of hurricanes and disasters. Hurricane Martin is the first of the season. In November 1997, eight members of the same family were swept away on Bellingshausen Atoll, leaving only one survivor. The same month, it was the turn of Oséa, which ravaged Bora Bora and its point Matira, and especially Maupiti, 90% of which was destroyed during its passage through the eye of the cyclone.

Creation of the international airline Air Tahiti Nui, then serving France, the United States, New Zealand and Japan.

The territory is granted the status of a French Overseas Country. French Polynesia thus continues to gain in autonomy: it can now sign international agreements with States or international organizations. In addition, the President of the Government of French Polynesia becomes "President of French Polynesia".

The change in status of French Polynesia as an overseas country was accompanied by a change in political direction: for the first time, the independence fighter Oscar Temaru took power in 2004. It is the famous "Taui", a change so eagerly awaited by some. But the political crisis will not be long in coming, and between changes of alliances, motions of censure and alternation for the presidency, no less than 13 governments succeed one another until April 2011! As for the presidency of the territory, it is in turn attributed to Gaston Tong Sang (party "O Porinetia To Tatou Ai'a", or "Polynesia, our homeland"), Gaston Flosse (party "UDSP", Union for Development, Stability and Peace), and Oscar Temaru (pro-independence party "Tavini Huiraatira").

After long and prosperous years, the economy experienced a sharp slowdown in 2007, which two years later led the country into recession. Polynesian GDP fell by 4.2 per cent in 2009, and while tourism alone accounts for 13 per cent of the islands' market GDP, it is undergoing a deep and lasting crisis: 221,549 tourist arrivals in 2006, 218,241 in 2007, and the slump will persist until 2013, when the country will welcome only 164,393 tourists. Nearly all the indicators are in the red, and while a certain part of the population can no longer make ends meet, most newly arrived metropolitans benefit from extremely advantageous conditions for settling in (tax exemption, no income tax, etc.). These discrepancies are at the root of so-called "social" tensions, which are plaguing French Polynesia.

"Loi Morin" in favour of the victims of the French nuclear tests in French Polynesia and the Algerian Sahara. France officially recognizes the health damage caused by nuclear testing.

A last mandate during which the President of French Polynesia is particularly militant in favour of the country's reinstatement on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.

Gaston Flosse is re-elected president of French Polynesia. The same day, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proposed by Temaru, placing French Polynesia on the list of territories to be decolonized.

After French President François Hollande refused to pardon him in a fictitious employment case for which he had been sentenced to three years ineligibility, Gaston Flosse lost all his local mandates on 5 September. On the 14th, Edouard Fritch becomes president of French Polynesia.

The President of the French Republic François Hollande visits French Polynesia: the last visit of the French President, Jacques Chirac at the time, was in 2003. In addition to preparing the ground for the presidential elections of 2017, the head of state announces financial aid and new legal arrangements to compensate Polynesians who were victims of the fallout from nuclear tests in Mururoa.

François Hollande and Édouard Fritch sign the "Elysée Agreement" in Paris, a prologue to the "Papeete Agreement". This text opens symbolically on the recognition of the nuclear fact and its consequences. In particular, it provides for the improvement of compensation for victims of nuclear tests, the sanctuarisation "at the 2011 level" of the Global Endowment for Autonomy (DGA) intended for the economic reconversion of Polynesia after the end of nuclear tests, and financial support for the oncology department of the French Polynesian Hospital Center.

Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic since 7 May, receives the President of French Polynesia, Édouard Fritch, at the Élysée Palace. He assures that he will keep his predecessor's commitments on the Elysée and Papeete agreements - the latter still unsigned.

In addition to Air France and Air Tahiti Nui, the new airline French Bee and the American United Airlines now serve the Polynesian territory. The country thus doubled its tourist numbers, increasing by 7.3% that year and welcoming nearly 212,000 visitors. At the same time, the cruise industry is also booming, with a 30% jump in October alone.

In November 2022, President Fritch negotiated, as a matter of national solidarity, the financing of a recovery plan for French Polynesia and an allocation of 15 billion CFP over 3 years for the Polynesian health system.

In December 2022, with Eric Spitz, High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia, the President examined projects that support, among other things, the development of agriculture with high economic, sanitary and environmental added value, and ensured a response to the housing emergency, plans to build a surfing referee tower in Teahupo'o for surfing competitions in the context of the 2024 Olympics, wants to invest in young people by upgrading school facilities, and wishes to maintain the reinforcement of road, aeronautical, maritime, and water defense infrastructures, especially in the remote archipelagos.