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One of the most lasting impressions of French Polynesia is the captivating floral scents which permeate the tropical air. The region is home to a myriad of tropical flowers, many indigenous to these islands.

The basis for French Polynesia's traditional "hei" wreath is the perfumed "Tiare Tahiti."  This heavily scented gardenia is widely used for greeting arriving visitors and returning family. In fact, the "Tiare Tahiti" is so revered in French Polynesia that it has its own national holiday.

The flower is also used as an ingredient in tanning lotions, perfumes, soaps.  The term French Polynesia refers to five archipelagoes spread over an expanse of the South Pacific approximately the size of Western Europe (2,000,000 square miles or approximately 5,000,000 square kilometers). The region includes the Marguesas, the Tuamotus, the Society Islands, the Australs and the Gambiers. Each of these archipelagoes has its own culture, ethnicity and climate.

French Polynesia was the natural backdrop for the legendary paintings of Paul Gauguin.  Like the vast majority of visitors to the region, Gauguin has inspired by French Polynesia's turquoise lagoons, multi-colored reef fish, volcanic peaks, lush valleys and white-sand beaches.

The population of French Polynesia is an amalgam of Polynesian (75 percent), Chinese (10 percent), and European (15 percent).  Among these racial categories exists every conceivable mixture.  It would not be unusual to encounter a Tahitian of Chinese, American, Polynesian and French ancestry.

The official languages of French Polynesia are Tahitian and French, but numerous other tongues are spoken as well. Paumotu (the language of the Tuamotu Islands), and Mangarevan (spoken in the Gambiers) are both native tongues.  These languages belong to the great Malayo-European language family, which also includes the languages of Malaysia, Indonesia, Madgascar and the original languages of Taiwan.

Tahitian culture is a lively fusion of ancient Polynesian lore and European contemporaneousness.  The mixture of Polynesian and French cultures has resulted in a fertile culinary environment. There is a variety of splendid foods available in Tahiti ranging from traditional Tahitian fare to fine French cuisine, and tempting combinations thereof.  The Tahitian diet consists mostly of fish, shellfish, breadfruit, taro, cassava, pork, yams, chickan, rice and coconut.

Visitors will also find any number of Italian, Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants of various price categories and quality.  For Americans accustomed to fast-food, Papeete and some of the outer islands serve hamburgers, steaks, fries and similar staples.

In terms of art and culture, upper-class Tahitians have adopted western pop culture. French Polynesians wear the most chic fashions, listen to the latest pop music and drive the latest Bavarian cars and Japanese automobiles.  Yet despite this obvious affection for Western style, the proud people of French Polynesia still have their own language and customs.

The area has inspired a host of legendary artistic works.  Tahiti has captured the imagination of European intellectuals and artists ever since Rousseau waxed about the "Noble Savage."  French Polynesia was the setting for Herman Melville's groundbreaking book, "Typee," which was the first novel about a romance between a white man and a Polynesian native.  The region was also the inspiration for the popular theatre production, "Bali Hai."

Perhaps the most popular and influential artist to be associated with Tahiti is painter Paul Gauguin, whose earth-hued portraits of Polynesian life are world-renowned.

Arguably, the most resilient aspects of Polynesian culture are music and dance. Traditional percussionists offer one of the purest expressions of Polynesian music and are as much a part of the music scene today as are electric guitarists (percussionist always accompany dance troupes). Tahitian music has evolved into a fiery mix of Polynesian melody and rhythm and American pop, Jamaican reggae, French chansons and even hymns borrowed from the missionaries.

Crafts are an important part of the cultural picture in French Polynesia.  Traditional mat or basket weaving and carving are still practiced in the more remote areas, such as the Marguesas, Tuamotu and Austral islands.  The Australs in particular, are famous for the quality of mats and hats woven from Pandanus, a tree that grows throughout the South Pacific.  Carvings and wood sculptures are produced mostly in the Marquesas Islands.

Polynesia is the birthplace of the tattoo, and this internationally-recognized form of body painting has been practiced here since ancient times.  It's almost impossible to walk down a busy thoroughfare in Papeete or Moorea without encountering tattooed locals.

Tahiti and Her Islands extend over such a large area that it took several explorers and many years to discover and chart all the islands.

The Spanish and the Dutch were first to arrive here, making daring voyages through certain archipelagoes during the 16th and 17th centuries.  But as navigational aids were inaccurate during that time, explorers often had no idea where they were. English Capt. Samuel Wallis was the first European to "discover" Tahiti.

Louis de Bougainville followed in 1768, Capt. James Cook in 1769, and Capt. William Bligh of "Bounty" mutiny renown, in 1788.  Tahiti was ruled by the Pomare dynasty until 1880, when the islands became a French colony.

In 1957, French Polynesia became a French Overseas Territory, but a 1996 reinforced internal autonomy statute has given the local government greater self-governing powers.

As such, it is headed by a High Commissioner representing the French Republic, in charge of external relations, Justice, defense and Currency.  The legislative body is the Territorial Assembly, consisting of 41 members elected by popular vote.  This body elects the president of the government and head of the Territory, who chooses his 10 ministers.

French Polynesia also elects one representative to the French Senate and two representatives to the French Parliament.