French Polynesia is composed of over 100 islands, divided into Society, Tuamotu, Marquesas, Austral and Gambier Island groups.  While the islands are fairly small, the total land area of the islands is equivalent to the total area of Europe.  The remoteness of the islands of Polynesia kept the people insulated from the rest of the world until European world travel began in the 1700s.  After years of exploration by the Spanish, English and French, France declared the islands a protectorate in 1843.  In 1944, the islands were claimed as an overseas territory of France.  A statute of autonomy was implemented in 1984, and in 1998, French Polynesia became an overseas country with greater self-governing powers through their own Assembly and President.