Wallis and Futuna Fact File
 

Introduction

Wallis and Futuna
Background:

The Futuna island group was discovered by the Dutch in 1616 and Wallis by the British in 1767, but it was the French who declared a protectorate over the islands in 1842. In 1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted to become a French overseas territory.

Geography

Wallis and Futuna
Location:

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:

13 18 S, 176 12 W

Map references:

Oceania

Area:

total: 274 sq km
land: 274 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island), Ile Alofi, and 20 islets

Area - comparative:

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

129 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season (May to October); rains 2,500-3,000 mm per year (80% humidity); average temperature 26.6 degrees C

Terrain:

volcanic origin; low hills

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m

Natural resources:

NEGL

Land use:

arable land: 7.14%
permanent crops: 35.71%
other: 57.15% (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

Natural hazards:

NA

Environment - current issues:

deforestation (only small portions of the original forests remain) largely as a result of the continued use of wood as the main fuel source; as a consequence of cutting down the forests, the mountainous terrain of Futuna is particularly prone to erosion; there are no permanent settlements on Alofi because of the lack of natural fresh water resources

Geography - note:

both island groups have fringing reefs

People

Wallis and Futuna
Population:

16,025 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:

NA

Birth rate:

NA births/1,000 population

Death rate:

NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate:

NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: NA
male: NA
female: NA

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years

Total fertility rate:

NA children born/woman

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun: Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders
adjective: Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander

Ethnic groups:

Polynesian

Religions:

Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

Languages:

Wallisian 58.9% (indigenous Polynesian language), Futunian 30.1%, French 10.8%, other 0.2% (2003 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 50%
male: 50%
female: 50% (1969 est.)

Government

Wallis and Futuna
Country name:

conventional long form: Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands
conventional short form: Wallis and Futuna
local long form: Territoire des Iles Wallis et Futuna
local short form: Wallis et Futuna

Dependency status:

overseas territory of France

Government type:

NA

Capital:

Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea)

Administrative divisions:

none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three kingdoms at the second order named Alo, Sigave, Wallis

Independence:

none (overseas territory of France)

National holiday:

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution:

4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system:

French legal system

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Administrator Xavier DE FURST (since 18 January 2005)
head of government: President of the Territorial Assembly Patalione KANIMOA (since January 2001)
cabinet: Council of the Territory consists of three kings and three members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the Territorial Assembly
note: there are three traditional kings with limited powers
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high administrator appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the Territorial Government and the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly

Legislative branch:

unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (20 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 11 March 2002 (next to be held March 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR and affiliates 13, Socialists and affiliates 7
note: Wallis and Futuna elects one senator to the French Senate and one deputy to the French National Assembly; French Senate - elections last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held by September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats - RPR (now UMP) 1; French National Assembly - elections last held 16 June 2002 (next to be held by NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats - RPR (UMP) 1

Judicial branch:

none; justice generally administered under French law by the high administrator, but the three traditional kings administer customary law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu

Political parties and leaders:

Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians); Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche or MRG; Rally for the Republic or RPR (UMP) [Clovis LOGOLOGOFOLAU]; Socialist Party or PS; Taumu'a Lelei [Soane Muni UHILA]; Union Populaire Locale or UPL [Falakiko GATA]; Union Pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

SPC, UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (overseas territory of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (overseas territory of France)

Flag description:

unofficial, local flag has a red field with four white isosceles triangles in the middle, representing the three native kings of the islands and the French administrator; the apexes of the triangles are oriented inward and at right angles to each other; the flag of France, outlined in white on two sides, is in the upper hoist quadrant; the flag of France is the only official flag

Economy

Wallis and Futuna
Economy - overview:

The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with about 80% labor force earnings from agriculture (coconuts and vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing. About 4% of the population is employed in government. Revenues come from French Government subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to Japan and South Korea, import taxes, and remittances from expatriate workers in New Caledonia.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$60 million (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

NA

GDP - real growth rate:

NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$3,800 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Labor force:

NA

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 80%
industry: 4%
services: 16% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:

NA%

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

NA%

Budget:

revenues: $20 million
expenditures: $17 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)

Agriculture - products:

breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats; fish

Industries:

copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%

Electricity - production:

NA kWh

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0%

Electricity - consumption:

NA kWh

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2002)

Exports:

$250,000 f.o.b. (1999)

Exports - commodities:

copra, chemicals, construction materials

Exports - partners:

Italy 40%, Croatia 15%, US 14%, Denmark 13% (2004)

Imports:

$300,000 f.o.b. (1999)

Imports - commodities:

chemicals, machinery, passenger ships, consumer goods

Imports - partners:

France 97%, Australia 2%, NZ 1% (2004)

Debt - external:

$NA

Economic aid - recipient:

assistance from France

Currency (code):

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)

Currency code:

XPF

Exchange rates:

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002), 133.26 (2001)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Communications

Wallis and Futuna
Telephones - main lines in use:

1,900 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

0 (1994)

Telephone system:

general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 681

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000)

Radios:

NA

Television broadcast stations:

2 (2000)

Televisions:

NA

Internet country code:

.wf

Internet hosts:

1 (2005)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2000)

Internet users:

900 (2002)

Transportation

Wallis and Futuna
Airports:

2 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2005)

Merchant marine:

total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 106,003 GRT/56,674 DWT
by type: chemical tanker 1, passenger 5
foreign-owned: 5 (France 4, US 1) (2005)

Ports and terminals:

Leava, Mata-Utu

Military

Wallis and Futuna
Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues

Wallis and Futuna
Disputes - international:

none

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