Wallis and Futuna Population: 15,398
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| 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, and took official control of them between 1886 and 1888. Notably, Wallis and Futuna was the only French colony to side with the Vichy regime during World War II, a phase that ended in May of 1942 with the arrival of 2,000 American troops. In 1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted to become a French overseas territory and officially assumed this status in July 1961. |
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| Geography | |
| Both island groups have fringing reefs | |
| 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 |
| Area: | total: 142 sq km land: 142 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island), Ile Alofi, and 20 islets Size comparison: 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 (on Futuna) 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 |
| Current Environment 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 freshwater resources |
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| People | |
| Population: | 15,398 (July 2011 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 25.1% (male 2,018/female 1,846) 15-64 years: 67.1% (male 5,191/female 5,137) 65 years and over: 7.8% (male 563/female 643) (2011 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 28.5 years male: 27.5 years female: 29.7 years (2011 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.357% (2011 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 13.96 births/1,000 population NA (2011 est.) |
| Death rate: | 4.68 deaths/1,000 population NA (July 2011 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -5.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2011 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.048 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 4.67 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.91 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 78.98 years male: 76 years female: 82.11 years (2011 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.81 children born/woman (2011 est.) |
| 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 (indigenous Polynesian language) 58.9%, Futunian 30.1%, French (official) 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.) |
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| Government | |
| 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 |
| Government type: | NA |
| Capital: | name: Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea) geographic coordinates: 13 57 S, 171 56 W time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| 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 civil law |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by High Administrator Michel JEANJEAN (since 10 June 2010) head of government: President of the Territorial Assembly Victor BRIAL (since 11 December 2007) cabinet: Council of the Territory consists of 3 kings and 3 members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the Territorial Assembly (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) note: there are 3 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 elected by the members of the assembly |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (20 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 1 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 13, other 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 on 21 September 2008 (next to be held by September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - UMP 1; French National Assembly - elections last held on 17 June 2007 (next to be held by 2012); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - PS 1 |
| Judicial branch: | 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; a court of appeal is located in Noumea, New Caledonia |
| Political parties and leaders: | Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians); Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche or MRG; Rally for the Republic or RPR (UMP); Socialist Party or PS; Taumu'a Lelei; Union Populaire Locale or UPL; Union Pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | PIF (observer), SPC, UPU |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (overseas territory of France) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | none (overseas territory of France) |
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| Economy | |
| The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with about 80% of 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): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $60 million (2004 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $NA |
| GDP - real growth rate: | NA% |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $3,800 (2004 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
| Labor force: | 3,104 (2003) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 80% industry: 4% services: 16% (2001 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 15.2% (2003) |
| Population below poverty line: | NA% |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% (2005) |
| Budget: | revenues: $29,730 expenditures: $31,330 (2004) |
| Public debt: | 5.6% of GDP (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | coconuts, breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats; fish |
| Industries: | copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber |
| Industrial production growth rate: | NA% |
| Electricity - production: | NA kWh |
| Electricity - consumption: | NA kWh |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2002) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2002) |
| Exports: | $47,450 (2004) |
| Exports - commodities: | copra, chemicals, construction materials |
| Imports: | $61.17 million (2004) |
| Imports - commodities: | chemicals, machinery, consumer goods |
| Debt - external: | $3.67 million (2004) |
| Exchange rates: | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 87.59 (2007) 94.97 (2006) 95.89 (2005) 96.04 (2004) 105.66 (2003) |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 3,100 (2010) country comparison to the world: 218 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | NA |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 681 |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .wf |
| Internet hosts: | 1,734 (2010) |
| Internet users: | 1,300 (2009) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 2 (2010) country comparison to the world: 209 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010) |
| Roadways: | |
| Merchant marine: | total: 8 by type: chemical tanker 2, passenger 6 foreign-owned: 8 (France 6, French Polynesia 2) (2008) |
| Ports and terminals: | Leava, Mata-Utu |
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| Military | |
| Defense is the responsibility of France | |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 3,376 females age 16-49: 3,314 (2010 est.) |
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