Arctic Ocean (2001) | Wallis and Futuna (2004) | |
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 |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
Agriculture - products | - | breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats |
Airports | - | 2 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total:
14.056 million sq km note: includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, and other tributary water bodies |
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 | slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the recently delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US and Canada) and Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two important seasonal waterways. A sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes circumscribes the Arctic Ocean. | Although discovered by the Dutch and the British in the 17th and 18th centuries, 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. |
Birth rate | - | NA births/1,000 population |
Budget | - | revenues: $20 million
expenditures: $17 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1998 est.) |
Capital | - | Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea) |
Climate | polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized by continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow | 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 |
Coastline | 45,389 km | 129 km |
Constitution | - | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
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 |
Currency | - | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF) |
Death rate | - | NA deaths/1,000 population |
Debt - external | - | NA |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (overseas territory of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (overseas territory of France) |
Disputes - international | some maritime disputes (see littoral states) | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | assistance from France |
Economy - overview | Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals. | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | - | NA kWh |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Fram Basin -4,665 m highest point: sea level 0 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m |
Environment - current issues | endangered marine species include walruses and whales; fragile ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from disruptions or damage; thinning polar icepack | 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 |
Ethnic groups | - | Polynesian |
Exchange rates | - | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 105.73 (2003), 126.72 (2002), 133.26 (2001), 129.43 (2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25 (1998) |
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 NA 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 |
Exports | - | $250,000 f.o.b. (1999) |
Exports - commodities | - | copra, chemicals, construction materials |
Exports - partners | - | Italy 40%, Croatia 15%, US 14%, Denmark 13% |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | - | a large white modified Maltese cross - shifted a little off center toward the fly and slightly downward - on a red background; the flag of France outlined in white on two sides is in the upper hoist quadrant; the flag of France is used for official occasions |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $57.59 million (2003 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | NA |
Geographic coordinates | 90 00 N, 0 00 E | 13 18 S, 176 12 W |
Geography - note | major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10 months | both island groups have fringing reefs |
Highways | - | total: 120 km (Ile Uvea 100 km, Ile Futuna 20 km)
paved: 16 km (all on Ile Uvea) unpaved: 104 km (Ile Uvea 84 km, Ile Futuna 20 km) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Imports | - | $300,000 f.o.b. (1999) |
Imports - commodities | - | chemicals, machinery, passenger ships, consumer goods |
Imports - partners | - | France 97%, Australia 2%, New Zealand 1% |
Independence | - | none (overseas territory of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA |
Industries | - | copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | NA |
International organization participation | - | FZ, UPU |
Irrigated land | - | NA sq km |
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 |
Labor force | - | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture, livestock, and fishing 80%, government 4% (2001 est.) |
Land boundaries | - | 0 km |
Land use | - | arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 25% other: 70% (2001) |
Languages | - | French, Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language) |
Legal system | - | French legal system |
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 NA 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 NA 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 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 50% male: 50% female: 50% (1969 est.) |
Location | body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America, mostly north of the Arctic Circle | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
Map references | Arctic Region | Oceania |
Maritime claims | - | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 134,037 GRT/14,271 DWT
by type: passenger 6 foreign-owned: France 3, Greece 1, Monaco 1, United States 1 (2004 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France |
National holiday | - | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | - | noun: Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders
adjective: Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander |
Natural hazards | ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing from October to May | NA |
Natural resources | sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales) | NEGL |
Net migration rate | - | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2004 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians) [leader NA]; Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche or MRG [leader NA]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Clovis LOGOLOGOFOLAU]; Taumu'a Lelei [Soane Muni UHILA]; Union Populaire Locale or UPL [Falakiko GATA]; Union Pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF [leader NA] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | - | 15,880 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA |
Population growth rate | - | NA |
Ports and harbors | Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US) | Leava, Mata-Utu |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000) |
Religions | - | Roman Catholic 99%, other 1% |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 681 |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 1,900 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 0 (1994) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 2 (2000) |
Terrain | central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar icepack that averages about 3 meters in thickness, although pressure ridges may be three times that size; clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from the New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland and Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas during the summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends to the encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about 50% continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the remainder a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges (Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge) | volcanic origin; low hills |
Total fertility rate | - | NA children born/woman |
Unemployment rate | - | NA |