Paracel Islands (2003) | 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 | 1 (2002) | 2 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
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: NA sq km
land: NA sq km water: 0 sq km |
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 | NA | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. | 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 | tropical | 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 | 518 km | 129 km |
Constitution | - | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Paracel Islands |
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 | occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | assistance from France |
Economy - overview | China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. | 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: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | 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 | 16 30 N, 112 00 E | 13 18 S, 176 12 W |
Geography - note | composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group | 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 | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | 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 | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
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 | Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Oceania |
Maritime claims | NA | 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 | occupied by China | 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 | typhoons | NA |
Natural resources | none | 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 | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2003 est.) |
15,880 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA |
Population growth rate | - | NA |
Ports and harbors | small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded | 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 | mostly low and flat | volcanic origin; low hills |
Total fertility rate | - | NA children born/woman |
Unemployment rate | - | NA |
Waterways | none | - |