Wallis and Futuna (2008) | Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2003) | |
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 | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats; fish | vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts |
Airports | 2 (2007) | 1 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
- |
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 |
total: 14 sq km
land: 14 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island |
Area - comparative | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC | about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
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. | There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William Keeling discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island. |
Birth rate | NA | NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $29,730
expenditures: $31,330 (2004 est.) |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $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) |
West Island |
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 | tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year |
Coastline | 129 km | 26 km |
Constitution | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 |
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 |
conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
Currency | - | Australian dollar (AUD) |
Death rate | NA | NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $3.67 million (2004) | $NA |
Dependency status | overseas territory of France | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of France) | none (territory of Australia) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of France) | none (territory of Australia) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | assistance from France, $NA | $NA |
Economy - overview | 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. | Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. There is a small tourist industry. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
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 | fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs |
Ethnic groups | Polynesian | Europeans, Cocos Malays |
Exchange rates | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per U NA (2007), 95.03 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003) | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by High Administrator Richard DIDIER (since 19 July 2006)
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 |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999) cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
Exports | $47,450 f.o.b. (2004) | $NA |
Exports - commodities | copra, chemicals, construction materials | copra |
Exports - partners | Italy 40%, Croatia 15%, US 14%, Denmark 13% (2006) | Australia (1999) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
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 | the flag of Australia is used |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $NA |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $NA |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 13 18 S, 176 12 W | 12 30 S, 96 50 E |
Geography - note | both island groups have fringing reefs | islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation |
Highways | - | total: 15 km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (2003) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | $61.17 million f.o.b. (2004) | $NA |
Imports - commodities | chemicals, machinery, passenger ships, consumer goods | foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | France 97%, Australia 2%, NZ 1% (2006) | Australia (1999) |
Independence | none (overseas territory of France) | none (territory of Australia) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber | copra products and tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total: NA%
male: NA% female: NA% |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.8% (2005) | NA% |
International organization participation | SPC, UPU | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA | NA sq km |
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 | Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court |
Labor force | 3,104 (2003) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 80%
industry: 4% services: 16% (2001 est.) |
the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 7.14%
permanent crops: 35.71% other: 57.15% (2005) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Wallisian 58.9% (indigenous Polynesian language), Futunian 30.1%, French 10.8%, other 0.2% (2003 census) | Malay (Cocos dialect), English |
Legal system | the laws of France, where applicable, apply | based upon the laws of Australia and local laws |
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 22 April 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 in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - RPR (UMP) 1 |
unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats) |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 50% male: 50% female: 50% (1969 est.) |
- |
Location | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand | Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka |
Map references | Oceania | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 92,346 GRT/98,307 DWT
by type: chemical tanker 2, passenger 6 foreign-owned: 8 (France 6, French Polynesia 2) (2007) |
none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory does have a five-person police force |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | NA |
Nationality | noun: Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders
adjective: Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander |
noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
Natural hazards | NA | cyclone season is October to April |
Natural resources | NEGL | fish |
Net migration rate | NA
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2007 est.) |
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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 | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 16,309 (July 2007 est.) | 630 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | NA | 0% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | none; lagoon anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000) | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Roman Catholic 99%, other 1% | Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | NA |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 681 |
general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
domestic: NA international: telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA type (2002) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1,900 (2002) | 287 (1992) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (1994) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (2000) | NA |
Terrain | volcanic origin; low hills | flat, low-lying coral atolls |
Total fertility rate | NA | NA children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 15.2% (2003) | 60% (2000 est.) |
Waterways | - | none |