Wallis and Futuna (2008) | Palmyra Atoll (2008) | |
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 |
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Agriculture - products | breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats; fish | - |
Airports | 2 (2007) | 1 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 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: 11.9 sq km
land: 11.9 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC | about 20 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. | The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not include Palmyra Atoll, which is now privately owned by the Nature Conservancy. This organization is managing the atoll as a nature preserve. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12 nautical mile US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and were designated a National Wildlife Refuge in January 2001. |
Birth rate | NA | - |
Budget | revenues: $29,730
expenditures: $31,330 (2004 est.) |
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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) |
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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 | equatorial, hot, and very rainy |
Coastline | 129 km | 14.5 km |
Constitution | 4 October 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 |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Palmyra Atoll |
Death rate | NA | - |
Debt - external | $3.67 million (2004) | - |
Dependency status | overseas territory of France | incorporated territory of the US; privately owned, but administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm territorial sea or within the lagoon |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of France) | - |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of France) | - |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | assistance from France, $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. | no economic activity |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 2 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 | NA |
Ethnic groups | Polynesian | - |
Exchange rates | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per U NA (2007), 95.03 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003) | - |
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 |
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Exports | $47,450 f.o.b. (2004) | - |
Exports - commodities | copra, chemicals, construction materials | - |
Exports - partners | Italy 40%, Croatia 15%, US 14%, Denmark 13% (2006) | - |
Fiscal year | calendar year | - |
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 the US is used |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
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GDP - real growth rate | NA% | - |
Geographic coordinates | 13 18 S, 176 12 W | 5 52 N, 162 04 W |
Geography - note | both island groups have fringing reefs | about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Imports | $61.17 million f.o.b. (2004) | - |
Imports - commodities | chemicals, machinery, passenger ships, consumer goods | - |
Imports - partners | France 97%, Australia 2%, NZ 1% (2006) | - |
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 |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.8% (2005) | - |
International organization participation | SPC, UPU | - |
Irrigated land | NA | - |
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 | - |
Labor force | 3,104 (2003) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 80%
industry: 4% services: 16% (2001 est.) |
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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% (forests and woodlands) (2005) |
Languages | Wallisian 58.9% (indigenous Polynesian language), Futunian 30.1%, French 10.8%, other 0.2% (2003 census) | - |
Legal system | the laws of France, where applicable, apply | the laws of the US, where applicable, apply |
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 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
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Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 50% male: 50% female: 50% (1969 est.) |
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Location | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand | Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa |
Map references | Oceania | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 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) |
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Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | defense is the responsibility of the US |
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 |
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Natural hazards | NA | NA |
Natural resources | NEGL | terrestrial and aquatic wildlife |
Net migration rate | NA
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2007 est.) |
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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 | - |
Population | 16,309 (July 2007 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: 4 to 20 Nature Conservancy staff, US Fish and Wildlife staff (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | NA | - |
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 |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 1,900 (2002) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (1994) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (2000) | - |
Terrain | volcanic origin; low hills | very low |
Total fertility rate | NA | - |
Unemployment rate | 15.2% (2003) | - |