| GEOGRAPHY |
| 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 |
| Capital: |
Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea) |
| 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: 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: |
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 |
| Elavation
Extremes: |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m |
| Natural
Resources: |
NEGL |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
NA |
| Administratives
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: |
28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
| Legal
System; |
French legal system |
| Suffrage |
18 years of age; universal |
| 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 |
| 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 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 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 |
| 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 |
| 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] |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
16,025 (July 2005 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA |
| Median age: |
|
| 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: |
French, Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language) |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| Telephones - main
lines in use: |
1,900 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
0 (1994) |
| Telephone system: |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 681 |
| Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000) |
| Television broadcast
stations: |
2 (2000) |
| Internet country
code: |
.wf |
| Internet hosts: |
|
| Internet users: |
900 (2002) |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
|
| 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) |
| Waterways: |
|
| Pipelines: |
|
| Ports and harbors: |
Leava, Mata-Utu |
| Merchant marine: |
total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 74,754 GRT/1,187 DWT
by type: passenger 4
foreign-owned: 4 (France 3, United States 1) (2005) |
| Airports: |
2 (2004 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.) |
| Heliports: |
|
