Map of Wallis and Futuna | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background:


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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

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 142 km²
Land: 142 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island), Ile Alofi, and 20 islets
Comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries
Total: 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 250-300 cm per year (80% humidity); average temperature 26.6 degrees Celsius

Terrain: volcanic origin; low hills

Elevation
Highest point: Mont Singavi (on Futuna) 522 m
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use
Agricultural land: 42.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 7.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 35.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)
Forest: 41.9% (2018 est.)
Other: 15.3% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 0.6 km² (2020)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: cyclones; tsunamis

Geography
Note: both island groups have fringing reefs; Wallis contains several prominent crater lakes


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Population: 15,929 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 0.23% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders
Adjective: Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander

Ethnic groups: Polynesian

Languages: Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language) 58.9%, Futunian 30.1%, French (official) 10.8%, other 0.2% (2003 est.)

Religions: Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 19.98% (male 1,660/female 1,523)
15-64 years: 67.86% (male 5,535/female 5,275)
65 years and over: 12.15% (2023 est.) (male 989/female 947)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 57
Youth dependency ratio: 36.6
Elderly dependency ratio: 20.4
Potential support ratio: 4.9 (2021)

Median age
Total: 35.8 years (2023 est.)
Male: 34.9 years
Female: 36.6 years

Population growth rate: 0.23% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 12.1 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 0% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 1,000 MATA-UTU (capital) (2018)

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 freshwater resources; lack of soil fertility on the islands of Uvea and Futuna negatively impacts agricultural productivity

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 4 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.9 years (2023 est.)
Male: 77.9 years
Female: 84 years

Total fertility rate: 1.71 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA

Drinking water source
Improved urban: NA
Improved rural: 99.1% of population
Improved total: 99.1% of population
Unimproved urban: NA
Unimproved rural: 0.9% of population
Unimproved total: 0.9% of population (2020)

Current health expenditure: NA

Physicians density: NA

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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
Former: Hoorn Islands is the former name of the Futuna Islands
Etymology: Wallis Island is named after British Captain Samuel WALLIS, who discovered it in 1767; Futuna is derived from the native word "futu," which is the name of the fish-poison tree found on the island

Government type: parliamentary democracy (Territorial Assembly); overseas collectivity of France

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)

Administrative divisions: 3 administrative precincts (circonscriptions, singular - circonscription) Alo, Sigave, Uvea

Dependent areas

Independence: none (overseas collectivity of France)

National holiday: Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution
History: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Amendments: French constitution amendment procedures apply

Legal system: French civil law

International law organization participation

Citizenship: see France

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by Administrator Superior Herve JONATHAN (since 11 January 2021)
Head of government: President of the Territorial Assembly Munipoese MULI'AKA'AKA (since 20 March 2022)
Cabinet: Council of the Territory appointed by the administrator superior on the advice of the Territorial Assembly
Elections/appointments: French president elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); administrator superior 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 elected by assembly members
Note: there are 3 traditional kings with limited powers

Legislative branch
Description:
Elections:
Election results:

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Court of Assizes or Cour d'Assizes (consists of 1 judge; court hears primarily serious criminal cases); note - appeals beyond the Court of Assizes are heard before the Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel (in Noumea, New Caledonia)
Judge selection and term of office: NA
Subordinate courts: courts of first instance; labor court; note - justice generally administered under French law by the high administrator, but the 3 traditional kings administer customary law, and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: PIF (observer), SPC, UPU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas collectivity of France)
From the us: none (overseas collectivity of France)

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
Note: the design is derived from an original red banner with a white cross pattee that was introduced in the 19th century by French missionaries; the flag of France is used for official occasions

National symbols: red saltire (Saint Andrew's Cross) on a white square on a red field; national colors: red, white

National anthem
Note: as a territory of France, "La Marseillaise" is official (see France)

National heritage


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Economy overview: lower-middle-income, agrarian French dependency economy; heavily reliant on French subsidies; licenses fishing rights to Japan and South Korea; major remittances from New Caledonia; aging workforce; import-dependent; deforestation-fueled fragility

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $60 million (2004 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: NA

Real gdp per capita: $3,800 (2004 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 26% (2005)
Government consumption: 54% (2005)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA
Industry: NA
Services: NA

Agriculture products: coconuts, breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats; fish

Industries: copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Labor force: 4,482 (2013)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10%: NA
Highest 10%: NA

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $32.54 million (2015 est.)
Expenditures: $34.18 million (2015 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: -0.8% (of GDP) (2015 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 16.7% (of GDP) (2015 est.)

Public debt: 5.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
Note: offical data; data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $47,450 (2004 est.)
Partners: Singapore 47%, France 32%, Belgium 9% (2019)
Commodities: integrated circuits, jewelry, cars, aircraft parts, polyacetals (2019)

Imports: $61.17 million (2004 est.)
Partners: France 43%, Fiji 24%, New Zealand 11%, Australia 6% (2019)
Commodities: refined petroleum, beef products, poultry meats, engine parts, packaged medicines (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $3.67 million (2004)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 3,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 26 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 0 (2018)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0 (2019)

Telephone system

Broadcast media: the publicly owned French Overseas Network (RFO), which broadcasts to France's overseas departments, collectivities, and territories, is carried on the RFO Wallis and Fortuna TV and radio stations (2019)

Internet
Country code: .wf
Users total: 5,496 (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 45.8% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 (2021)
With paved runways: 2
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 1 (2021)
By type: other 1

Ports and terminals
Major seaports: Leava, Mata-Utu


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Disputes international: none identified

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs