Wallis and Futuna

Population: 15,289 (est.)

Language(s): French

Capital: Mata-Utu

Interesting Facts:

• The CFP franc is the official currency of Wallis and Futuna.
• The territory’s economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with about 80% of the labor force earning its livelihood from agriculture (coconuts and vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing.
• Wallis and Futuna are two island groups separated by 150 miles of ocean in the central South Pacific.
• The climate is tropical and hot with a rainy season from November to April and a cool, dry season from May to October.
• Roman Catholicism is by far the dominant religion with around 99% of the population being adherents.
• Life expectancy on the island is 76.14 years for men and 82.26 years for women.
• Literacy is estimated at 50% for the population.

Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands, is a French island collectivity in the South Pacific between Tuvalu to the northwest, Rotuma of Fiji to the west, the main part of Fiji to the southwest, Tonga to the southeast, Samoa to the east, the New Zealand-associated state of Tokelau to the northeast and to a more distant north the Phoenix Islands (Kiribati). Wallis and Futuna is not part of, nor even contiguous with, French Polynesia. Wallis and Futuna is located at the very opposite western end of Polynesia.

Its land area is 264 km² with a population of about 15,000. Mata-Utu is the capital and biggest city. The territory is made up of three main volcanic tropical islands along with a number of tiny islets, and is split into two island groups that lie about 260 km apart, namely Wallis Islands (Uvea) in the northeast, and Hoorn Islands (also called the Futuna Islands) in the southwest, including Futuna Island proper and the mostly uninhabited Alofi Island.

Since 2003 Wallis and Futuna has been a French overseas collectivity (collectivité d’outre-mer, or COM). Between 1961 and 2003, it had the status of a French overseas territory (territoire d’outre-mer, or TOM), though its official name did not change when the status changed.

Source: Wikipedia

Related:

Oceania Fiji American Samoa French Polynesia Tokelau Vanuatu Pitcairn Islands Samoa