Location:
13°20'S, 176°20'W
Geography:
Wallis and Futuna is located about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand, at 13°18'S, 176°12'W.
The territory includes the island of Wallis (the most populated), the island of Futuna, the uninhabited island of Alofi (the population of Alofi was reportedly eaten by the cannibal people of Futuna in one single raid in the 19th century), and 20 uninhabited islets, totaling 274 square kilometres (106 sq mi) with 129 kilometres (80 mi) of coastline. The highest point in the territory is Mont Singavi (on the island of Futuna) at 765 metres (2,510 ft).
The islands have a hot, rainy season from November to April and a cool, dry season from May to October. The rains accumulate 2,500 to 3,000 millimeters (98–118 in) each year. The average humidity is 80% and the temperature 26.6 °C (79.9°F).
Only five percent of the islands' land area is arable land; permanent crops cover another 20%. Deforestation (only small portions of the original forests remain), largely as a result of the continued use of wood as the main fuel source, is a serious problem; 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.
People:
Population
- July 2005 estimate 15,480 (219th)
- 2003 census 14,944
- Density 77 /km2 (112th)
199 /sq mi
Government:
Government Overseas territory of France
- President of France Nicolas Sarkozy
- Administrateur supérieur Richard Didier
- President of the Territorial Assembly Pesamino Taputai
- Kings
(traditionally three) King of Uvea (none at present)
Soane Patita Maituku,
king of Alo since 2002
Visesio Moeliku,
king of Sigave since 2004
Communication:
In 1994, the territory had 1,125 telephones in use, had one AM radio station, and two television broadcast stations.
The island of Wallis has about 100 kilometers (62 mi) of highway, 16 paved, while the island of Futuna has only 20 kilometers (12.5 mi), none of it paved. The territory has two main ports and harbors, Leava (on the island of Futuna), and Mata-Utu, that support its merchant marine fleet consisting of three ships totaling 92,060 GRT or 45,881 DWT: two passenger ships and a petroleum tanker. There are two airports, one with a paved runway of 2,100 meters (6,890 ft), on the island of Wallis, and one with a 1,000-meter (3,300 ft) unpaved strip on Futuna.
The only commercial flights that go to Wallis are operated by the New Caledonia based Aircalin. There is an Aircalin office in Mata-Utu on Wallis. There are no commercial boat operators.
Economy:
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. 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.
The gross domestic product had in 1995 a purchasing power parity of about $28.7 million total, about $2,000 per capita. The territory takes in about $20 million per year in revenues against about $17 million in expenditures.
Industries include copra, handicrafts, fishing, and lumber. Agricultural products include breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas, pigs, and goats. In 1995, about $370,000 worth of commodities (copra, breadfruit, yams, taro roots, handicrafts) were exported, and about $13.5 million worth of commodities (foodstuffs, manufactured goods, transportation equipment, fuel, clothing) were imported, primarily from France, Australia, and New Zealand.
The territory uses the CFP Franc, along with the French territories of New Caledonia and French Polynesia; the CFP franc (XPF) is fixed vs. the euro, at the rate of 1,000 XPF = 8.38 euro.
Banking: In 1991, BNP Nouvelle-Calédonie established a subsidiary, Banque de Wallis-et-Futuna, in the territory. Two years earlier Banque Indosuez had closed its branch at Mata-Utu, leaving the territory without any bank.
More Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallis_and_Futuna_Islands |
