WALLIS AND FUTUNA
(overseas territory of France)
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 274 km2; land area: 274 km2; includes Ile Uvea
(Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island), Ile Alofi, and 20
islets

Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 129 km

Maritime claims:

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool,
dry season (May to October)

Terrain: volcanic origin; low hills

Natural resources: negligible

Land use: arable land 5%; permanent crops 20%; meadows and pastures
0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 75%

Environment: both island groups have fringing reefs

Note: located 4,600 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific
Ocean about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

PEOPLE
Population: 16,590 (July 1991), growth rate 3.0% (1991)

Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: 8 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Infant mortality rate: 30 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 71 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1991)

Nationality: noun--Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna
Islanders; adjective--Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander

Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Polynesian

Religion: largely Roman Catholic

Language: French, Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language)

Literacy: 50% (male 50%, female 51%) at all ages can read and write
(1969)

Labor force: NA

Organized labor: NA

GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands

Type: overseas territory of France

Capital: Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea)

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France)

Independence: none (overseas territory of France)

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: French

National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Executive branch: French president, high administrator; note--there
are three traditional kings with limited powers

Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly
(Assemblee Territoriale)

Judicial branch: none; justice generally administered under French
law by the chief administrator, but the three traditional kings
administer customary law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu

Leaders:

Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND
(since 21 May 1981);

Head of Government--Chief Administrator Roger DUMEC
(since 15 July 1988)

Political parties and leaders:
Rally for the Republic (RPR);
Union Populaire Locale (UPL);
Union Pour la Democratie Francaise (UDF);
Lua kae tahi (Giscardians);
Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche (MRG)

Suffrage: universal adult at age 18

Elections:

Territorial Assembly--last held 15 March 1987
(next to be held March 1992);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(20 total) RPR 7, UPL 6, UDF and Lua kae tahi 7;

French Senate--last held NA September 1989
(next to be held by September 1992);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(1 total) RPR 1;

French National Assembly--last held 12 June 1988 (next to be held
by September 1992);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(1 total) MRG 1

Member of: FZ, SPC

Diplomatic representation: as an overseas territory of France,
local interests are represented in the US by France

Flag: the flag of France is used

ECONOMY
Overview: The 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. Wallis and Futuna imports food,
fuel, clothing, machinery, and transport equipment, but its exports
are negligible, consisting of copra and handicrafts.

GDP: $7.5 million, per capita $470; real growth rate NA%
(1990 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues $2.7 million; expenditures $2.7 million,
including capital expenditures of $NA (1983)

Exports: negligible;

commodities--copra, handicrafts;

partners--NA

Imports: $6.9 million (c.i.f., 1983);

commodities--foodstuffs, manufactured goods, transportation
equipment, fuel;

partners--France, Australia, New Zealand

External debt: $NA

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity: 1,200 kW capacity; 1 million kWh produced,
70 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries: copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber

Agriculture: dominated by coconut production, with subsistence
crops of yams, taro, bananas, and herds of pigs and goats

Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-88), $118 million

Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural--francs);
1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per
US$1--93.28 (January 1991), 99.0 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988),
109.27 (1987), 125.92 (1986), 163.35 (1985); note--linked at the rate of
18.18 to the French franc

Fiscal year: NA

COMMUNICATIONS
Highways: 100 km on Ile Uvea, 16 km sealed; 20 km earth surface
on Ile Futuna

Inland waterways: none

Ports: Mata-Utu, Leava

Airports: 2 total; 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: 225 telephones; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV

DEFENSE FORCES
Note: defense is the responsibility of France



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