Wallis and Futuna
Territory of the Wallis and Futuna IslandsTerritoire des Iles Wallis et Futuna
parliamentary democracy (Territorial Assembly)Independence none (overseas collectivity of France)
Wallis and Futuna as the 2025 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 84 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
Published as “Wallis and Futuna” (1990–1994), “Wallis And Futuna” (1995), “Wallis and Futuna” (1996–2014), “Wallis And Futuna” (2015–2017) and “Wallis and Futuna” (2018–2025).
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Around 800 B.C., the first settlers arrived on the islands of Wallis and Futuna, which are a natural midpoint between Fiji and Samoa. Around A.D. 1500, Tongans invaded Wallis, and a chiefdom system resembling Tonga’s formal hierarchy developed on the island. Tongans attempted to settle Futuna but were repeatedly rebuffed. Samoans settled Futuna in the 1600s, and a slightly less centralized chiefdom system formed. Dutch explorers were the first Europeans to see the islands in 1616, followed intermittently by other Europeans, including British explorer Samuel WALLIS in 1767.
French Catholic missionaries were the first Europeans to permanently settle Wallis and Futuna in 1837, and they converted most of the population of both islands by 1846. The missionaries and newly converted King LAVELUA of Uvea on Wallis asked France for a protectorate in 1842 following a local rebellion. France agreed, although the protectorate status would not be ratified until 1887. In 1888, King MUSULAMU of Alo and King TAMOLE of Sigave, both on Futuna, signed a treaty establishing a French protectorate; the Wallis and Futuna protectorate was integrated into the territory of New Caledonia the same year. France renegotiated the terms of the protectorate with the territory’s three kings in 1910, expanding French authority.
Wallis and Futuna was the only French colony to side with the Vichy regime during World War II, until the arrival of Free French and US troops in 1942. In 1959, inhabitants of the islands voted to separate from New Caledonia, becoming a French overseas territory in 1961. Despite the split, a significant Wallisian and Futunan community still lives in New Caledonia. In 2003, Wallis and Futuna became a French overseas collectivity. The islands joined the Pacific Islands Forum as an associate member in 2018, two years after France’s other Pacific territories became full members of the organization.
Geography
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
16 fieldsLocation
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
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
Land use
- agricultural land:
- 42.3% (2023 est.)
- arable land:
- 7% (2023 est.)
- permanent crops:
- 35.2% (2023 est.)
- permanent pasture:
- 0% (2022 est.)
- forest:
- 74.9% (2023 est.)
- other:
- 0% (2023 est.)
Geography - note
both island groups have fringing reefs; Wallis contains several prominent crater lakes
People and Society
23 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2024 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2025 est.)
Male · female(2023 est.)
Nationality
- noun:
- Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders
- adjective:
- Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander
Languages
Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language) 58.9%, Futunian 30.1%, French (official) 10.8%, other 0.2% (2003 est.)
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:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.06 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- total:
- 3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- male:
- 3.8 deaths/1,000 live births
- female:
- 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Environment
4 fieldsEnvironmental issues
- deforestation (only small portions of the original forests remain) due to wood as the main fuel source;
- soil erosion;
- lack of natural freshwater resources;
- lack of soil fertility on the islands of Uvea and Futuna
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
Land use
- agricultural land:
- 42.3% (2023 est.)
- arable land:
- 7% (2023 est.)
- permanent crops:
- 35.2% (2023 est.)
- permanent pasture:
- 0% (2022 est.)
- forest:
- 74.9% (2023 est.)
- other:
- 0% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 0% of total population (2023)
- rate of urbanization:
- 0% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy (Territorial Assembly); President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); President of the Territorial Assembly Munipoese MULI'AKA'AKA (since 20 March 2022)
22 fieldsCountry 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 visited in 1767; Futuna is a local name, and the meaning is unclear
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
Constitution
- history:
- 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
- amendment process:
- French constitution amendment procedures apply
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by Administrator Superior Jean-François de MANHEULLE (since 17 November 2025)
- 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
- election/appointment process:
- 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
- legislature name:
- Territorial Assembly (Assemblée territoriale)
- legislative structure:
- unicameral
- number of seats:
- 20 (directly elected)
- electoral system:
- proportional representation
- scope of elections:
- full renewal
- term in office:
- 5 years
- most recent election date:
- 3/20/2022
- parties elected and seats per party:
- Ofa mo'oni ki tou fenua (2);
- Mauli fetokoniaki (2);
- 1 seat each from 16 other lists
note: 1 senator is indirectly elected to the French Senate by an electoral college for a 6-year term, and 1 deputy is directly elected to the French National Assembly for a 5-year term
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Court of Assizes or Cour d'Assizes (consists of 1 judge; court hears primarily serious criminal cases)
- judge selection and term of office:
- NA
- subordinate courts:
- courts of first instance; labor court
note 1: appeals beyond the Court of Assizes are heard before the Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel (in Noumea, New Caledonia)
note 2: justice is generally administered under French law by the high administrator, but the 3 traditional kings administer customary law
Political parties
- Left Radical Party or PRG (formerly Radical Socialist Party or PRS and the Left Radical Movement or MRG)
- Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians)
- Rally for Wallis and Futuna-The Republicans (Rassemblement pour Wallis and Futuna) or RPWF-LR
- Socialist Party or PS
- Taumu'a Lelei
- Union Pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF
National holiday
Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790)
note: often incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, the celebration commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison on 14 July 1789 and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy;
other names for the holiday are la Fête nationale (National Holiday) and le Quatorze Juillet (14th of July)
Flag
- description:
- unofficial local flag has a red field with four white isosceles triangles in the middle;
- the apexes of the triangles are oriented inward and at right angles to each other;
- a small flag of France, outlined in white on two sides, is in the upper-left corner
- meaning:
- the triangles represent the three native kings of the islands and the French administrator
- history:
- the design is derived from a red flag with a white cross that French missionaries introduced in the 19th century
note: the flag of France is used for official occasions
National anthem(s)
- title:
- "La Marseillaise" (The Song of Marseille)
- lyrics/music:
- Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle
- history:
- official anthem, as a French territory
Economy
9 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
Budget(2015 est.)
Economic 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
Exports - commodities
seats (2023) note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, prepared meat, poultry, iron pipe fittings, animal food (2023)
Exchange rates
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 110.31 (2024 est.) · 110.347 (2023 est.) · 113.474 (2022 est.) · 100.88 (2021 est.) · 104.711 (2020 est.)
Communications
5 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2021–23 est.)
Broadcast media
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)
Transportation
3 fieldsPorts
- total ports:
- 1 (2024)
- large:
- 0
- medium:
- 0
- small:
- 0
- very small:
- 1
- ports with oil terminals:
- 0
- key ports:
- Mata-Utu
Military and Security
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Wallis and Futuna.” The World Factbook 2025. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/wallis-and-futuna.