]! ^! The Futuna island group was discovered by the Dutch in 1616 and Wallis by the British in 1767, but it was the French who declared a protectorate over the islands in 1842. In 1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted to become a French overseas territory. 
]" ^" Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand ^# 13 18 S, 176 12 W ^$ Oceania ^% `! 274 sq km `" 274 sq km `# 0 sq km `* includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island), Ile Alofi, and 20 islets ^& 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC ^' 0 km ^( 129 km ^) `$ 12 nm `N 200 nm ^* tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season (May to October); rains 2,500-3,000 mm per year (80% humidity); average temperature 26.6 degrees C ^+ volcanic origin; low hills ^, `% Pacific Ocean 0 m `& Mont Singavi 765 m ^- NEGL ^. `' 7.14% `( 35.71% `) 57.15% (2005) ^/ NA ^0 NA ^1 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 fresh water resources ^2 both island groups have fringing reefs 
]# ^3 16,309 (July 2007 est.) ^4 `+ NA `, NA `- NA ^6 NA ^7 NA ^8 NA ^9 NA `* there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2007 est.) ^; `! NA `. NA `/ NA ^< `2 NA `. NA `/ NA ^= NA ^> NA ^? NA ^@ NA ^A `3 Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders `4 Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander ^B Polynesian ^C Roman Catholic 99%, other 1% ^D Wallisian 58.9% (indigenous Polynesian language), Futunian 30.1%, French 10.8%, other 0.2% (2003 census) ^E `5 age 15 and over can read and write `2 50% `. 50% `/ 50% (1969 est.) 
]$ ^F `6 Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands `7 Wallis and Futuna `Z Territoire des Iles Wallis et Futuna `[ Wallis et Futuna ^G overseas territory of France ^H NA ^I `8 Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea) `9 13 57 S, 171 56 W `: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) ^J none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three kingdoms at the second order named Alo, Sigave, Wallis ^K none (overseas territory of France) ^L Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) ^M 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) ^N French legal system ^O 18 years of age; universal ^P `; President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995); represented by High Administrator Richard DIDIER (since 19 July 2006) `< President of the Territorial Assembly Patalione KANIMOA (since January 2001) `= Council of the Territory consists of three kings and three members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the Territorial Assembly `* there are three traditional kings with limited powers `> French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high administrator 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 are elected by the members of the assembly ^Q unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (20 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) `> last held 11 March 2002 (next to be held 22 April 2007) `? percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR and affiliates 13, Socialists and affiliates 7 `* Wallis and Futuna elects one senator to the French Senate and one deputy to the French National Assembly; French Senate - elections last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held by September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - RPR (now UMP) 1; French National Assembly - elections last held 16 June 2002 (next to be held by in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - RPR (UMP) 1 ^R none; justice generally administered under French law by the high administrator, but the three traditional kings administer customary law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu; a court of appeal is located in Noumea, New Caledonia ^S Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians); Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche or MRG; Rally for the Republic or RPR (UMP) [Clovis LOGOLOGOFOLAU]; Socialist Party or PS; Taumu'a Lelei [Soane Muni UHILA]; Union Populaire Locale or UPL [Falakiko GATA]; Union Pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF ^T NA ^U SPC, UPU ^V none (overseas territory of France) ^W none (overseas territory of France) ^X 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; the flag of France is the only official flag 
]% ^Y The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with about 80% of labor force earnings 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. ^Z $60 million (2004 est.) ^[ NA ^\ NA% ^] $3,800 (2004 est.) ^^ `@ NA% `A NA% `B NA% ^_ 3,104 (2003) ^` `@ 80% `A 4% `B 16% (2001 est.) ^a 15.2% (2003) _! NA% _" `C NA% `D NA% _# 2.8% (2005) _$ `E $29,730 `F $31,330 (2004 est.) _% 5.6% of GDP (2004 est.) _& breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats; fish _' copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber _( NA% _) NA kWh _* NA kWh _+ 0 kWh (2002) _, 0 kWh (2002) _3 $47,450 f.o.b. (2004) _4 copra, chemicals, construction materials _5 Italy 40%, Croatia 15%, US 14%, Denmark 13% (2004) _6 $61.17 million f.o.b. (2004) _7 chemicals, machinery, passenger ships, consumer goods _8 France 97%, Australia 2%, NZ 1% (2004) _9 $3.67 million (2004) _: assistance from France, $NA _; Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF) _< Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 95.03 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002) _= calendar year 
]& _> 1,900 (2002) _? 0 (1994) _@ `G NA `H NA `I country code - 681 _A AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000) _B 2 (2000) _C .wf _D 1 (2006) _E 900 (2002) 
]' _F 2 (2006) _G `! 1 `b 1 (2006) _R `! 1 `c 1 (2006) _S `! 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 110,428 GRT/56,830 DWT by type: chemical tanker 1, passenger 7 `X 8 (France 5, French Polynesia 2, US 1) (2006) _I Leava, Mata-Utu 
]( _M defense is the responsibility of France 
]) _N none 