You can helpexpand this section with text translated fromthe corresponding article in French. (May 2021)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
View a machine-translated version of the French article.
Machine translation, likeDeepL orGoogle Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia.
Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
Youmust providecopyright attribution in theedit summary accompanying your translation by providing aninterlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary isContent in this edit is translated from the existing French Wikipedia article at [[:fr:Histoire de Wallis-et-Futuna]]; see its history for attribution.
You may also add the template{{Translated|fr|Histoire de Wallis-et-Futuna}} to thetalk page.
Mata Utu is its capital and largest city. Wallis and Futuna is associated with theEuropean Union as anoverseas country and territory (OCT).[4] The territory's land area is 142.42 km2 (54.99 sq mi). It had a population of 11,151 at the July 2023 census (down from 14,944 at the 2003 census).[1] The territory is made up of three mainvolcanictropical islands and a number of tinyislets. It is divided into two island groups that lie about 260 km (160 mi) apart: theWallis Islands (also known asUvea) in the northeast; and theHoorn Islands (also known as the Futuna Islands) in the southwest, includingFutuna Island proper and the mostly uninhabitedAlofi Island.
The earliest signs of human habitation on these islands are artifacts characteristic of theLapita culture, dating roughly to between 850 and 800 BCE. The islands served as natural stopover points for boat traffic, mostly betweenFiji andSamoa. During Tongan invasions in the 15th and 16th centuries, the islands defended themselves with varying levels of resistance, but also accepted varying degrees of assimilation. Futuna retained more of its pre-Tongan cultural features, while Wallis underwent greater fundamental changes in its society, language, and culture.[6] The original inhabitants built forts and other identifiable structures on the islands (many of which are in ruins), some of which are still partially intact. Oral history and archaeological evidence suggests that the Tongan invaders re-occupied and modified some of these structures. The oral history also preserves a cultural memory of relationships between Samoa and Futuna that are so longstanding that they are described in the islanders' origin stories.[6]
Futuna was first put on European maps byWillem Schouten andJacob Le Maire, during theircircumnavigation of the globe, in 1616. They named the islands of Futuna "Hoornse Eylanden", after the Dutch town ofHoorn where they hailed from. This was later translated into French, as "Isles de Horne". The Wallis Islands are named after the British explorerSamuel Wallis, who sailed past them in 1767, after being the first European to visitTahiti.[7][8] The French were the first Europeans to settle in the territory,[9] with the arrival of Frenchmissionaries in 1837, who converted the population to Roman Catholicism.Pierre Chanel,canonized in 1954, is a majorpatron saint of the island of Futuna and of the region.
On 5 April 1842, the missionaries asked for the protection of France, after the uprising of part of the local population. On 5 April 1887, the queen ofUvea (of the traditionalchiefdom of Wallis) signed a treaty, officially establishing a Frenchprotectorate. The kings ofSigave andAlo (on the islands of Futuna andAlofi) also signed a treaty establishing a French protectorate, on 16 February 1888. From that moment, the islands were officially under the authority of theFrench colony ofNew Caledonia.
In 1917, the three traditional kingdoms of Uvea, Sigave, and Alo wereannexed by France, integrated into the colony of Wallis and Futuna, and remained under the authority of the colony of New Caledonia.[10]
DuringWorld War II, the islands' administration was briefly pro-Vichy, until aFree Frenchcorvette from New Caledonia deposed the regime, on 26 May 1942. Units of theUS Marine Corps later landed on Wallis, on 29 May 1942.[11]
In 1959, the inhabitants of the islandsvoted to become a separateFrench overseas territory, effective since 29 July 1961,[5] thus ending their subordination to New Caledonia.[12]
In 2005, the 50thking of Uvea,Tomasi Kulimoetoke II, faced being deposed after giving sanctuary to his grandson who was convicted of manslaughter. The king claimed his grandson should be judged by tribal law rather than by the French penal system. As a result, there were riots in the streets involving the king's supporters, who were victorious over attempts to replace the king. Two years later, Tomasi Kulimoetoke died on 7 May 2007. There was a six-month period of mourning, during which mentioning a successor was forbidden.[13] On 25 July 2008,Kapeliele Faupala was installed as king despite protests from some of the royal clans. He was deposed in 2014. A new king,Patalione Kanimoa, was eventually installed in Uvea in 2016; Lino Leleivai in Alo on Futuna succeeded after Filipo Katoa abdicated, and Eufenio Takala succeeded Polikalepo Kolivai in Sigave. The French president at the time,François Hollande, attended the installation ceremony.
The territory is divided into three traditional kingdoms (royaumes coutumiers):Uvea, on the island of Wallis,Sigave, on the western part of the island of Futuna, andAlo, on the eastern part of the island of Futuna and on the uninhabited island of Alofi (only Uvea is further subdivided, into three districts):
^Alofi is virtually uninhabited; administratively it falls under Alo.
The capital of the collectivity isMata Utu on the island of Uvéa, the most populous of the Wallis Islands. As an overseas collectivity of France, it is governed under theFrench constitution of 28 September 1958, and has universalsuffrage for those over 18 years of age. TheFrench president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term; thehigh administrator is appointed by the French president on the advice of theFrench Ministry of the Interior and heads the Territory Government; the president of the Territorial Assembly is elected by the members of the assembly. Themost recent election was held on 20 March 2022.[14]
As of 2023, the head of state is PresidentEmmanuel Macron of France, as represented by Administrator-SuperiorHervé Jonathan.[15] The president of the Territorial Assembly has beenMunipoese Muliʻakaʻaka since March 2022.[16] The Council of the Territory consists of three kings (monarchs of the three pre-colonial kingdoms) and three members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the Territorial Assembly.
The legislative branch consists of the unicameral 20-member Territorial Assembly orAssemblée territoriale. Its members are elected by popular vote, and serve five-year terms. Wallis and Futuna elects one senator to theFrench Senate and one deputy to theFrench National Assembly.
Criminal justice is generally governed by French law and administered by a tribunal of first resort in Mata Utu; appeals from that tribunal are decided by theCourt of Appeal inNouméa,New Caledonia. However, in non-criminal cases (civil-law disputes), the three traditional kingdoms administer justice according tocustomary law.
The territory includes the island of Uvéa (also called Wallis), which is the most populous; the island of Futuna; the virtually uninhabited island of Alofi; and 20 uninhabited islets. The total area of the territory is 274 km2 (106 sq mi), with 129 km (80 mi) of coastline. The highest point in the territory isMont Puke, on the island of Futuna, at 524 m (1,719 ft).
The islands have a hot, rainy season from November to April, when tropical cyclones passing over them cause storms. Then they have a cool, dry season from May to October, caused by the southeast trade winds that predominate during those months. The average annual rainfall is between 2,500 and 3,000 millimeters (98 and 118 inches), and rain is likely on at least 260 days per year. The average humidity is 80%. The average annual temperature is 26.6 °C (79.9 °F), rarely falling below 24.0 °C (75.2 °F); during the rainy season, it ranges between 28.0 and 32.0 °C (82.4 and 89.6 °F).
Only 5% of the islands' land area consists ofarable land; permanent crops cover another 20%.Deforestation is a serious problem: Only small portions of the original forests remain, largely because the inhabitants use wood as their main fuel source, and, as a result, the mountainous terrain of Futuna is particularly susceptible toerosion. The island of Alofi lacks natural freshwater resources, so it has no permanent settlements.
TheGDP of Wallis and Futuna in 2019 was US$212 million (at market exchange rates).[2] The territory's economy consists mostly of 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. Additional revenue comes from French government subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to Japan and South Korea, import taxes, and remittances from expatriate workers in New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and France. Industries includecopra, handicrafts, fishing, and lumber. Agricultural products include coconuts,breadfruit, yams,taro, bananas, pigs, and fish.Exports includecopra, chemicals, and fish.
There is a single bank in the territory, Banque de Wallis-et-Futuna, established in 1991. It is a subsidiary ofBNP Paribas. There had previously been a branch ofBanque Indosuez at Mata Utu. It had opened in 1977, but was closed in 1989, leaving the territory without any bank for two years.
The total population of the territory at the July 2023 census was 11,151 (72.5% on the island of Wallis, 27.5% on the island of Futuna),[21] down from 14,944 at the July 2003 census.[22] The vast majority of the population are ofPolynesian ethnicity, with a small minority who were born inMetropolitan France or are of French European descent.
Lack of economic opportunities has, since the 1950s, been impelling many young Wallisians and Futunians to migrate to the more prosperous French territory ofNew Caledonia, where, as French citizens, they are legally entitled to settle and work. Since the mid-2000s, emigration has surged in response to political tensions on the main island of Wallis (Uvea), that have arisen from a feud between rival aristocratic clans, who are supporting competing kings. Emigrants have begun settling, not only in New Caledonia, but also much farther away, in Metropolitan France. At the 2019 New Caledonian census, 22,520 residents of New Caledonia (whether born in New Caledonia or in Wallis and Futuna) reported their ethnicity as "Wallisian and Futunian".[23] This is almost double the total population of Wallis and Futuna.
Languages spoken at home in Wallis and Futuna (2018 Census)[26]
Wallisian (59.1%)
Futunan (27.9%)
French (12.7%)
According to the 2018 census, among people 14 years and older, 59.1% reportedWallisian as the language they spoke the most at home (down from 60.2% in 2008), 27.9% reportedFutunan (down from 29.9% in 2008), and 12.7% reported French (up from 9.7% in 2008).[26][27] OnWallis Island, the languages most spoken at home were Wallisian (82.2%, down from 86.1% in 2008), French (15.6%, up from 12.1% in 2008), and Futunan (1.9%, up from 1.5% in 2008).[26][27] OnFutuna, the languages most spoken at home were Futunan (94.5%, down from 94.9% in 2008), French (5.3%, up from 4.2% in 2008), and Wallisian (0.2%, down from 0.8% in 2008).[26][27]
At the 2018 census, 90.5% of people 14 y/o and older could speak, read and write either Wallisian or Futunan (up from 88.5% at the 2008 census), and 7.2% had no knowledge of either Wallisian or Futunan (same percentage as at the 2008 census).[28][29]
Among those 14 y/o and older, 84.2% could speak, read and write French in 2018 (up from 78.2% at the 2008 census), and 11.8% reported that they had no knowledge of French (down from 17.3% at the 2008 census).[30][31] On Wallis Island, 85.1% of people age 14 or older could speak, read and write French (up from 81.1% at the 2008 census), and 10.9% reported that they had no knowledge of French (down from 14.3% at the 2008 census).[30][31] On Futuna, 81.9% of people age 14 or older could speak, read and write French (up from 71.6% at the 2008 census), and 14.0% had no knowledge of French (down from 24.3% at the 2008 census).[30][31]
The culture of Wallis and Futuna isPolynesian, and is similar to the cultures of its neighboring nationsSamoa andTonga. TheWallisian andFutunan cultures are very similar to each other in language,dance, cuisine and modes of celebration.
Fishing and agriculture are the traditional occupations, and most people live in traditional oval, thatchfale houses.[35]Kava is a popular beverage brewed in the two islands, as in much else of Polynesia. It also serves as a traditional offering in rituals.[35] Highly detailedtapa cloth art is a specialty of Wallis and Futuna.[36]
Uvea Museum Association is a private museum that holds a collection of objects that record the history of the Second World War in the territory.[37] It is located in Mata Utu shopping center and in 2009 was open by appointment.[38]
In 2018, the territory had 3,132 telephones in use,[39] one AM radio station, and two television broadcast stations.[citation needed] Communication costs are up to ten times higher[citation needed] than in western countries. The island of Wallis has about 100 km (62 mi) of roadways, 16 of which are paved. The island of Futuna has only 20 km (12 mi) of roadways, none of which are paved. The territory has two main ports, in the harbors at Mata Utu andLeava (on the island of Futuna). These ports support itsmerchant marine fleet, which comprises three ships (two passenger ships and a petroleum tanker), totaling 92,060 GRT or 45,881 tonnes. There are two airports:Hihifo Airport, on Wallis, which has a 2.1 km (1.3 mi) paved runway; andPointe Vele Airport, on Futuna, which has a 1 km (0.62 mi) runway.[40] Now the only commercial flights to and from Wallis are operated by Caledonia-basedAircalin, which has an office in Mata Utu. There are currently no commercial boat operators.
The French High Commission published a local newspaper in the 1970s,Nouvelles de Wallis et de Futuna.[41] Today, news is available online via a local program broadcast by the French television networkLa Première.[42]
Deforestation is a major concern in the region as only small portions of the original forests remain due to the continued use of wood as the main source of fuel. Consequently, the mountainous terrain of Futuna has become prone to erosion. There are no permanent settlements on Alofi due to the lack of natural freshwater resources, and the presence of infertile soil on the islands of Uvea and Futuna further reduces agricultural productivity.[48]
^abSand, Christophe (2006). "A View from the West: Samoa in the Culture History of 'Uvea (Wallis) and Futuna (Western Polynesia)".The Journal of Sāmoa Studies.2:5–15.
^"WALLIS ISLAND".Northern Advocate. 4 October 2017. p. 1. Retrieved18 June 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^Rottman, Gordon L. (2002).U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle: Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939-1945. London:Bloomsbury Academic. p. 213.ISBN978-0-313-31906-8.
.svg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_drone.png)
