Wallis and Futuna (2004) | British Virgin Islands (2003) | |
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Administrative divisions | 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 | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
0-14 years: 21.9% (male 2,401; female 2,358)
15-64 years: 73.1% (male 8,181; female 7,709) 65 years and over: 5% (male 578; female 503) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats | fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish |
Airports | 2 (2003 est.) | 3 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 274 sq km
land: 274 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island), Ile Alofi, and 20 islets |
total: 153 sq km
land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada |
Area - comparative | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Although discovered by the Dutch and the British in the 17th and 18th centuries, 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. | First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population | 15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $20 million
expenditures: $17 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1998 est.) |
revenues: $121.5 million
expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
Capital | Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea) | Road Town |
Climate | 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 | subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds |
Coastline | 129 km | 80 km |
Constitution | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) | 1 June 1977 |
Country 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 |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI |
Currency | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF) | US dollar (USD) |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 4.46 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | NA | $36.1 million (1997) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of France | overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of France) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of France) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | assistance from France | NA% |
Economy - overview | The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with about 80% 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. | The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 35.43 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | 38.1 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m |
Environment - current issues | 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 | limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) |
Ethnic groups | Polynesian | black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed |
Exchange rates | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 105.73 (2003), 126.72 (2002), 133.26 (2001), 129.43 (2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25 (1998) | the US dollar is used |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Administrator Xavier DE FURST (since 18 January 2005)
head of government: President of the Territorial Assembly Patalione KANIMOA (since NA January 2001) cabinet: Council of the Territory consists of three kings and three members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the Territorial Assembly note: there are three traditional kings with limited powers elections: 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 |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Orlando SMITH (since 17 June 2003) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor |
Exports | $250,000 f.o.b. (1999) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | copra, chemicals, construction materials | rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand |
Exports - partners | Italy 40%, Croatia 15%, US 14%, Denmark 13% | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | a large white modified Maltese cross - shifted a little off center toward the fly and slightly downward - on a red background; the flag of France outlined in white on two sides is in the upper hoist quadrant; the flag of France is used for official occasions | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $57.59 million (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $320 million (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA |
agriculture: 1.8%
industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA | 1% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 13 18 S, 176 12 W | 18 30 N, 64 30 W |
Geography - note | both island groups have fringing reefs | strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico |
Highways | total: 120 km (Ile Uvea 100 km, Ile Futuna 20 km)
paved: 16 km (all on Ile Uvea) unpaved: 104 km (Ile Uvea 84 km, Ile Futuna 20 km) |
total: 177 km
paved: 177 km unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center |
Imports | $300,000 f.o.b. (1999) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | chemicals, machinery, passenger ships, consumer goods | building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery |
Imports - partners | France 97%, Australia 2%, New Zealand 1% | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US |
Independence | none (overseas territory of France) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | NA |
Industries | copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber | tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total: 18.8 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.86 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA | 2.5% (2002) |
International organization participation | FZ, UPU | Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 16 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | 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 | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction |
Labor force | NA | 4,911 (1980) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture, livestock, and fishing 80%, government 4% (2001 est.) | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 25% other: 70% (2001) |
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (1998 est.) |
Languages | French, Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language) | English (official) |
Legal system | French legal system | English law |
Legislative branch | unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (20 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 11 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR and affiliates 13, Socialists and affiliates 7 note: 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 NA 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 NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - RPR (UMP) 1 |
unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
total population: 76.06 years
male: 75.07 years female: 77.1 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 50% male: 50% female: 50% (1969 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand | Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
Map references | Oceania | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 134,037 GRT/14,271 DWT
by type: passenger 6 foreign-owned: France 3, Greece 1, Monaco 1, United States 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 19,203 GRT/28,864 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | Territory Day, 1 July |
Nationality | noun: Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders
adjective: Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander |
noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: British Virgin Islander |
Natural hazards | NA | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) |
Natural resources | NEGL | NEGL |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2004 est.) |
10.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians) [leader NA]; Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche or MRG [leader NA]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Clovis LOGOLOGOFOLAU]; Taumu'a Lelei [Soane Muni UHILA]; Union Populaire Locale or UPL [Falakiko GATA]; Union Pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF [leader NA] | Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 15,880 (July 2004 est.) | 21,730 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | NA | 2.1% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Leava, Mata-Utu | Road Town |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000) | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Roman Catholic 99%, other 1% | Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991) |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.15 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 681 |
general assessment: worldwide telephone service
domestic: NA international: submarine cable to Bermuda |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1,900 (2002) | 10,000 (1996) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (1994) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (2000) | 1 (plus one cable company) (1997) |
Terrain | volcanic origin; low hills | coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | 1.72 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA | 3% (1995) |
Waterways | - | none |