Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands[A][3] (/ˈwɒlɪs ... fuːˈtuːnə/ ⓘ), is a French island collectivity in the South Pacific, situated between Tuvalu to the northwest, Fiji to the southwest, Tonga to the southeast, Samoa to the east, and Tokelau to the northeast.

The earliest signs of human habitation on these islands are artifacts characteristic of the Lapita culture, dating roughly to between 850 and 800 BCE.

[5] 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, they are described in the islanders' origin stories.

[5] Futuna was first put on European maps by Willem Schouten and Jacob Le Maire, during their circumnavigation of the globe, in 1616.

Pierre Chanel, canonized in 1954, is a major patron saint of the island of Futuna and of the region.

On 5 April 1887, the queen of Uvea (of the traditional chiefdom of Wallis) signed a treaty, officially establishing a French protectorate.

The kings of Sigave and Alo (on the islands of Futuna and Alofi) also signed a treaty establishing a French protectorate, on 16 February 1888.

[9] 1941 1942 1944 1945 During World War II, the islands' administration was briefly pro-Vichy, until a Free French corvette from New Caledonia deposed the regime, on 26 May 1942.

[10] In 1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted to become a separate French overseas territory, effective since 29 July 1961,[4] thus ending their subordination to New Caledonia.

[11] In 2005, the 50th king of Uvea, Tomasi Kulimoetoke II, faced being deposed after giving sanctuary to his grandson who was convicted of manslaughter.

As an overseas collectivity of France, it is governed under the French constitution of 28 September 1958, and has universal suffrage for those over 18 years of age.

[13] As of 2023, the head of state is President Emmanuel Macron of France, as represented by Administrator-Superior Hervé Jonathan.

However, in non-criminal cases (civil-law disputes), the three traditional kingdoms administer justice according to customary law.

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.

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 to erosion.

Agricultural products include coconuts, breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas, pigs, and fish.

[21] The vast majority of the population are of Polynesian ethnicity, with a small minority who were born in Metropolitan France or are of French European descent.

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.

[29][30] The overwhelming majority (99%) of the people in Wallis and Futuna are Catholics, with the island having been evangelized in the 19th century by Fr Peter Chanel, SM.

[39] Today, news is available online via a local program broadcast by the French television network La Première.

[45] 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.

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.