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Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about
two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates: 13 18 S, 176 12 W
Map references: Oceania
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
Area - comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 129 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Terrain: volcanic origin; low hills
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use:
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 20%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 75% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: NA
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
Geography - note: both island groups have fringing reefs
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.
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