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Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands Territoire des îles Wallis et Futuna |
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Motto: N/A | ||||||
Anthem: La Marseillaise |
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Capital (and largest city) | Mata-Utu | |||||
Official languages | French, ʻUvean (Wallisian), Futunan | |||||
Ethnic groups | Polynesian | |||||
Government | ||||||
- | High Commissioner | Philippe Paolantoni | ||||
- | King | Kapiliele Faupala | ||||
Area | ||||||
- | Total | 264 km2 km2 102 sq mi sq mi |
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Population | ||||||
- | estimate | 15,289 | ||||
- | 2008 census | 14,848 | ||||
Currency | CFP franc and Barter |
History
Although the Dutch and the British were the European discoverers of the islands in the 17th and 18th centuries, it was the French that were the first Europeans to settle in the territory, with the arrival of French missionaries in 1837, who converted the population to Roman Catholicism. Pierre Chanel, canonized as a saint in 1954, is a major patron of the island of Futuna and the region. Wallis is named after the British explorer, Samuel Wallis. On 5 April 1842, the missionaries asked for the protection of France after the rebellion of a part of the local population. On 5 April 1887, the queen of Uvea (on the island 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. The islands were put under the authority of the French colony of New Caledonia. In 1917, the three traditional kingdoms were annexed to France and turned into the Colony of Wallis and Futuna, still under the authority of the Colony of New Caledonia.
In 1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted to become a French Overseas Territory, effective in 1961, thus ending their subordination to New Caledonia.
Untouched by Doomsday the island joined the Republic of the French Southern Territories as a founding member.
See also
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