Pacific Islands News Association

News : Japanese development aid funding splits Pacific unity on key WHO post [20/09/2018 - New Zealand]
News Feature : UN chief seeking ‘renewed commitment’ to global rules and values, as world leaders head to New York [20/09/2018 - United States]
Business News : About 160 vessels inspected during NZ- Fiji patrols [20/09/2018 - Fiji]
News : Fiji election to be held before 22 November 2018: PM Bainimarana [20/09/2018 - Fiji]
News : Rattle reappointed as Cook Islands Speaker of Parliament [20/09/2018 - Cook Islands]
News : Australian soldiers prepare to deploy to Papua New Guinea amid growing fears about China's influence [20/09/2018 - Australia]
News : Bid to beat China to PNG domestic internet cable [20/09/2018 - Australia]
News : Scott Morrison rejects AMA plea to bring children from Nauru to Australia [20/09/2018 - Australia]
News : New faces will help take Fiji forward: Bainimarama [20/09/2018 - Fiji]
News : NZ Greens co-leader encourages Pacific women to challenge authority [20/09/2018 - New Zealand]
News : PNG Customs beef up security ahead of APEC [20/09/2018 - Papua New Guinea]
Sports News : New Manu Samoa coach appointed [19/09/2018 - Samoa]
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Country profile - Wallis and Futuna

Wallis and Futuna flag

A Polynesian French island territory (but not part of, or even contiguous with, French Polynesia) in the South Pacific between Fiji and Samoa. It is made up of three main volcanic tropical isalnds and a number of tiny islets. The territory is split into two island groups lying about 260 km apart.

Although the Dutch and the British were the European discoverers of the islands in the 17th and 18th centuries, it was the French who were the first Europeans to settle in the territory, with the arrival of French missionaries in 1837, who converted the population to Roman Catholisim. Wallis is named after the British explorer, Samuel Wallis.

On April 5, 1842, they asked for the protection of France after the rebellion of a part of the local population. On April 5, 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 February 16, 1888. The islands were put under the authority of the French colony of New Caledonia.

In 1917, the three traditional chiefdoms 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.

In 2005 the 50th king, 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. There were riots in the streets involving the king's supporters, which were victorious over attempts to replace the king. Two years later, Tomasi Kulimoetoke died on May 7, 2007. The state was in a six-month period of mourning. During this period, mentioning a successor was forbidden. On July 25, 2008, Kapiliele Faupala was installed as king despite protests from some of the royal clans.

Additional information