Everything about Wallis Island totally explained
Wallis (Uvea}}) is an
island in the
Pacific Ocean belonging to the
French overseas collectivity (
collectivité d'outre-mer, or
COM) of
Wallis and Futuna.
Geography
The island has an area of 77,5 km² and a circumference of c. 50 km. Its highest point is
Mount Loka (131 m). There are also a handful of large lakes, sign of the volcanic origin, some of them almost perfect circles and with straight vertical walls, like Lano Lalolalo.
Wallis is located 240 km notheast of
Futuna and
Alofi islands. Together with some 15 smaller islands surrounding it, on its huge
barrier reef, it forms the Wallis archipelago. Wallis has a fertile volcanic soil and sufficient rainfall to allow subsistence farming.
History
Archaeological excavations have identified sites on Wallis dating from circa
1400 BC.
It was part of the
Tongan maritime empire from around the 13th to 16th century. By that time the influence of the
Tui Tonga had declined so much that Uvea became important in itself. Several current, high ranking
Tongan titles, like
Halaevalu, trace their descent from Uvea. A legendary large canoe, the
Lomipeau was built on the island as a donation to the Tui Tonga. The big fortress of
Talietumu close to Lotoalahi in Mua was the last holdout of the Tongans until they were defeated. The ruins of the place are still a tourist attraction:
The island was renamed Wallis after an
Cornish navigator, Captain
Samuel Wallis, who discovered it while sailing the
HMS Dolphin on
August 16 1767, following his discovery of
Tahiti.
Demographics
The population of the island was 10,071 in 2003 (67% of the territory's population). Most of the inhabitants speak
Uvean (or Wallisian) as their mother tongue. Almost all are
Roman Catholic, and the number of churches, chapels, oratories, etc. is overwhelming.
Administration
Uvea (Wallis) is one of the three traditional chiefdoms of
Wallis and Futuna, the other two being
Alo and
Sigave in the
Hoorn Islands (Futuna Islands). Its
capital,
Matāutu, located on the east coast, is also the capital of the whole territory, Wallis and Futuna. The chiefdom is divided into three districts, which are listed from north to south:
| District (meaning) |
Capital |
Area(km²) |
PopulationCensus 2003 |
Villages |
| Hihifo (west) |
Vaitupu |
23.4 |
2422 |
5 |
| Hahake (east) |
Matāutu |
27.8 |
3950 |
6 |
| Mu'a (first) |
Mala'efo'ou (1) |
26.3 |
3699 |
12 |
| 'Uvea (Wallis) chiefdom |
Matāutu |
77.5 |
10071 |
23 |
(1) formerly called Mua
Transportation
The only commercial flights that go to Wallis are operated by the
New Caledonia based
Aircalin. There is an Aircalin office in Matāutu in Hahake.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Wallis Island'.
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