Wallis and Futuna

Wallis together with Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis together with Futuna Islands ; or , Fakauvea and Fakafutuna: , 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.

volcanic Wallis Islands also requested as Uvea in the northeast; and the Hoorn Islands also required as the Futuna Islands in the southwest, including Futuna Island proper and the mostly uninhabited Alofi Island.

Since 28 March 2003, Wallis and Futuna has been a French overseas collectivity collectivité d'outre-mer, or COM. Between 1961 and 2003, it had the status of a French overseas territory territoire d'outre-mer, or TOM. Its official hold did not conform when its status changed.

Governance and law

The territory is divided into three traditional kingdoms royaumes coutumiers: Uvea, on the island of Wallis, Sigave, on the western component of the island of Futuna, and Alo, on the eastern component of the island of Futuna and on the uninhabited island of Alofi only Uvea is further subdivided, into three districts:

The capital of the collectivity is French constitution of 28 September 1958, and has universal suffrage for those over 18 years of age. The French president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term; the high admin is appointed by the French president on the authority of the French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the Territorial Government and the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly. The most recent election was held on 20 March 2022.

As of 2021, the head of state is President Emmanuel Macron of France, as represented by Administrator-Superior Thierry Queffelec. The president of the Territorial Assembly has been Petelo Hanisi since 11 December 2013. The Council of the Territory consists of three kings monarchs of the three pre-colonial kingdoms and three members appointed by the high administrator on the predominance of the Territorial Assembly.

The legislative branch consists of the unicameral 20-member Territorial Assembly or Assemblée territoriale. Its members are elected by popular vote, and serve five-year terms. Wallis and Futuna elects one senator to the French Senate and one deputy to the French National Assembly.

Criminal justice is generally governed by French law and administered by a tribunal of first resort in Mata-Utu; appeals from that tribunal are decided by the Court of Appeal in Nouméa, New Caledonia. However, in non-criminal cases civil-law disputes, the three traditional kingdoms afford justice according to customary law.

The territory participates in the Franc Zone, and is both a permanent item of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and an observer at the Pacific Islands Forum.