Wallis & Futuna

WALLIS & FUTUNA 611 © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © Pierre Chanel Church Alofi Lake Lalolalo Île Fenua Fo'ou To‘oga Toto

Île Île Lake Lake (customs) have remained remarkably intact. Catholicism, however, remarkably however, intact. Catholicism, remained (customs) have ( p617 ) on Wallis Pierre Chanel Church Pierre ( p617 ) coutume ( p617 ) To’oga Toto ( p618 ) Lalolalo Alofi path at tapa decorations at ( p619 ) on Futuna Fenua Fo’ou Fenua

around on a perfect, Laze empty beach on in the king’s shards of Lapita pottery Find Marvel the imposing tower and graceful at Wallis’ paradisaical lagoon islets like Visit walls of Wallis’ down the steep Gaze

„ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS Wallis and Futuna, which lie 230km away from each other, are linked through French linkedthrough French lie 230km away from each other, are which Wallis and Futuna, The population is equal parts proud and protective of their way of life and, as long as the population is equal parts their way of life of The proud and protective

Wallis, being more populous and the centre of government, retains the upper hand. retains of government, populous and the centre Wallis, being more influenced designs found on Wallis. The two islands remain competitive with each other, but with each other, but competitive two islands remain The influenced designs found on Wallis. comprehensible, as well as the Samoan-like tapa designs of the Futunans and the Tongan- as well as the Samoan-like Futunans tapa designs of the comprehensible, roots to Samoa. This is evident in the languages, which are quite different, although mutually different, quite languages, which are is evident in the This roots to Samoa. colonialism, period. Wallis has ancestral connections with Tonga, while Futuna traces its traces its colonialism, period. Wallis has ancestral connections with Tonga, while Futuna French expats. French welcome enough additions that the people don’t mind putting up with a few handfuls of with a few that the people don’t mind putting up welcome enough additions for independence are few: the hospitals, schools and highly paid government jobs are all jobs are and highly paid government the hospitals, schools few: for independence are not likely to receive heaps of honeymooners or package tourists any time soon. Movements heaps of honeymooners or package Movements tourists any time soon. not likely to receive airfares and cost of living stay as high as they are (this place makes Tahiti seem cheap), it’s (this place makesairfares Tahiti high as they are and cost of living stay as is deeply intertwined with every partis deeply intertwined with every life. of daily and its intricate and its intricate their taro fields and enjoy satellite TV satellite their taro fields and enjoy kava, a beer or some at night after but the culture lis and Futuna’s French-funded economy allows islanders to drive flashy 4WDs to and from to drive economy allows islanders French-funded lis and Futuna’s centre of Polynesia/Melanesia far from the modern world and its claymation comedies. Wal- world and its claymation comedies. of Polynesia/Melanesia far from the modern centre Wallis and who? No it’s not Gromet. These two little-known These No it’s not Gromet. Wallis and who? the specks lie smack in volcanic Wallis & Futuna WALLIS & FUTUNA ships, followedbytraders, islands becamepopularstopsfor whaling dered in1841byKing Niuluki,anaction that on Futuna, arrived in1837.Chanel wasmur- Pierre onWallisandPierre Bataillon Chanel Maristfirst Catholic missionaries, including gatherers missionaries. The and,inevitably, this timethe name stuck, and theislandwasnamedafter him–only discovered Tahiti, arrived at Uvea in1767 navigator SamuelWalliswhohad recently their homeport.Thenextvisitor,theEnglish in 1616andnamedtheislandHoorn,after and WillemSchouten chanced uponFutuna remaining archaeological sites on Wallis. 1400. TodayTonganfortsare someof theonly aroundAD invasions fromTonga,starting ence of Samoa,whileWallissuffered repeated Futunacame under theinflu- older sites. Later it’sprobable there although are800 BC, even Objects foundonFutunahave dated been to and500BC. the Pacific 1500BC between wave settlement movedgreat Lapita across Wallis andFutunawere populated whenthe more details, see p621 . there are nobudget ortop-endoptions.For ‘midrange,’ 10,000and16,000CFP); (between ing choices fallintowhatcouldbeconsidered day, excludingcarhire oractivities.Alllodg- spend aminimumof around14,000CFPper two banks.Costsare sobeprepared high, to There isonly oneATM inthecountryand Pacifique (CFP),which istiedtotheeuro. theCourdeFrancWallis andFutunause COSTS &MONEY p627. see charts, aged theislandsin1986.ForPacific climate tive recorded which cyclonewasRaja, rav- isMayseason toOctober). Themostdestruc- islands experienceoccasionalcyclones(the while Futunagets alush4monaverage. Both averages animpressive 3mof rainfallayear, likely atleast260daysof theyear;Wallis be expected fromApriltoOctober. is Rain March, whilemore temperate weathercan sweatiest months are November between and Futuna are markedly hotandhumid.The 612 CLIMATE&WHENTOGO It’s notsurprisingthattropicalWallisand HISTORY In thefirst halfof the19thcentury Maire Le Jacques explorers Dutch The ALS&FTN • Ciae&We oG WALLIS &FUTUNA••ClimateWhentoGo bêche-de-mer

French Territoire d’Outre-Mer (Overseas deeply influenced deeply traditional culture. 6000 AmericansonWallisandtheirpresence today.Atitspeakthereis stillinuse were ashore. Airstrips were built–theone atHihifo suddenly found2000Americanforcescoming andinMay phase 1942the5000Wallisians The arrivalof warinthePacific endedthat ment, despite pressure fromNewCaledonia. to sidewiththecollaborationistVichy govern- Wallis andFutunawastheonlyFrench colony control over theyears 1886 to 1888. assume controlof taking theislands,officially half of thecenturyFrancegraduallybeganto boxed (see saint text, opposite ). Inthesecond was tomake Pierre ChanelthePacific’s first mains true onFutuna(where there are two popular demand asked forachange. This re- shifting toanew kingand/orfamilywhen the powerhasalways remained balanced, there are royal, Because several the wealth,theywillwincontinued support. mannerandshare inasatisfactory classes families bythe The kingiselected fromoneof theupper-class sions andholdmostof jobs. theimportant The rulingclass,the byarigidsocialandclassstructure.dictated steeped inlocaltradition.Day-to-daylife is WallisandFutuna areCatholicism, stillvery Despite French presence anddevout The NationalPsyche of independence from France. appears infavour tobelittlelocalsentiment Territory) daysthere on29thJuly1961.These on Futuna)manages torepresent theother onWallisbutnever as issometimesthecase TE CULTURE THE Wallis andFutunaofficially becamea Things remained quietuntilWWIIwhen tuna.html, inFrench Website Greeting Languages Currency International telephone code Land area Population Capital city(andisland) WALLIS &FUTUNAFACTS Bonjour (French) www.outre-mer.gouv.fr/?-wallis-et-fu

CourdeFrancPacifique (CFP) Malo 247sqkm Wallisian,Futunan andFrench 13,480 (Wallisian), aliki , andaslonghe(orshe aliki Maro Mata’Utu (Wallis) Mata’Utu , make allthedeci- (Futunan), lonelyplanet.com 681 aliki families