Wallis and Futuna is one of the territories of Polynesia that appears on world lists without being a UN member state. Its full official name is Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands. Its seat of government is Mata-Utu.
The population is about 11,600, placing it 229th of 250 by population — between Nauru above it and Saint Barthélemy below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 7th of 10 in size and 6th in population.
It covers 142 km², which ranks it 227th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind the British Virgin Islands and just ahead of Christmas Island. Put next to a territory most people can picture, it is a fraction smaller than Liechtenstein.
The lie of the land
Plotted on a globe it falls at 13.3° south, 176.2° west, which puts it in the southern hemisphere, roughly 1,481 km from the equator, in what geographers would call tropical latitudes.
Follow that same latitude east or west and you reach Angola, Zambia and Malawi — places that share its distance from the equator but little else.
There is no land frontier at all — every boundary it has is a coastline. That puts it among the 85 entries of 250 here with no land neighbours, a group made up mostly of islands and island groups.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
The people of Wallis and Futuna
Population divided by land area gives roughly 82 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. Half the entries in this dataset fall below roughly 90 per square kilometre.
Officially it is monolingual: French. Another 45 entries list French too — among them Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso and Burundi.
The demonym is Wallis and Futuna Islander, so residents are Wallis and Futuna Islanders.
Against Oceania as a whole it is the 20th most populous of 27 entries, and it accounts for 1.7% of everyone living in Polynesia.
Useful reference details
It uses the CFP franc (â‚£, XPF). It shares that currency with French Polynesia and New Caledonia.
The top-level domain is .wf. To phone it from abroad you dial +681. In ISO terms it is wf in two letters and WLF in three.
If a quiz asks for the capital of Wallis and Futuna, the answer is Mata-Utu.
Wallis and Futuna is not a UN member state. The dataset does not record which state administers it, so this page does not guess. Of the 250 entries here, 57 are territories or observers rather than member states.
Fun facts about Wallis and Futuna
- It is a territory rather than a UN member state.
- Ranked by land area, Wallis and Futuna is 227th out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
- Its full official name is Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands.
- Within Polynesia it is the 7th largest of 10.
- French is official here and in 45 other entries worldwide.
- Population density works out at roughly 82 people per square kilometre.
Wallis and Futuna — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Wallis and Futuna?
- The capital of Wallis and Futuna is Mata-Utu.
- What language is spoken in Wallis and Futuna?
- The official language of Wallis and Futuna is French. It is also official in 45 other entries on this list.
- What is the population of Wallis and Futuna?
- Wallis and Futuna has a population of about 11,600, which makes it the 229th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Nauru sits just above it and Saint Barthélemy just below.
- How big is Wallis and Futuna?
- Wallis and Futuna covers 142 km², ranking 227th of 250 by land area. That makes it a fraction smaller than Liechtenstein.
- Where is Wallis and Futuna located?
- Wallis and Futuna is in Polynesia, part of Oceania. Its reference coordinates are 13.3° south and 176.2° west, roughly 1,481 km from the equator in tropical latitudes.
- Does Wallis and Futuna border any other country?
- No. Wallis and Futuna has no land border with any other country, so every route in or out is by sea or air. 85 of the 250 entries on this site are in the same position.
- What currency does Wallis and Futuna use?
- Wallis and Futuna uses the CFP franc, written â‚£ (currency code XPF). It is shared with 2 other entries: French Polynesia and New Caledonia.
- Is Wallis and Futuna a country?
- Not in the political sense. Wallis and Futuna is a dependent territory rather than a sovereign state, and it is not a UN member. It appears on this site because it has its own flag, codes and statistics, but it does not have a seat at the United Nations.
