Futuna (Wallis and Futuna)
French overseas departments and territories | |
Province | Wallis and Futuna |
---|---|
Demographics | |
Population | 3225 (2018) |
Ethnic groups | Melanesians |
Futuna (
Futuna takes its name from an endonym derived from the local futu, meaning
History
Futuna and Alofi were first mapped by Europeans in 1616 by
Schouten and Le Maire had learned from earlier experiences how to approach islanders successfully. Upon landing, they went ashore, and, when approached by some of the natives, they made a show of force. This opened the way for a peaceful barter, with the natives offering coconuts, yams, and hogs in exchange for the sailors’ iron nails, beads and knives. The sailors went on to get fresh water and meet the king, who told his subjects that their guests were not to be disturbed by petty thieving. This way, the Dutch sailors were able to replenish their stocks without risk of theft. A few days after they arrived, the king of the other island, Alofi, came to visit, bringing with him 300 men. A feast was prepared and a kava ceremony and ʻumu were organised. Schouten and Le Maire were likely the first Europeans to witness these ceremonies.
Without the risk of theft or hostilities, Schouten and Le Maire were able to study Futuna more thoroughly than had been possible for them in the case of the Niua islands. They did not visit Alofi. Their description of the islanders’ appearance and behavior was not flattering. Although they praise the men for being well-proportioned, they found the women ugly and ill-shaped, with breasts hanging down to their bellies like empty satchels. The people were said to all go naked, and to copulate in public, even in front of their king.
In the 19th century, whaling ships from the United States and elsewhere called at Futuna for water, wood, and food. The first one known to have called was the Independence in 1827.[3]
Geography
Futuna and Alofi are both remnants of the same
Geology
Futuna island has large
Tectonics
Futuna is on the Futuna Ridge (Futuna–Alofi volcanic ridge) that lies along a boundary of interaction between the colliding
Tsunami risk
The island was affected by the 2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami with a run up height to 4.4 m (14 ft) and up to 95 m (312 ft) inland inundation.[8] Studies afterwards revealed past tsunami events have occurred.[9]
Climate
Futuna (Maopoopo weather station) has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af). The average annual temperature in Maopoopo is 27.5 °C (81.5 °F). The average annual rainfall is 3,333.6 mm (131.24 in) with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in February, at around 28.2 °C (82.8 °F), and lowest in August, at around 26.5 °C (79.7 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Maopoopo was 35.8 °C (96.4 °F) on 10 January 2016; the coldest temperature ever recorded was 19.0 °C (66.2 °F) on 12 August 1980.
Climate data for Futuna (Maopoopo weather station, 1991–2020 averages, extremes 1979−present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 35.8 (96.4) |
35.0 (95.0) |
34.2 (93.6) |
33.9 (93.0) |
33.4 (92.1) |
32.6 (90.7) |
31.9 (89.4) |
32.3 (90.1) |
33.0 (91.4) |
33.9 (93.0) |
33.8 (92.8) |
34.6 (94.3) |
35.8 (96.4) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.2 (88.2) |
31.2 (88.2) |
31.1 (88.0) |
30.7 (87.3) |
29.9 (85.8) |
29.1 (84.4) |
28.6 (83.5) |
28.7 (83.7) |
29.2 (84.6) |
29.7 (85.5) |
30.4 (86.7) |
30.9 (87.6) |
30.1 (86.2) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 28.2 (82.8) |
28.2 (82.8) |
28.2 (82.8) |
27.9 (82.2) |
27.4 (81.3) |
27.0 (80.6) |
26.5 (79.7) |
26.5 (79.7) |
26.8 (80.2) |
27.1 (80.8) |
27.6 (81.7) |
28.0 (82.4) |
27.5 (81.5) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 25.2 (77.4) |
25.2 (77.4) |
25.2 (77.4) |
25.2 (77.4) |
24.9 (76.8) |
24.8 (76.6) |
24.3 (75.7) |
24.2 (75.6) |
24.4 (75.9) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.8 (76.6) |
25.1 (77.2) |
24.8 (76.6) |
Record low °C (°F) | 21.3 (70.3) |
21.9 (71.4) |
21.2 (70.2) |
21.8 (71.2) |
20.9 (69.6) |
21.5 (70.7) |
20.1 (68.2) |
19.0 (66.2) |
19.5 (67.1) |
20.7 (69.3) |
20.9 (69.6) |
20.6 (69.1) |
19.0 (66.2) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 329.2 (12.96) |
354.1 (13.94) |
341.3 (13.44) |
308.3 (12.14) |
262.6 (10.34) |
185.6 (7.31) |
175.1 (6.89) |
181.8 (7.16) |
225.6 (8.88) |
244.2 (9.61) |
324.1 (12.76) |
401.7 (15.81) |
3,333.6 (131.24) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 19.7 | 18.7 | 20.5 | 19.1 | 16.2 | 14.7 | 13.9 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 16.7 | 18.2 | 20.1 | 207.6 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 175.7 | 160.2 | — | 154.4 | — | 120.1 | 121.3 | 125.5 | 135.0 | 154.9 | 165.8 | 180.3 | — |
Source: Météo France[10]
|
Demographics
As of the 2018
Culture
Two kings, elected from the local nobility every few years, rule the population in conjunction with French authorities. They are the king of Sigave, the western province, and the king of Alo, the eastern province including Alofi. Except for Poi all villages are along the southwest coast, and they are from west to east: Toloke, Fiua, Vaisei, Nuku, and Leava (capital with the wharf) in Sigave, and Taoa, Malaʻe, Ono, Kolia and Vele (at the airstrip) in Alo.
99% of the population of Wallis and Futuna are Catholic.[13] Although the island is closer to Tonga and farther from Samoa than ʻUvea, the vernacular and culture are more Samoan.
Futuna is where
Education
There are six primary schools on Futuna.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f Szitkar, Dyment & Fouquet 2020, 2 Geological Context
- ^ a b "The World Factbook:Wallis and Futuna". Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ Robert Langdon (ed.) Where the whalers went: an index to the Pacific ports and islands visited by American whalers (and some other ships) in the 19th century, Canberra, Pacific Manuscripts Bureau, 1984, p.32.
- ^ Goff et al. 2011, Setting
- ^ Goff et al. 2011, Tectonics
- ^ Szitkar et al. 2022, 2. Regional geological context
- ^ Szitkar et al. 2022, 5. Disscussion, 6.Conclusion
- ^ Goff et al. 2011, Introduction
- ^ Goff et al. 2011, Abstract,Conclusions
- ^ "Climate of Maopoopo 1991-2020" (PDF) (in French). Météo-France. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
- ^ "Les populations légales de Wallis et Futuna en 2018". Archived from the original on 2019-04-14. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
- ^ ""Recensement 2018 - Tableau Pop_06_6 : Population selon le sexe, la langue la plus couramment parlée en famille, l'âge décennal et par village de résidence"". Archived from the original on 2023-05-20. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
- ^ "Wallis and Futuna". CIA World Factbook. Archived from the original on 24 April 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ "LIVRET D'ACCUEIL Wallis et Futuna Archived 2017-10-10 at the Wayback Machine." Wallis and Futuna. p. 22 (22/28). Retrieved on September 14, 2016.
- ^ "Cartographie des établissements du second degré." Wallis and Futuna. June 24, 2016. Retrieved on September 14, 2016.
References
- Cartes institut géographique national (4902F)
- https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/wallis-and-futuna-islands-population/
- Robert Kerr (1824): Voyage round the world, in 1615-1617, by William Cornelison Schouten and Jacques le Maire, going round Cape Horn. The comments of the editor to the original ship's journals are completely wrong, however.
- Percy Smith (1892): "Futuna; or, Horne Island and its People", Journal of the Polynesian Society, vol.1, pp. 33–52
- Goff, J; Lamarche, G; Pelletier, B; Chagué-Goff, C; Strotz, L (2011). "Predecessors to the 2009 South Pacific tsunami in the Wallis and Futuna archipelago". Earth-Science Reviews. 107 (1–2): 91–106. .
- Szitkar, F; Dyment, J; Fouquet, Y (15 November 2020). "Widespread volcanism Southeast of Futuna Island (SW Pacific Ocean): Near-seafloor magnetic dating and regional consequences". Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 406 (107064). .
- Szitkar, F; Dyment, J; Pelleter, E; Thomas, Y; Marsset, B; Ker, S; Fouquet, Y (2022). "Effusive and explosive volcanism on the northern Futuna Ridge, Lau Basin: A combined bathymetric, magnetic and seismic investigation". Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 431 (107646). .