Wallis and Futuna Islands

Birding Wallis and Futuna

Wallis and Futuna is located about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand. The territory includes the island of Wallis (the most populated), the island of Futuna, the uninhabited island of Alofi (the population of Alofi was reportedly eaten by the cannibal people of Futuna in one single raid in the 19th century), and 20 uninhabited islets, totaling 274 km with 129 km of coastline. The highest point in the territory is Mont Singavi (on the island of Futuna) at 765 m (2,510 feet).The islands have a hot, rainy season from November to April and a cool, dry season from May to October. The rains accumulate 2500 to 3000 millimeters each year. The average humidity is 80% and the temperature 26.6C.Only five percent of the islands’ land area is arable land; permanent crops cover another 20%. Deforestation (only small portions of the original forests remain), largely as a result of the continued use of wood as the main fuel source, is a serious problem; as a consequence of cutting down the forests, the mountainous terrain of Futuna is particularly prone to erosion. There are no permanent settlements on Alofi because of the lack of natural fresh water resources.