Portal:Oceania/Daily article/28
The Territory of Wallis and Futuna Islands (French: Territoire des îles Wallis et Futuna) is a group of three volcanic tropical islands (Wallis (Uvea), Futuna, and Alofi) with fringing reefs located in the South Pacific Ocean. It has been a French overseas collectivity since 2003.
Only five percent of the islands' land area is arable land; permanent crops cover another 20%. Deforestation is a serious problem; leaving the mountainous terrain of Futuna prone to erosion. There are no permanent settlements on Alofi because of the lack of natural fresh water resources. The population is 14,944 (2003) and the capital is Mata-Utu.