Uvea (Wallis and Futuna)
Encyclopedia
Uvea is one of the three official chiefdom
s (Royaume coutumiers) of the French
territory of Wallis and Futuna
(the other two being Sigave
and Alo
) in Oceania
in the South Pacific Ocean
.
and the surrounding islets. The total area of the kingdom is 96 km² with a population of 9 200 spread over three districts. The capital and largest village is Matāutu
situated on the east coast with a population of 1 100).
Districts:
since 15th century BC
and was then part of the Tu'i Tonga Empire
. The two archaeological
sites of Talietumu
and Tonga Toto are remains from that period.
The kingdom of ʻUvea was founded sometimes in the 15th century and the monarch was titled Tuʻi ʻUvea (king).
April 5 1887 the island became a French Protectorate
after queen Amelia Tokagahahau Aliki
signed a treaty with France but keeping her royal powers.
In 1888 Sigave and Alo also signed the treaty with Franc thus creating the "Wallis and Futuna Islands Protectorate".
In 1961 the status was upgraded to being a French overseas territory (territoire d'outre-mer
) and in 2003 Wallis and Futuna became a French overseas collectivity (collectivité d'outre-mer
), but the local royal powers continue.
Chiefdom
A chiefdom is a political economy that organizes regional populations through a hierarchy of the chief.In anthropological theory, one model of human social development rooted in ideas of cultural evolution describes a chiefdom as a form of social organization more complex than a tribe or a band...
s (Royaume coutumiers) of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
territory of Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands , is a Polynesian French island territory in the South Pacific between Tuvalu to the northwest, Rotuma of Fiji to the west, the main part of Fiji to the southwest, Tonga to the southeast,...
(the other two being Sigave
Sigave
Sigavé is one of the three official chiefdoms of the French territory of Wallis and Futuna in Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean.-Geography:...
and Alo
Alo (Wallis and Futuna)
Alo is one of three official chiefdoms of the French territory of Wallis and Futuna in Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean.-Geography:...
) in Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
in the South Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
Geography
Uvea encompasses the whole of Wallis IslandWallis Island
Wallis is an island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the French overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna....
and the surrounding islets. The total area of the kingdom is 96 km² with a population of 9 200 spread over three districts. The capital and largest village is Matāutu
Mata-Utu
Mata-Utu is the capital of the Wallis and Futuna Territory. It is located on the island of Wallis , in the district of Hahake, of which it is also the capital. Its population is 1,191 ....
situated on the east coast with a population of 1 100).
Districts:
| name | population(Census Census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common... 2008-07-21) |
|---|---|
| Hihifo | 2 200 |
| Hahake | 3 750 |
| Mu'a | 3 250 |
History
ʻUvea has probably been inhabited by PolynesiansPolynesians
The Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...
since 15th century BC
15th century BC
The 15th century BC is a century which lasted from 1500 BC to 1401 BC.- Events :* 1504 BC – 1492 BC: Egypt conquers Nubia and the Levant.* 1500 BC – 1400 BC: The Rigveda was composed around this time....
and was then part of the Tu'i Tonga Empire
Tu'i Tonga Empire
Some early European commentators have propagated the notion of a pre-historic "Tui Tonga Empire" or "Tongan Empire" in Oceania.This idea has long been a source of cultural pride among some Tongans even though it has been seriously challenged and generally discounted by modern archaeologists,...
. The two archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
sites of Talietumu
Talietumu
Talietumu or more correctly Kolo Nui is an archaeological site in Wallis and Futuna in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean.-The site:...
and Tonga Toto are remains from that period.
The kingdom of ʻUvea was founded sometimes in the 15th century and the monarch was titled Tuʻi ʻUvea (king).
April 5 1887 the island became a French Protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
after queen Amelia Tokagahahau Aliki
Amelia Tokagahahau Aliki
Amelia Tokagahahau Aliki was a queen of Uvea, ruling from 1869 until 1895. She was preceded by Falakika Seilala, and succeeded by Vito Lavelua II and Isaake.-References:...
signed a treaty with France but keeping her royal powers.
In 1888 Sigave and Alo also signed the treaty with Franc thus creating the "Wallis and Futuna Islands Protectorate".
In 1961 the status was upgraded to being a French overseas territory (territoire d'outre-mer
Territoire d'outre-mer
The term overseas territory , is an administrative division of France and is currently only applied to the French Southern and Antarctic Lands....
) and in 2003 Wallis and Futuna became a French overseas collectivity (collectivité d'outre-mer
Collectivité d'outre-mer
The French overseas collectivities , like the French regions are first-order administrative divisions of France. The COMs include some former French overseas territories and other French overseas entities with a particular status, all of which became COMs by constitutional reform on 28 March...
), but the local royal powers continue.