| Introduction | Wallis and Futuna | = Fields = World Records = Dictionary = Bar graph = Distribution map = Fields History = Definitions |
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Flag description:
 | unofficial, local flag has a red field with four white isosceles triangles in the middle, representing the three native kings of the islands and the French administrator; the apexes of the triangles are oriented inward and at right angles to each other; the flag of France, outlined in white on two sides, is in the upper hoist quadrant note: the design is derived from an original red banner with a white cross pattee that was introduced in the 19th century by French missionaries; the flag of France used for official occasions |
Background:
 | The Futuna island group was discovered by the Dutch in 1616 and Wallis by the British in 1767, but it was the French who declared a protectorate over the islands in 1842, and took official control of them between 1886 and 1888. Notably, Wallis and Futuna was the only French colony to side with the Vichy regime during World War II, a phase that ended in May of 1942 with the arrival of 2,000 American troops. In 1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted to become a French overseas territory and officially assumed this status in July 1961. |
| = Fields = World Records = Dictionary = Bar graph = Distribution map = Fields History = Definitions | |
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This page was last updated on 3 February, 2012 |
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