Wallis and Futuna Islands, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean between Fiji and the Samoan Islands. It consists of three major islands—Uvéa in the Wallis Islands and Futuna and Alofi in the Horn group—and several islets. The total area of the territory is 106 square miles (274 km2). In 1982 the territory had a population of about 12,000. Two-thirds of the people lived on Uvéa, the rest on Futuna. Mata Utu, on Uvéa, is the administrative center and only sizable town. The islands were discovered in 1767 by Samuel Wallis. They came under French control in 1842.