Wallis and Futuna is an archipelago country in the South Pacific Ocean. The islands are located about 1,500 kilometers southwest of Samoa and about 2,500 kilometers southwest of Tahiti. The total land area is only about 102 square kilometers. The main island is Wailea, which has a population of about 3,000 people. The other two islands are Uvea (the largest) with a population of about 700 and Tetiaroa with a population of about 300. Wallis and Futuna became a French territory in 1888. In 1975, the French dissolved the colony and the islands became independent on September 20, 1976.