WALLIS AND FUTUNA - Telituale o Uvea mo Futuna

Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands (French: Wallis-et-Futuna or Territoire des îles Wallis-et-Futuna, Fakauvea and Fakafutuna: 'Uvea mo Futuna), is a French island collectivity in the South Pacific between Tuvalu to the northwest, Fiji to the southwest, Tonga to the southeast, Samoa to the east, and Tokelau to the northeast.

Its land area is 142.42 km² (54.99 sq mi) with a population of 11,558 at the 2018 census (down from 14,944 at the 2003 census). Matā'Utu is the capital and biggest city. The territory is made up of three main volcanic tropical islands along with a number of tiny islets, and is split into two island groups that lie about 260 km (160 mi) apart, namely the Wallis Islands ('Uvea) in the northeast, and the Hoorn Islands (also known as the Futuna Islands) in the southwest, including Futuna Island proper and the mostly uninhabited Alofi Island.

On 5 April 1842, the missionaries asked for the protection of France after the rebellion of a part of the local population. On 5 April 1887, the Queen of Uvea (on the island of Wallis) signed a treaty officially establishing a French protectorate. The kings of Sigave and Alo on the islands of Futuna and Alofi also signed a treaty establishing a French protectorate on 16 February 1888. The islands were at that time put under the authority of the French colony of New Caledonia. In 1917, the three traditional kingdoms were annexed to France and turned into the Colony of Wallis and Futuna, which was still under the authority of the Colony of New Caledonia.

Since 2003, Wallis and Futuna has been a French overseas collectivity (collectivité d'outre-mer, or COM). Between 1961 and 2003, it had the status of a French overseas territory (territoire d'outre-mer, or TOM), though its official name did not change when the status changed.

The Wallis and Futuna Islands are a Polynesian French island territory in the South Pacific between Tuvalu to the northwest, Rotuma of Fiji to the west and the main part of Fiji to the southwest. The first stamps used in the islands were overprinted stamps of New Caledonia. From May 1920, stamps inscribed Wallis and Futuna were used.

Registered Airmail from Wallis and Futuna, one of the rare item in my collection. I have never seen an airmail with registered barcode and own country code 'wf'. All the letters transfer via Tahiti, French Polynesia, there is an additional postmark on the backside of the cover from Tahiti. 

These two beautiful covers supposed to reach alongwith the registered one, but they traveled to Los Angales and reached in my hand. I was surprised why it happened so.