| Vanuatu |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Vanuatu | Introduction | Top of Page

Background: | The British and French who settled the New Hebrides in the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in 1980.

Vanuatu | Geography | Top of Page

Location: | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates: | 16 00 S, 167 00 E

Map references: | Oceania

Area: | total: 12,200 sq km land: 12,200 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes more than 80 islands

Area - comparative: | slightly larger than Connecticut

Land boundaries: | 0 km

Coastline: | 2,528 km

Maritime claims: | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: | tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds

Terrain: | mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m

Natural resources: | manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Land use: | arable land: 2% permanent crops: 10% permanent pastures: 2% forests and woodland: 75% other: 11% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: | NA sq km

Natural hazards: | tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes

Environment - current issues: | a majority of the population does not have access to a potable and reliable supply of water; deforestation

Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Vanuatu | People | Top of Page

Population: | 192,910 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 36.35% (male 35,822; female 34,299) 15-64 years: 60.43% (male 59,764; female 56,808) 65 years and over: 3.22% (male 3,348; female 2,869) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 1.7% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 25.4 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 8.38 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 61.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 60.95 years male: 59.58 years female: 62.39 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 3.19 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA

Nationality: | noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural) adjective: Ni-Vanuatu

Ethnic groups: | indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, Vietnamese, Chinese, Pacific Islanders

Religions: | Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Roman Catholic 15%, indigenous beliefs 7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ 3.8%, other 15.7%

Languages: | English (official), French (official), pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama)

Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 53% male: 57% female: 48% (1979 est.)

Vanuatu | Government | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu conventional short form: Vanuatu former: New Hebrides

Government type: | republic

Capital: | Port-Vila

Administrative divisions: | 6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Torba

Independence: | 30 July 1980 (from France and UK)

National holiday: | Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

Constitution: | 30 July 1980

Legal system: | unified system being created from former dual French and British systems

Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: | chief of state: President Father John BANI (since 25 March 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Edward NATAPEI (since 16 April 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Serge VOHOR (since 16 April 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected for a four-year term by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils for a five-year term; election for president last held 25 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2003); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime minister last held 16 April 2001 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: Father John BANI elected president; percent of electoral college vote - NA%; Edward NATAPEI elected prime minister by Parliament with a total of 27 out of 52 votes note: the government of Prime Minister Barak SOPE was ousted in a no confidence vote on 14 April 2001 and Edward NATAPEI was elected the new prime minister by Parliament

Legislative branch: | unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 6 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - VP 18, UMP 12, NUP 11, other and independent 11; note - political party associations are fluid; there have been four changes of government since the November 1995 elections note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land

Judicial branch: | Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, three other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission)

Political parties and leaders: | Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP [Barak SOPE]; National United Party or NUP [Willie TITONGOA]; Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanuaaku Party (Our Land Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI]; Vanuatu Republican Party [Maxime Carlot KORMAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA

International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NAM, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNTAET, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: | Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US, it does, however, have a Permanent Mission to the UN

Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu

Flag description: | two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle); centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed namele leaves, all in yellow

Vanuatu | Economy | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | The economy is based primarily on subsistence or small-scale agriculture which provides a living for 65% of the population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with about 50,000 visitors in 1997, are other mainstays of the economy. Mineral deposits are negligible; the country has no known petroleum deposits. A small light industry sector caters to the local market. Tax revenues come mainly from import duties. Economic development is hindered by dependence on relatively few commodity exports, vulnerability to natural disasters, and long distances from main markets and between constituent islands. The most recent natural disaster, a severe earthquake in November 1999 followed by a tsunami, caused extensive damage to the northern island of Pentecote and left thousands homeless. GDP growth has risen less than 3% on average in the 1990s. In response to foreign concerns, the government is moving to tighten regulation of its offshore financial center.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $245 million (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | -2.5% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $1,300 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 20% industry: 9% services: 71% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: | NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2.5% (1999 est.)

Labor force: | NA

Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 65%, services 32%, industry 3% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: | NA%

Budget: | revenues: $94.4 million expenditures: $99.8 million, including capital expenditures of $30.4 million (1996 est.)

Industries: | food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning

Industrial production growth rate: | 1% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production: | 35 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 32.6 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: | copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, vegetables; fish, beef

Exports: | $25.3 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities: | copra, kava, beef, cocoa, timber, coffee

Exports - partners: | Japan 32%, Germany 14%, Spain 8%, New Caledonia 7%, Australia 2% (1997 est.)

Imports: | $77.2 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Imports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels

Imports - partners: | Japan 52%, Australia 20%, New Caledonia, Singapore, New Zealand, France, Fiji (1997 est.)

Debt - external: | $48 million (1997 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: | $45.8 million (1995)

Currency: | vatu (VUV)

Currency code: | VUV

Exchange rates: | vatu per US dollar - 143.95 (December 2000), 137.82 (2000), 129.08 (1999), 127.52 (1998), 115.87 (1997), 111.72 (1996)

Fiscal year: | calendar year

Vanuatu | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 4,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 154 (1996)

Telephone system: | general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: | 62,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 1 (1997)

Televisions: | 2,000 (1997)

Internet country code: | .vu

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000)

Internet users: | 3,000 (2000)

Vanuatu | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | 0 km

Highways: | total: 1,070 km paved: 256 km unpaved: 814 km (1996)

Waterways: | none

Ports and harbors: | Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)

Merchant marine: | total: 54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,067,384 GRT/1,330,543 DWT ships by type: bulk 23, cargo 7, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 2, container 1, liquefied gas 3, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 7, vehicle carrier 6 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 2, Canada 1, China 1, France 1, Greece 1, Hong Kong 1, Japan 22, Netherlands 1, Norway 1, Switzerland 1, US 4 (2000 est.)

Airports: | 32 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 30 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 17 (2000 est.)

Vanuatu | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | no regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF; includes the paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force or VMF)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | NA%

Vanuatu | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | claims Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia