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In general, information available as of 1 January 2003 was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2003. This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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| Introduction | Vanuatu | 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.
| Geography | Vanuatu | 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 note: includes more than 80 islands water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: | slightly larger than Connecticut
Land boundaries: | 0 km
Coastline: | 2,528 km
Maritime claims: | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin contiguous zone: 24 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: 2.46% permanent crops: 7.38% other: 90.16% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: | NA sq km
Natural hazards: | tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis
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: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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
Geography - note: | a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes
| People | Vanuatu | Top of Page
Population: | 199,414 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 34.8% (male 35,499; female 33,992) 15-64 years: 61.8% (male 63,021; female 60,149) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 3,605; female 3,148) (2003 est.)
Median age: | total: 21.9 years male: 22 years female: 21.8 years (2002)
Population growth rate: | 1.61% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: | 24.26 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: | 8.13 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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: 1.15 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 58.11 deaths/1,000 live births female: 55.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 60.76 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 61.71 years male: 60.28 years female: 63.21 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 2.98 children born/woman (2003 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 98%, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, other 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% (including Jon Frum Cargo cult)
Languages: | three official languages: English, French, pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama), plus more than 100 local languages
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 53% male: 57% female: 48% (1979 est.)
| Government | Vanuatu | Top of Page
Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu conventional short form: Vanuatu former: New Hebrides
Government type: | parliamentary 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) 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 2004); 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 2 August 2002 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: Father John BANI elected president on second vote (24 March 1999) after the first (17 March 1999) did not have any candidate with the required two-thirds majority; percent of electoral college vote - NA% cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament head of government: Prime Minister Edward Nipake NATAPEI (since 13 April 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Ham LINI (since NA)
Legislative branch: | unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 2 May 2002 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP 15, VP 14, VRP 3, MPP 2, other and independent 18; note - political party associations are fluid 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: | Jon Frum Movement [Song KEASPAI]; Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP [Barak SOPE]; National United Party or NUP [Dinh Van THAN]; Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanuaaku Party (Our Land Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI]; Vanuatu Republican Party or VRP [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, IOC, ITU, NAM, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, 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
| Economy | Vanuatu | 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. A severe earthquake in November 1999 followed by a tsunami, caused extensive damage to the northern island of Pentecote and left thousands homeless. Another powerful earthquake in January 2002 caused extensive damage in the capital, Port-Vila, and surrounding areas, and also was followed by a tsunami. GDP growth rose less than 3% on average in the 1990s. In response to foreign concerns, the government has promised to tighten regulation of its offshore financial center. In mid-2002 the government stepped up efforts to boost tourism. Australia and New Zealand are the main suppliers of foreign aid.
GDP: | purchasing power parity - $563 million (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | -0.3% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 26% industry: 12% services: 62% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: | NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 3.2% (2001 est.)
Labor force: | NA
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 65%, services 30%, industry 5% (2000 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: | 43.46 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: | 40.42 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 600 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA (2001)
Oil - imports: | NA (2001)
Agriculture - products: | copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, vegetables; fish, beef
Exports: | $22 million f.o.b. (2001)
Exports - commodities: | copra, beef, cocoa, timber, kava, coffee
Exports - partners: | India 32.5%, Thailand 22.8%, South Korea 10.5%, Indonesia 6.3%, Japan 4.9% (2002)
Imports: | $93 million c.i.f. (2001)
Imports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels
Imports - partners: | Australia 22.1%, Japan 19.2%, New Zealand 10.1%, Singapore 8.1%, Fiji 6.6%, Taiwan 5%, India 5% (2002)
Debt - external: | $68.6 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: | $45.8 million (1995)
Currency: | vatu (VUV)
Currency code: | VUV
Exchange rates: | vatu per US dollar - 139.2 (2002), 145.31 (2001), 137.64 (2000), 129.08 (1999), 127.52 (1998)
Fiscal year: | calendar year
| Communications | Vanuatu | Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use: | 5,500 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 310 (2000)
Telephone system: | general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 1 (2002)
Television broadcast stations: | 1 (2002)
Internet country code: | .vu
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000)
Internet users: | 3,000 (2000)
| Transportation | Vanuatu | Top of Page
Railways: | 0 km
Highways: | total: 1,070 km paved: 256 km unpaved: 814 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: | none
Ports and harbors: | Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)
Merchant marine: | total: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,181,463 GRT/1,552,813 DWT ships by type: bulk 26, cargo 5, combination bulk 3, container 3, liquefied gas 2, multi-function large-load carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 7, vehicle carrier 5 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 3, Canada 2, China 1, Japan 25, Monaco 4, Netherlands 1, NZ 5, Panama 1, Poland 1, Switzerland 2, UK 4, US 2, Vietnam 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: | 30 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1524 to 2437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 27 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 17 (2002)
| Military | Vanuatu | Top of Page
Military branches: | no regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF; including the paramilitary Mobile Force or VMF)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | NA%
| Transnational Issues | Vanuatu | Top of Page
Disputes - international: | Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by Vanuatu and France
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003