:Vanuatu Geography

Total area:
    14,760 km2
Land area:
    14,760 km2; includes more than 80 islands
Comparative area:
    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:
    edge of continental margin or 200 nm
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds
Terrain:
    mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains
Natural resources:
    manganese, hardwood forests, fish
Land use:
    arable land 1%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and
    woodland 1%; other 91%
Environment:
    subject to tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism
    causes minor earthquakes
Note:
    located 5,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about
    three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and Australia

:Vanuatu People

Population:
    174,574 (July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    35 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    30 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    67 years male, 72 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    5.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural); adjective - Ni-Vanuatu
Ethnic divisions:
    indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, remainder Vietnamese, Chinese, and
    various Pacific Islanders
Religions:
    Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Catholic 15%, indigenous beliefs 7.6%,
    Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ 3.8%, other 15.7%
Languages:
    English and French (official); pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama)
Literacy:
    53% (male 57%, female 48%) age 15 and over can read and write (1979)
Labor force:
    NA
Organized labor:
    7 registered trade unions - largest include Oil and Gas Workers' Union,
    Vanuatu Airline Workers' Union

:Vanuatu Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Vanuatu
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Port-Vila
Administrative divisions:
    11 island councils; Ambrym, Aoba/Maewo, Banks/Torres, Efate, Epi, Malakula,
    Paama, Pentecote, Santo/Malo, Shepherd, Tafea
Independence:
    30 July 1980 (from France and UK; formerly New Hebrides)
Constitution:
    30 July 1980
Legal system:
    unified system being created from former dual French and British systems
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 30 July (1980)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers
    (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Parliament; note - the National Council of Chiefs advises on
    matters of custom and land
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Frederick TIMAKATA (since 30 January 1989)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Maxime CARLOT (since 16 December 1991); Deputy Prime Minister
    Sethy REGENVANU (since 17 December 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    Vanuatu Party (VP), Donald KALPOKAS; Union of Moderate Parties (UMP), Serge
    VOHOR; Melanesian Progressive Party (MPP), Barak SOPE; National United Party
    (NUP), Walter LINI; Tan Union Party (TUP), Vincent BOULEKONE; Nagriamel
    Party, Jimmy STEVENS; Friend Melanesian Party, leader NA
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  Parliament:
    last held 2 December 1991 (next to be held by November 1995); note - after
    election, a coalition was formed by the Union of Moderate Parties and the
    National United Party to form new government on 16 December 1991; seats -
    (46 total) UMP 19; NUP 10; VP 10; MPP 4; TUP 1; Nagriamel 1; Friend 1
Member of:
    ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO,
    IOC, ITU, NAM, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Vanuatu does not have a mission in Washington
  US:
    the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu
Flag:
    two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green (bottom) 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

Overview:
    The economy is based primarily on subsistence farming which provides a
    living for about 80% of the population. Fishing and tourism are the 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.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $142 million, per capita $900 (1988 est.); real
    growth rate 6% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    5% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $90.0 million; expenditures $103.0 million, including capital
    expenditures of $45.0 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
    $15.6 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    copra 59%, cocoa 11%, meat 9%, fish 8%, timber 4%
  partners:
    Netherlands, Japan, France, New Caledonia, Belgium
Imports:
    $60.4 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    machines and vehicles 25%, food and beverages 23%, basic manufactures 18%,
    raw materials and fuels 11%, chemicals 6%
  partners:
    Australia 36%, Japan 13%, NZ 10%, France 8%, Fiji 8%
External debt:
    $30 million (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%; accounts for about 10% of GDP
Electricity:
    17,000 kW capacity; 30 million kWh produced, 180 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning
Agriculture:
    accounts for 40% of GDP; export crops - copra, cocoa, coffee, and fish;
    subsistence crops - copra, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, and vegetables
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
    $606 million
Currency:
    vatu (plural - vatu); 1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
    vatu (VT) per US$1 - 112.55 (March 1992), 111.68 (1991), 116.57 (1990),
    116.04 (1989), 104.43 (1988), 109.85 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Vanuatu Communications

Railroads:
    none
Highways:
    1,027 km total; at least 240 km sealed or all-weather roads
Ports:
    Port-Vila, Luganville, Palikoulo, Santu
Merchant marine:
    121 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,093,443 GRT/3,168,822 DWT; includes
    26 cargo, 14 refrigerated cargo, 5 container, 11 vehicle carrier, 1
    livestock carrier, 5 petroleum tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 3 liquefied gas,
    51 bulk, 1 combination bulk, 1 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger; note - a
    flag of convenience registry
Civil air:
    no major transport aircraft
Airports:
    33 total, 31 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, no TV; 3,000 telephones; satellite ground
    stations - 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT

:Vanuatu Defense Forces

Branches:
    no military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF), paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile
    Force (VMF)
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    $NA, NA% of GDP