Vanuatu

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

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

Area

Total area: 14,760 sq km
Land area: 14,760 sq km
Comparative area: slightly larger than Connecticut

Note: Includes more than 80 islands

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

International Disputes

None

Climate

Tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds

Terrain

Mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Tabwemasana 1,877 m

Natural Resources

Manganese
Hardwood forests
Fish

Land Use

Arable land: 1%
Permanent crops: 5%
Meadows and pastures: 2%
Forest and woodland: 1%
Other: 91%

Irrigated Land

Environment

Current issues: a majority of the population does not have access to a potable and reliable supply of water
Natural hazards: tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes
International agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

PEOPLE

Population

177,504 (July 1996 est.)
173,648 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

40% (male 36,409; female 35,105) (July 1996 est.)
41% (male 36,128; female 34,819) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

57% (male 51,969; female 48,901) (July 1996 est.)
56% (male 50,456; female 47,320) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

3% (male 2,802; female 2,318) (July 1996 est.)
3% (male 2,708; female 2,217) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

2.17% (1996 est.)
2.22% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

30.57 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
31.26 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

8.84 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
9.06 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.21 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.06 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

64.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
66.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total population: 60.13 (1996 est.), 59.71 years (1995 est.)
Male: 58.27 (1996 est.), 57.9 years (1995 est.)
Female: 62.09 years (1996 est.), 61.61 years (1995 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

4.01 children born/woman (1996 est.)
4.14 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)
Adjective: Ni-Vanuatu

Ethnic Divisions

Indigenous Melanesian 94%
French 4%
Vietnamese, Chinese, 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 (official), French (official), pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama)

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1979)

Total population: 53%
Male: 57%
Female: 48%

Labor Force

66,597 (1989 est.)

By occupation:

Agriculture 65%
Services 32%
Industry 3% (1995 est.)

GOVERNMENT

Names

Conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu
Conventional short form: Vanuatu
Former: New Hebrides

Digraph

Type

Republic

Capital

Port-Vila

Administrative Divisions

6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Torba

Independence

30 July 1980 (from France and U.K.)

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 Jean Marie LEYE (since 2 March 1994) was elected for a five-year term by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils
Head of government: Prime Minister Maxime Carlot KORMAN (since 23 February 1996) was elected by Parliament from among its members; Deputy Prime Minister Donald KALPOKAS (since 23 February 1996) was appointed by the prime minister from among members of Parliament; note - Prime Minister VOHOR resigned 7 February 1996 when faced with a no-confidence vote in Parliament; Parliament then convened an extraordinary session and voted 30 to 20 to elect Maxime Carlot KORMAN as the new prime minister
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister, responsible to parliament

Legislative Branch

Unicameral

Parliament

Elections last held 30 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (50 total) UMP 17, VP 14, NUP 9, MPP 5, TU 2, Na-Griamel Movement 1, Friend Melanesian Party 1, independent 1; note - after the election, a coalition was formed by the Union of Moderate Parties and the National United Party to form a new government on 14 December 1995, but 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

Union of Moderate Parties (UMP), Serge VOHOR; National United Party (NUP), Walter LINI; Unity Front (UF) includes the Vanuatu Party (VP), Donald KALPOKAS, Melanesian Progressive Party (MPP), Barak SOPE, Tan Union (TU), Vincent BOULEKONE, and the Na-Griamel Movement, Frankie STEVENS; Friend Melanesian Party, leader NA; People's Democratic Party (PDP), Sethy REGENVANU; Independence Front (IF), Patrick CROWBY

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NAM, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Anthem

Flag

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

Overview

The economy is based primarily on subsistence farming which provides a living for the bulk of the population. Fishing and tourism are the other mainstays of the economy, with 43,000 visitors in 1992. 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.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $210 million (1994 est.), $200 million (1993 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

2% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$1,220 (1994 est.)
$1,200 (1993 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

7% (1995 est.)
2.3% (1992 est.)

Unemployment Rate

Budget

Revenues: $74.8 million (1994 est.), $90 million (1989 est.)
Expenditures: $76.1 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.), $103 million, including capital expenditures of $45 million (1989 est.)

Exports

$24.6 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
$14.9 million (f.o.b., 1991)

Commodities:

Copra
Beef
Cocoa
Timber
Coffee

Partners:

EU32%
Japan 29%
Australia 11%
New Caledonia 7% (1993)

Imports

$78.6 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
$74 million (f.o.b., 1991)

Commodities:

Machines and vehicles
Food and beverages
Basic manufactures
Raw materials and fuels
Chemicals

Partners:

Australia 41%
France 15%
Japan 9%
NZ 11%
Fiji 6% (1992)

External Debt

$38.2 million (yearend 1993)
$40 million (yearend 1992)

Industrial Production

Growth rate 3.4% (1993 est.), 8.1% (1990); accounts for about 10% of GDP

Electricity

Capacity: 17,000 kW
Production: 30 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 181 kWh (1993)

Industries

Food and fish freezing
Wood processing
Meat canning

Agriculture

Export crops - coconuts, cocoa, coffee, fish; subsistence crops - taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, vegetables

Economic Aid

Recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $606 million

Currency

1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes

Exchange Rates

Vatu (VT) per US$1 - 114.40 (January 1996), 112.11 (1995), 116.41 (1994), 121.58 (1993), 113.39 (1992), 111.68 (1991), 116.57 (1990)

Fiscal Year

Calendar year

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

0 km

Highways

Total: 1,021 km
Paved: 238 km
Unpaved: 783 km (1987 est.)

Ports

Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)

Merchant Marine

Total: 112 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,587,286 GRT/2,173,970 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 38, cargo 29, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 1, container 3, liquefied gas tanker 5, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 6, refrigerated cargo 16, vehicle carrier 10

Note: A flag of convenience registry; includes 21 countries among which are ships of the U.S. 19, Japan 37, Netherlands 10, China 4, UAE 3, Greece 6, Canada 4, Hong Kong 6, Russia 2, Australia 2 (1995 est.)

Airports

Total: 31
With paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
With paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 17
With unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 11

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

3,000 telephones

Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station

Radio

Broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: NA

Television

Broadcast stations: 0
Televisions: 2,000 (1992 est.)

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

No regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF; includes the paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force or VMF)

Defense Expenditures

History
World Atlas

Last modified: 3 december 1997

web hosting • domain names
web design • online games