Vanuatu




                                 Geography


Location:
     Oceania, Melanesia, 5,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South
     Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and
     Australia
Map references:
     Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World
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 the edge of 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
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:
     NA sq km




Environment:
current issues:
     NA
natural hazards:
     subject to tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism
     causes minor earthquakes
international agreements:
     party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Marine Dumping, Ship
     Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea


                                  People


Population:
     169,776 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     2.29% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     32.21 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     9.31 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     68.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     59.25 years
male:
     57.51 years
female:
     61.09 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     4.31 children born/woman (1994 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 can read and write (1979)
total population:
     53%
male:
     57%
female:
     48%




Labor force:
     NA
by occupation:
     NA


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Republic of Vanuatu
conventional short form:
former:
     New Hebrides
Digraph:
     NH
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)
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)
head of government:
     Prime Minister Maxime CARLOT Korman (since 16 December 1991); Deputy
     Prime Minister Sethy REGENVANU (since 17 December 1991)
cabinet:
     Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister, responsible to
     parliament
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
Parliament:
     elections 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 a new
     government on 16 December 1991, but political party associations are
     fluid; seats - (46 total) UMP 19; NUP 10; VP 10; MPP 4; TUP 1;
     Nagriamel 1; Friend 1
note:
     the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land




Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court
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
Member of:
     ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO,
     INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NAM, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN,
     UNCTAD, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
     Vanuatu does not have a mission in the US
US diplomatic representation:
     the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu
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 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.
National product:
     GDP - exchange rate conversion - $142 million (1988 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     6% (1991)
National product per capita:
     $1,050 (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     2.3% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     NA%
Budget:
revenues:
     $90 million
expenditures:
     $103 million, including capital expenditures of $45 million (1989
     est.)
Exports:
     $14.9 million (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
     copra, beef, cocoa, timber, coffee
partners:
     Netherlands, Japan, France, New Caledonia, Belgium




Imports:
     $74 million (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
     machines and vehicles, food and beverages, basic manufactures, raw
     materials and fuels, chemicals
partners:
     Australia 36%, Japan 13%, NZ 10%, France 8%, Fiji 8%
External debt:
     $38 million (1991)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 8.1% (1990); accounts for about 10% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     17,000 kW
production:
     30 million kWh
consumption per capita:
     180 kWh (1990)
Industries:
     food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning
Agriculture:
     accounts for 40% of GDP; 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 - 123.48 (September 1993), 113.39 (1992), 111.68
     (1991), 116.57 (1990), 116.04 (1989)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Railroads:
     none
Highways:
total:
     1,027 km
paved:
     240 km
unpaved:
     787 km
Ports:
     Port-Vila, Luganville, Palikoulo
Merchant marine:
     131 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,992,201 GRT/2,909,381 DWT,
     bulk 57, cargo 23, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 1, container 5,
     liquefied gas 3, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 8, passenger 1,
     refrigerated cargo 19, vehicle carrier 11
note:
     a flag of convenience registry




Airports:
total:
     31
usable:
     31
with permanent-surface runways:
     2
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     2
Telecommunications:
     broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, no TV; 3,000 telephones; 1 Pacific
     Ocean INTELSAT ground station


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Vanuatu Police Force (VPF), paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF)
note:
     no military forces
Defense expenditures:
     $NA, NA% of GDP