2000 Edition

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.

Area

land

14,760 sq km

note

includes more than 80 islands

total

14,760 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Connecticut

Climate

tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds

Coastline

2,528 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Tabwemasana 1,877 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

16 00 S, 167 00 E

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

2%

forests and woodland

75%

other

11% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

10%

permanent pastures

2%

Location

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

Map references

Oceania

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

Natural hazards

tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes

Natural resources

manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Terrain

mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

Age structure

0-14 years: 37% (male 35,934; female 34,404) 15-64 years: 60% (male 58,155; female 55,156) 65 years and over: 3% (male 3,228; female 2,741) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

25.93 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

8.52 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, Vietnamese, Chinese, Pacific Islanders

Infant mortality rate

62.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

61.98 years (2000 est.)

male

59.23 years

total population

60.57 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

48% (1979 est.)

male

57%

total population

53%

Nationality

adjective

Ni-Vanuatu

noun

Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

189,618 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.74% (2000 est.)

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%

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: 1.18 male(s)/female

total population

1.05 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.29 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Port-Vila

Constitution

30 July 1980

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Vanuatu

conventional short form

Vanuatu

former

New Hebrides

Data code

NH

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament

chief of state

President Father John BANI (since 25 March 1999)

election results

Father John BANI elected president; percent of electoral college vote - NA; Barak SOPE elected prime minister by Parliament with a total of 28 votes; other candidate, Edward NATAPEI, received 24 votes

elections

president elected 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 6 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)

head of government

Prime Minister Barak SOPE (since 25 November 1999); Deputy Prime Minister Stanley REGINALD (since 25 November 1999)

note

as a result of legislative elections in March 1998, Donald KALPOKAS was elected prime minister and the VP formed a coalition government with the NUP; in November 1999, KALPOKAS, facing strong opposition and the threat of a no confidence vote, resigned; Barak SOPE was elected prime minister in his place and a coalition government was formed

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

Government type

republic

Independence

30 July 1980 (from France and UK)

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, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)

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

Legal system

unified system being created from former dual French and British systems

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

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

elections

last held 6 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)

note

the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land

National holiday

Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

Political parties and leaders

Friend Melanesian Party [Albert RAVUTIA]; John Frum Movement ; Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP ; Na-Griamel Movement ; National United Party or NUP ; Tan Union or TU [Vincent BOULEKONE]; Union of Moderate Parties or UMP ; Vanuatu Party or VP ; Vanuatu Republican Party [Maxime Carlot KORMAN]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, vegetables; fish, beef

Budget

expenditures

$99.8 million, including capital expenditures of $30.4 million (1996 est.)

revenues

$94.4 million

Currency

1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes

Debt - external

$48 million (1997 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$45.8 million (1995)

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.

Electricity - consumption

30 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

32 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

vatu (VT) per US$1 - 129.76 (December 1999), 129.08 (1999), 127.52 (1998), 115.87 (1997), 111.72 (1996), 112.11 (1995)

Exports

$33.8 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities

copra, beef, cocoa, timber, coffee

Exports - partners

Japan 32%, Germany 14%, Spain 8%, New Caledonia 7%, Australia 2% (1997 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

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

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

24%

industry

13%

services

63% (1997 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,300 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$76.2 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels

Imports - partners

Japan 52%, Australia 20%, New Caledonia, Singapore, New Zealand, France, Fiji (1997 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

1% (1997 est.)

Industries

food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.9% (1998 est.)

Labor force

NA

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 65%, services 32%, industry 3% (1995 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

62,000 (1997)

Telephone system

domestic

NA

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

2,500 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

121 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Televisions

2,000 (1997)

Airports

32 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

29 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 17 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

256 km

total

1,070 km

unpaved

814 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

note

a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 15 countries among which are ships of Japan 28, India 10, US 10, Greece 3, Hong Kong 3, Australia 2, Canada 1, China 1, and France 1 (1998 est.)

ships by type

bulk 27, cargo 24, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 2, container 1, liquified gas 4, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 9, vehicle carrier 6 (1999 est.)

total

78 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,266,634 GRT/1,618,877 DWT

Ports and harbors

Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)

Railways

0 km

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%

Disputes - international

claims Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia

VENEZUELA