Edition 2003 — Vanuatu — World Factbook

Administrative divisions

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

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.)

Agriculture - products

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

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

Area

land: 12,200 sq km
note: includes more than 80 islands
total: 12,200 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Connecticut

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

Birth rate

24.26 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures: $99.8 million, including capital expenditures of $30.4 million (1996 est.)
revenues: $94.4 million

Capital

Port-Vila

Climate

tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds

Coastline

2,528 km

Constitution

30 July 1980

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu
conventional short form: Vanuatu
former: New Hebrides

Currency

vatu (VUV)

Currency code

VUV

Death rate

8.13 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$68.6 million (2000 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Disputes - international

Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by Vanuatu and France This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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. 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.

Electricity - consumption

40.42 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

43.46 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

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: 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

Ethnic groups

indigenous Melanesian 98%, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, other Pacific Islanders

Exchange rates

vatu per US dollar - 139.2 (2002), 145.31 (2001), 137.64 (2000), 129.08 (1999), 127.52 (1998)

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 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%
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)
head of government: Prime Minister Edward Nipake NATAPEI (since 13 April 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Ham LINI (since NA)

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)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications 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

GDP

purchasing power parity - $563 million (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 26%
industry: 12%
services: 62% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-0.3% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

16 00 S, 167 00 E

Geography - note

a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes People Vanuatu

Government type

parliamentary republic

Highways

paved: 256 km
total: 1,070 km
unpaved: 814 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

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)

Independence

30 July 1980 (from France and UK)

Industrial production growth rate

1% (1997 est.)

Industries

food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning

Infant mortality rate

female: 55.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 60.76 deaths/1,000 live births
total: 58.11 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.2% (2001 est.)

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)

Internet country code

.vu

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet users

3,000 (2000) Transportation Vanuatu

Irrigated land

NA sq km

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)

Labor force

NA

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 65%, services 30%, industry 5% (2000 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 2.46%
other: 90.16% (1998 est.)
permanent crops: 7.38%

Languages

three official languages: English, French, pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama), plus more than 100 local languages

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 - UMP 15, VP 14, VRP 3, MPP 2, other and independent 18; note - political party associations are fluid
elections: last held 2 May 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)
note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land

Life expectancy at birth

female: 63.21 years (2003 est.)
male: 60.28 years
total population: 61.71 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
female: 48% (1979 est.) Government Vanuatu
male: 57%
total population: 53%

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

Median age

female: 21.8 years (2002)
male: 22 years
total: 21.9 years

Merchant marine

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.)
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
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
total: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,181,463 GRT/1,552,813 DWT

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

Nationality

adjective: Ni-Vanuatu
noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

600 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

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

Population

199,414 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

1.61% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 1 (2002)

Radios

67,000 (1997)

Railways