Vanuatu

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

Civil air

no major transport aircraft

Highways

1,027 km total; at least 240 km sealed or all-weather roads

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

Ports

Port-Vila, Luganville, Palikoulo, Santu

Railroads

none

Telecommunications

broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, no TV; 3,000 telephones; satellite ground stations - 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT

Branches

no military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF), paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF)

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service

Agriculture

accounts for 40% of GDP; export crops - copra, cocoa, coffee, and fish; subsistence crops - copra, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, and vegetables

Budget

revenues $90.0 million; expenditures $103.0 million, including capital expenditures of $45.0 million (1989 est.)

Currency

vatu (plural - vatu); 1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

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

Electricity

17,000 kW capacity; 30 million kWh produced, 180 kWh per capita (1990)

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)

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

External debt

$30 million (1990 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $142 million, per capita $900 (1988 est.); real growth rate 6% (1990)

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%

Industrial production

growth rate NA%; accounts for about 10% of GDP

Industries

food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5% (1990)

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.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Climate

tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds

Coastline

2,528 km

Comparative area

slightly larger than Connecticut

Disputes

none

Environment

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

Land area

14,760 km2; includes more than 80 islands

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land 1%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland 1%; other 91%

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

Natural resources

manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Note

located 5,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and Australia

Terrain

mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

Total area

14,760 km2

Administrative divisions

11 island councils; Ambrym, Aoba/Maewo, Banks/Torres, Efate, Epi, Malakula, Paama, Pentecote, Santo/Malo, Shepherd, Tafea

Capital

Port-Vila

Constitution

30 July 1980

Diplomatic representation

Vanuatu does not have a mission in Washington US: the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu

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

Executive branch

president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

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

Independence

30 July 1980 (from France and UK; formerly New Hebrides)

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)

Legal system

unified system being created from former dual French and British systems

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament; note - the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land

Long-form name

Republic of Vanuatu

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

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

Type

republic

Birth rate

35 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, remainder Vietnamese, Chinese, and various Pacific Islanders

Infant mortality rate

30 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

NA

Languages

English and French (official); pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama)

Life expectancy at birth

67 years male, 72 years female (1992)

Literacy

53% (male 57%, female 48%) age 15 and over can read and write (1979)

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

7 registered trade unions - largest include Oil and Gas Workers' Union, Vanuatu Airline Workers' Union

Population

174,574 (July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992)

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%

Total fertility rate

5.1 children born/woman (1992)