Vanuatu

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

Highways

total: 1,027 km paved: 240 km unpaved: 787 km

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

Ports

Port-Vila, Luganville, Palikoulo

Railroads

none

Telecommunications

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

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Agriculture

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

Budget

revenues: $90 million expenditures: $103 million, including capital expenditures of $45 million (1989 est.)

Currency

1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

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

Electricity

capacity: 17,000 kW production: 30 million kWh consumption per capita: 180 kWh (1990)

Exchange rates

vatu (VT) per US$1 - 123.48 (September 1993), 113.39 (1992), 111.68 (1991), 116.57 (1990), 116.04 (1989)

Exports

$14.9 million (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: copra, beef, cocoa, timber, coffee partners: Netherlands, Japan, France, New Caledonia, Belgium

External debt

$38 million (1991)

Fiscal year

calendar year

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%

Industrial production

growth rate 8.1% (1990); accounts for about 10% of GDP

Industries

food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.3% (1992 est.)

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $142 million (1988 est.)

National product per capita

$1,050 (1990)

National product real growth rate

6% (1991)

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%

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

Climate

tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds

Coastline

2,528 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

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

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

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

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

Natural resources

manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Terrain

mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

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

Digraph

NH

Diplomatic representation in US

Vanuatu does not have a mission in the US

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

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

Independence

30 July 1980 (from France and UK)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

unified system being created from former dual French and British systems

Legislative branch

unicameral

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

Names

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

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

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

18 years of age; universal

Type

republic

US diplomatic representation

the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu

Birth rate

32.21 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

9.31 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

68.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

NA by occupation: NA

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 59.25 years male: 57.51 years female: 61.09 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

169,776 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

2.29% (1994 est.)

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

4.31 children born/woman (1994 est.)