Vanuatu

Branches

no regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF; includes the paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force or VMF)

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: NA males fit for military service: NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

NA

Telephone system

domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones

3,000 (1987 est.)

Television broadcast stations

0 (1987 est.)

Televisions

2,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Agriculture

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

Budget

revenues: $74.8 million expenditures: $76.1 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)

Currency

1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview

The economy is based primarily on subsistence farming which provides a living for the bulk of the population. Fishing and tourism are the other mainstays of the economy, with 43,000 visitors in 1992. 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.

Electricity

capacity: 17,000 kW production: 30 million kWh consumption per capita: 181 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

vatu (VT) per US$1 - 114.40 (January 1996), 112.11 (1995), 116.41 (1994), 121.58 (1993), 113.39 (1992), 111.68 (1991)

Exports

$24.6 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: copra, beef, cocoa, timber, coffee partners: EU 32%, Japan 29%, Australia 11%, New Caledonia 7% (1993)

External debt

$38.2 million (yearend 1993)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $210 million (1994 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

GDP per capita

$1,220 (1994 est.)

GDP real growth rate

2% (1994 est.)

Imports

$78.6 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: machines and vehicles, food and beverages, basic manufactures, raw materials and fuels, chemicals partners: Australia 41%, France 15%, NZ 11%, Japan 9%, Fiji 6% (1992)

Industrial production growth rate

3.4% (1993 est.)

Industries

food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7% (1995 est.)

Labor force

66,597 (1989 est.) by occupation: agriculture 65%, services 32%, industry 3% (1995 est.)

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: a majority of the population does not have access to a potable and reliable supply of water natural hazards: tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

16 00 S, 167 00 E

International disputes

claims Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia

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, 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 resources

manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Terrain

mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Tabwemasana 1,877 m

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Port-Vila

Constitution

30 July 1980

Data code

NH

Diplomatic representation in US

Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US

Executive branch

chief of state: President Jean Marie LEYE (since 2 March 1994) was elected for a five-year term by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils head of government: Prime Minister Maxime Carlot KORMAN (since 23 February 1996) was elected by Parliament from among its members; Deputy Prime Minister Donald KALPOKAS (since 23 February 1996) was appointed by the prime minister from among members of Parliament; note - Prime Minister VOHOR resigned 7 February 1996 when faced with a no-confidence vote in Parliament; Parliament then convened an extraordinary session and voted 30 to 20 to elect Maxime Carlot KORMAN as the new prime minister cabinet: Council of Ministers was 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)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NAM, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

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

Name of country

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

Parliament

elections last held 30 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (50 total) UMP 17, VP 14, NUP 9, MPP 5, TU 2, Na-Griamel Movement 1, Friend Melanesian Party 1, independent 1; note - after the election, a coalition was formed by the Union of Moderate Parties and the National United Party to form a new government on 14 December 1995, but political party associations are fluid note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land

Political parties and leaders

Union of Moderate Parties (UMP), Serge VOHOR; National United Party (NUP), Walter LINI; Unity Front (UF) includes the Vanuatu Party (VP), Donald KALPOKAS, Melanesian Progressive Party (MPP), Barak SOPE, Tan Union (TU), Vincent BOULEKONE, and the Na-Griamel Movement, Frankie STEVENS; Friend Melanesian Party, leader NA; People's Democratic Party (PDP), Sethy REGENVANU; Independence Front (IF), Patrick CROWBY

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 40% (male 36,409; female 35,105) 15-64 years: 57% (male 51,969; female 48,901) 65 years and over: 3% (male 2,802; female 2,318) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

30.57 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

8.84 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

64.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 60.13 years male: 58.27 years female: 62.09 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.) 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 (1996 est.)

Population

177,504 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.17% (1996 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%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.21 male(s)/female all ages: 1.06 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.01 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 31 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 17 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 11 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 1,021 km paved: 238 km unpaved: 783 km (1987 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 112 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,587,286 GRT/2,173,970 DWT ships by type: bulk 38, cargo 29, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 1, container 3, liquefied gas tanker 5, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 6, refrigerated cargo 16, vehicle carrier 10 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 20 countries among which are Japan 37, US 19, Netherlands 10, Greece 6, Hong Kong 6, China 4, Canada 4, UAE 3, Russia 2, and Australia 2 (1995 est.)

Ports

Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)

Railways

0 km