| Vanuatu |  | Click to enlarge

Introduction
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues

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This page was last updated on 29 March, 2006

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| Introduction | Vanuatu | Top of Page

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 | Top of Page

Location: | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Geographic coordinates: | 16 00 S, 167 00 E
Map references: | Oceania
Area: | total: 12,200 sq km land: 12,200 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited
Area - comparative: | slightly larger than Connecticut
Land boundaries: | 0 km
Coastline: | 2,528 km
Maritime claims: | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate: | tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October; moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected by cyclones from December to April
Terrain: | mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m
Natural resources: | manganese, hardwood forests, fish
Land use: | arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 6.97% other: 91.39% (2005)
Irrigated land: | NA
Natural hazards: | tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanic eruption on Aoba (Ambae) island began 27 November 2005, volcanism also causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis
Environment - current issues: | a majority of the population does not have access to a reliable supply of potable 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
Geography - note: | a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes

| People | Vanuatu | Top of Page

Population: | 208,869 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 32.6% (male 34,804/female 33,331) 15-64 years: 63.7% (male 67,919/female 65,138) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 4,027/female 3,650) (2006 est.)
Median age: | total: 23 years male: 23 years female: 23 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: | 1.49% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: | 22.72 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: | 7.82 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 53.8 deaths/1,000 live births male: 56.35 deaths/1,000 live births female: 51.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 62.85 years male: 61.34 years female: 64.44 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 2.7 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA
Nationality: | noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural) adjective: Ni-Vanuatu
Ethnic groups: | Ni-Vanuatu 98.5%, other 1.5% (1999 Census)
Religions: | Presbyterian 31.4%, Anglican 13.4%, Roman Catholic 13.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, other Christian 13.8%, indigenous beliefs 5.6% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 9.6%, none 1%, unspecified 1.3% (1999 Census)
Languages: | local languages (more than 100) 72.6%, pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama) 23.1%, English 1.9%, French 1.4%, other 0.3%, unspecified 0.7% (1999 Census)
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74% male: NA female: NA

| Government | Vanuatu | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu conventional short form: Vanuatu former: New Hebrides
Government type: | parliamentary republic
Capital: | Port-Vila (Efate)
Administrative divisions: | 6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Torba
Independence: | 30 July 1980 (from France and UK)
National holiday: | Independence Day, 30 July (1980)
Constitution: | 30 July 1980
Legal system: | unified system being created from former dual French and British systems
Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Kalkot Matas KELEKELE (since 16 August 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Ham LINI (since 11 December 2004); Deputy Prime Minister Sato KILMAN (since 11 December 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament
elections: president elected for a five-year term by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils; election for president last held 16 August 2004 (next to be held in 2009); 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 29 July 2004 (next to be held following general elections in 2008)
election results: Kalkot Matas KELEKELE elected president, with 49 votes out of 56, after several ballots on 16 August 2004

Legislative branch:

unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 July 2004 (next to be held 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NUP 10, UMP 8, VP 8, VRP 4, MPP 3, VGP 3, other and independent 16; note - political party associations are fluid
note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of culture and language

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)
Political parties and leaders: | Jon Frum Movement [Song KEASPAI]; Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP [Barak SOPE]; National United Party or NUP [leader NA]; Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanua'aku Pati (Our Land Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI]; Vanuatu Greens Party or VGP [Moana CARCASSES]; Vanuatu Republican Party or VRP [Maxime Carlot KORMAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA
International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: | Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US; it does, however, have a Permanent Mission to the UN
Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to 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 | Top of Page

Economy - overview:

This South Pacific island economy is based primarily on small-scale agriculture, which provides a living for 65% of the population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with about 50,000 visitors in 2004, 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. 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. Agriculture, especially livestock farming, is a second target for growth. Australia and New Zealand are the main suppliers of tourists and foreign aid.

GDP (purchasing power parity): | $580 million (2003 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | NA
GDP - real growth rate: | 1.1% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $2,900 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 26% industry: 12% services: 62% (2000 est.)
Labor force: | NA
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 65%, industry 5%, services 30% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: | NA%
Population below poverty line: | NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 3.1% (2003 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $52.6 million expenditures: $54.3 million; including capital expenditures of $700,000 (2003)
Agriculture - products: | copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, fruits, vegetables; beef; fish
Industries: | food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning
Industrial production growth rate: | 1% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production: | 41 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - consumption: | 38.13 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 620 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: | NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Exports: | $205 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: | copra, beef, cocoa, timber, kava, coffee
Exports - partners: | Thailand 47%, Malaysia 18.4%, Japan 7.5%, Belgium 5.4%, China 4.9% (2004)
Imports: | $233 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels
Imports - partners: | Taiwan 24%, Australia 16.5%, Japan 11.4%, Singapore 8.5%, New Zealand 7.2%, Fiji 6.3%, US 4.4% (2004)
Debt - external: | $83.7 million (2002)
Economic aid - recipient: | $27.5 million (2002)
Currency (code): | vatu (VUV)
Exchange rates: | vatu per US dollar - NA (2005), 111.79 (2004), 122.19 (2003), 139.2 (2002), 145.31 (2001)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

| Communications | Vanuatu | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 6,800 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 10,500 (2004)
Telephone system: | general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 678; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2004)
Television broadcast stations: | 1 (2004)
Internet country code: | .vu
Internet hosts: | 487 (2005)
Internet users: | 7,500 (2004)

| Transportation | Vanuatu | Top of Page

Airports: | 31 (2005)
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 (2005)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 28 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 18 (2005)
Roadways: | total: 1,070 km paved: 256 km unpaved: 814 km (1999)
Merchant marine: | total: 52 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,214,417 GRT/1,649,713 DWT by type: bulk carrier 28, cargo 10, container 1, liquefied gas 2, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 2, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 52 (Australia 2, Canada 5, Denmark 6, Estonia 1, Greece 1, Japan 26, NZ 2, Poland 5, Russia 1, Switzerland 2, US 1) (2005)
Ports and terminals: | Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)

| Military | Vanuatu | Top of Page

Military branches: | no regular military forces; security forces comprise the Vanuatu Police Force (VPF) and paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF), which includes Vanuatu's naval force, known as the Police Maritime Wing (PMW); border security in Vanuatu is the joint responsibility of the Customs and Inland Revenue Service, VPF, VMF, and PMW (2003)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | NA

| Transnational Issues | Vanuatu | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by Vanuatu and France

This page was last updated on 29 March, 2006