VANUATU
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 14,760 km2; land area: 14,760 km2; includes more
than 80 islands
Comparative area: slightly larger than Connecticut
Land boundary: none
Coastline: 2,528 km
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
Climate: tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds
Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains
Natural resources: manganese, hardwood forests, fish
Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures
2%; forest and woodland 1%; other 91%
Environment: subject to tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to
April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes
Note: located 5,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific
Ocean about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and Australia
PEOPLE
Population: 170,319 (July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)
Birth rate: 36 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 36 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 72 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 5.4 children born/woman (1991)
Nationality: noun--Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural);
adjective--Ni-Vanuatu
Ethnic divisions: indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, remainder
Vietnamese, Chinese, and various Pacific Islanders
Religion: Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Catholic 15%,
indigenous beliefs 7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ
3.8%, other 15.7%
Language: English and French (official); pidgin (known as Bislama
or Bichelama)
Literacy: 53% (male 57%, female 48%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1979)
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: 7 registered trade unions--largest include Oil
and Gas Workers' Union, Vanuatu Airline Workers' Union
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Republic of Vanuatu
Type: republic
Capital: Port-Vila
Administrative divisions: 11 island councils; Ambrym, Aoba/Maewo,
Banks/Torres, Efate, Epi, Malakula, Paama, Pentecote, Santo/Malo,
Shepherd, Tafea
Independence: 30 July 1980 (from France and UK; formerly New
Hebrides)
Constitution: 30 July 1980
Legal system: unified system being created from former dual French
and British systems
National holiday: Independence Day, 30 July (1980)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
(cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament; note--the National
Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State--President Frederick TIMAKATA (since 30 January
1989);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Father Walter Hadye LINI (since
30 July 1980); Deputy Prime Minister (vacant)
Political parties and leaders:
National Party (Vanua'aku Pati), Donald KALPOKAS;
Union of Moderate Parties, Maxine CARLOT;
Melanesian Progressive Party, Barak SOPE
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
Parliament--last held 30 November 1987 (next to be held
by November 1991); byelections were held in December 1988 to fill
vacancies resulting from the expulsion of opposition members for
boycotting sessions; results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(46 total)
National Party 26, Union of Moderate Parties 19, independent 1
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
Diplomatic representation: Vanuatu does not have a mission in
Washington;
US--the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu
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
ECONOMY
Overview: The economy is based primarily on subsistence farming
that 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.
GDP: $137 million, per capita $860; real growth rate 4.3% (1989
est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.8% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $90.0 million; expenditures $103.0 million,
including capital expenditures of $45.0 million (1989 est.)
Exports: $14.5 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--copra 59%, cocoa 11%, meat 9%, fish 8%, timber 4%;
partners--Netherlands 34%, France 27%, Japan 17%, Belgium 4%, New
Caledonia 3%, Singapore 2% (1987)
Imports: $58.4 million (f.o.b., 1989 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 5%
(1987)
External debt: $30 million (1990 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 17,000 kW capacity; 30 million kWh produced,
180 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries: food and fish freezing, forestry processing, meat
canning
Agriculture: export crops--copra, cocoa, coffee, and fish;
subsistence crops--copra, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, and vegetables
Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-88), $565 million
Currency: vatu (plural--vatu); 1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: vatu (VT) per US$1--109.62 (January 1991), 116.57
(1990), 116.04 (1989), 104.43 (1988), 109.85 (1987), 106.08 (1986),
106.03 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: none
Highways: 1,027 km total; at least 240 km sealed or all-weather
roads
Ports: Port-Vila, Luganville, Palikoulo, Santu
Merchant marine: 129 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,242,850
GRT/3,447,671 DWT; includes 33 cargo, 13 refrigerated cargo, 8 container,
11 vehicle carrier, 1 livestock carrier, 5 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 55 bulk,
1 combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry; the USSR
has 2 ships under the Vanuatu flag
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 32 total, 28 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with
runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations--2 AM, no FM, no TV; 3,000 telephones;
satellite communications ground stations--1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: no military forces; Vanuatu Police Force, paramilitary
force
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 41,183; NA fit for military
service
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP