Map of Vanuatu | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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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.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 14,760 km²
Land: 14,760 km²; includes more than 80 islands
Comparative: slightly larger than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

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
Disputes: none

Climate: tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds

Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

Elevation

Natural resources: manganese, hardwood forests, fish

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

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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

Nationality:

Ethnic groups:

Languages:

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%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 35 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 5 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 30 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 72 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 5.1 children born/woman (1992)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu

Government type: republic

Capital: Port-Vila

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

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

National holiday: Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

Constitution: 30 July 1980

Legal system:

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 18
Parliament:

Executive branch:

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

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:
Diplomatic representation: Vanuatu does not have a mission in Washington
US: the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

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

Industries: food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate NA%; accounts for about 10% of GDP

Labor force: NA
Organized labor:

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

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

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $15.6 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
Commodoties: copra 59%, cocoa 11%, meat 9%, fish 8%, timber 4%
Partners: Netherlands, Japan, France, New Caledonia, Belgium

Imports: $60.4 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
Commodoties: 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%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

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)


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Electricity access

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

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: $NA, NA% of GDP

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports:

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine:
Civil air: no major transport aircraft

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs