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: 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 reference: Oceania

Area
Comparative: slightly larger than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 2,528 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

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

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes

Geography


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Population: 189,618 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 1.74% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: indigenous Melanesian 94% French 4% Vietnamese Chinese Pacific Islanders

Languages: English (official) French (official) pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama)

Religions: Presbyterian 36.7% Anglican 15% Roman 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: 1.74% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 25.93 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 8.52 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: a majority of the population does not have access to a potable and reliable supply of water; deforestation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 62.52 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 3.29 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: republic

Capital: Port-Vila

Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Malampa Penama Sanma Shefa Tafea Torba

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

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: Friend Melanesian Party [Albert RAVUTIA]; John Frum Movement [leader NA]; Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP [Barak SOPE]; Na-Griamel Movement [Frankie STEVENS]; National United Party or NUP [Willie TITONGOA]; Tan Union or TU [Vincent BOULEKONE]; Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanuatu Party or VP [Donald KALPOKAS]; Vanuatu Republican Party [Maxime Carlot KORMAN]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US it does however have a Permanent Mission to the UN
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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy is based primarily on subsistence or small-scale agriculture which provides a living for 65% of the population. Fishing offshore financial services and tourism with about 50,000 visitors in 1997 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. The most recent natural disaster a severe earthquake in November 1999 followed by a tsunami caused extensive damage to the northern island of Pentecote and left thousands homeless.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: copra coconuts cocoa coffee taro yams coconuts fruits vegetables; fish beef

Industries: food and fish freezing wood processing meat canning

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1997 est.)

Labor force: NA
By occupation agriculture: 65%
By occupation services: 32%
By occupation industry: 3% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.9% (1998 est.)

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: $33.8 million (f.o.b. 1998)
Commodities: copra beef cocoa timber coffee
Partners: Japan 32% Germany 14% Spain 8% New Caledonia 7% Australia 2% (1997 est.)

Imports: $76.2 million (f.o.b. 1998)
Commodities: machinery and equipment foodstuffs fuels
Partners: Japan 52% Australia 20% New Caledonia Singapore New Zealand France Fiji (1997 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $48 million (1997 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: vatu (VT) per US$1 - 129.76 (December 1999) 129.08 (1999) 127.52 (1998) 115.87 (1997) 111.72 (1996) 112.11 (1995)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 32 million kWh (1998)

Electricity consumption: 30 million kWh (1998)

Electricity exports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity imports: 0 kWh (1998)

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: 121 (1995)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $N/A
Percent of gdp: NA%

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: 32 (1999 est.)

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: claims Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs