Map of Vanuatu | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | 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
Total: 12,200 km²
Land: 12,200 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited
Comparative: slightly larger than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 2,528 km

Maritime claims
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
Extremes highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m

Natural resources: manganese hardwood forests fish

Land use
Arable land: 2.46%
Permanent crops: 7.38%
Other: 90.16% (2001)

Irrigated land: NA

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; tsunamis

Geography
Note: a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes


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Population: 205,754 (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: 1.52% (2005 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)
Adjective: Ni-Vanuatu

Ethnic groups: Ni-Vanuatu 98.5% other 1.5% (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)

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)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 33.3% (male 35,039/female 33,553)
15-64 years: 63.1% (male 66,311/female 63,502)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 3,878/female 3,471) (2005 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 22.64 years
Male: 22.68 years
Female: 22.59 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.52% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 23.06 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 7.9 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: a majority of the population does not have access to a reliable supply of potable water; deforestation
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male/female
65 years and over: 1.12 male/female
Total population: 1.05 male/female (2005 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 55.16 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 57.73 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 52.45 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 62.49 years
Male: 61 years
Female: 64.05 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.77 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 74%
Male: NA%
Female: NA% (1999 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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

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
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); Prime Minister Serge VOHOR ousted in no-confidence vote on 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
Elections: last held 6 July 2004 (next to be held 2008)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP 8, VP 8, NUP 10, 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 Republican Party or VRP [Maxime Carlot KORMAN]; Vanuatu Greens Party or VGP [Moana CARCASSES]

International organization participation: ACCT ACP AsDB C FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IOC ITU MIGA NAM PIF Sparteca 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
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: 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $580 million (2003 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 1.1% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2003 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 26%
Industry: 12%
Services: 62% (2000 est.)

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 industry: 5%
By occupation services: 30% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA
Highest 10: NA

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $52.6 million
Expenditures: $54.3 million, including capital expenditures of $700,000 (2003 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.1% (2003 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: $26.6 million f.o.b. (2003)
Commodities: copra beef cocoa timber kava coffee
Partners: Thailand 47% Malaysia 18.4% Japan 7.5% Belgium 5.4% China 4.9% (2004)

Imports: $138 million c.i.f. (2002)
Commodities: machinery and equipment foodstuffs fuels
Partners: Taiwan 24% Australia 16.5% Japan 11.4% Singapore 8.5% New Zealand 7.2% Fiji 6.3% US 4.4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $83.7 million (2002)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: vatu per US dollar - 111.79 (2004) 122.19 (2003) 139.2 (2002) 145.31 (2001) 137.64 (2000)


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Electricity
Production: 48.42 million kWh (2002)
Consumption: 45.03 million kWh (2002)
Exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Imports: 0 kWh (2002)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 6,500 (2003)
Mobile cellular: 7,800 (2003)

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
Domestic: NA
International: country code - 678; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .vu
Hosts: 512 (2003)
Users: 7,500 (2003)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: NA
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: 30 (2004 est.)
With paved runways total: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 27
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 10
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 17 (2004 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,192,474 GRT/1,560,828 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 22, cargo 16, container 1, liquefied gas 2, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 2, vehicle carrier 5
Foreign owned: 52 (Australia 2, Canada 5, Estonia 1, Greece 1, Israel 1, Japan 25, New Zealand 1, Poland 11, Russia 1, Switzerland 2, Thailand 1, United States 1)
Registered in other countries: 1 (2005)

Ports and terminals


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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs