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.

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

Natural resources: manganese hardwood forests fish

Irrigated land: NA km²

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

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

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%

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.)

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

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

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

Government type: republic

Capital: Port-Vila

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

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

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 growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1300 (1999 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 services: 32%
By occupation industry: 3% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

Fiscal year: calendar year

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

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.)

Debt external: $48 million (1997 est.)

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)

Electricity
Production: 32 million kWh (1998)
Consumption: 30 million kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 2,500 (1995)
Mobile cellular: 121 (1995)

Internet
Service providers isps: 2 (1999)

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

Airports: 32 (1999 est.)

Railways: 0 km

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