from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Vanuatu
Introduction
Background: Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct
language, migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia
preceeding European exploration in the 18th century.
This settlement pattern accounts for the complex
linguistic diversity found on the archipelago to this
day. 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, when the new name
of Vanuatu was adopted.
Geography
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean,
about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to
Australia
Geographic 16 00 S, 167 00 E
coordinates:
Map Oceania
references:
Area: total: 12,200 sq km
land: 12,200 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which
are inhabited
Area - slightly larger than Connecticut
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 2,528 km
Maritime measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
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 lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m
Natural manganese, hardwood forests, fish
resources:
Land use: arable land: 1.64%
permanent crops: 6.97%
other: 91.39% (2005)
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April);
hazards: volcanic eruption on Aoba (Ambae) island began 27
November 2005, volcanism also causes minor earthquakes;
tsunamis
Environment - a majority of the population does not have access to a
current reliable supply of potable water; deforestation
issues:
Environment - party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
international Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
agreements: Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of
the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller
note: islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes
People
Population: 208,869 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 32.6% (male 34,804/female 33,331)
15-64 years: 63.7% (male 67,919/female 65,138)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 4,027/female 3,650) (2006
est.)
Median age: total: 23 years
male: 23 years
female: 23 years (2006 est.)
Population 1.49% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 22.72 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 7.82 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 53.8 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 56.35 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 51.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 62.85 years
expectancy at male: 61.34 years
birth: female: 64.44 years (2006 est.)
Total 2.7 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)
adjective: Ni-Vanuatu
Ethnic groups: Ni-Vanuatu 98.5%, other 1.5% (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)
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)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74%
male: NA
female: NA
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu
conventional short form: Vanuatu
local long form: Ripablik blong Vanuatu
local short form: Vanuatu
former: New Hebrides
Government parliamentary republic
type:
Capital: name: Port-Vila (on Efate)
geographic coordinates: 17 44 S, 168 19 E
time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington,
DC during Standard Time)
Administrative 6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea,
divisions: Torba
Independence: 30 July 1980 (from France and UK)
National Independence Day, 30 July (1980)
holiday:
Constitution: 30 July 1980
Legal system: unified system being created from former dual French
and British systems
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Kalkot Matas KELEKELE (since
branch: 16 August 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Ham LINI (since 11
December 2004); Deputy Prime Minister Sato KILMAN
(since 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 unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by
branch: popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 July 2004 (next to be held 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - NUP 10, UMP 8, VP 8, 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 Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the
branch: 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 Jon Frum Movement [Song KEASPAI]; Melanesian
parties and Progressive Party or MPP [Barak SOPE]; National United
leaders: Party or NUP [Hem LINI]; Union of Moderate Parties or
UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanua'aku Pati (Our Land Party) or
VP [Edward NATAPEI]; Vanuatu Greens Party or VGP [Moana
CARCASSES]; Vanuatu Republican Party or VRP [Maxime
Carlot KORMAN]
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM,
organization IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM,
participation: OIF, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US; it does,
representation however, have a Permanent Mission to the UN
in the US:
Diplomatic the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the
representation ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu
from the US:
Flag two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with
description: 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
Economy - This South Pacific island economy is based primarily on
overview: 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.
GDP $276.3 million (2003 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $341 million
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 6.8% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $2,900 (2003 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 26%
composition by industry: 12%
sector: services: 62% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 76,410
Labor force - agriculture: 65%
by occupation: industry: 5%
services: 30% (2000 est.)
Unemployment 1.7% NA%
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate -1.6% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $78.7 million
expenditures: $72.23 million (2003)
Agriculture - copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, fruits,
products: vegetables; beef; fish
Industries: food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning
Industrial 1% (1997 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 41 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 38.13 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 620 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Current $-28.35 million
account
balance:
Exports: $34.11 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - copra, beef, cocoa, timber, kava, coffee
commodities:
Exports - Thailand 46.5%, India 14.1%, Poland 7.9%, Turkey 7.7%,
partners: Japan 6.9% (2005)
Imports: $117.1 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)
Imports - machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels
commodities:
Imports - Australia 18.4%, Japan 16.6%, Singapore 14.7%, Poland
partners: 8.5%, NZ 7.2%, Fiji 6.3% (2005)
Reserves of $40.54 million
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $81.2 million (2004)
external:
Economic aid - $37.8 million (2004)
recipient:
Currency vatu (VUV)
(code):
Currency code: VUV
Exchange vatu per US dollar - NA (2005), 111.79 (2004), 122.19
rates: (2003), 139.2 (2002), 145.31 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 6,800 (2004)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 12,700 (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: NA
system: domestic: NA
international: country code - 678; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2004)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 67,000 (1997)
Television 1 (2004)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 2,300 (1999)
Internet .vu
country code:
Internet 413 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 1 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 7,500 (2004)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 31 (2006)
Airports - total: 3
with paved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - total: 28
with unpaved 914 to 1,523 m: 10
runways: under 914 m: 18 (2006)
Roadways: total: 1,070 km
paved: 256 km
unpaved: 814 km (1999)
Merchant total: 51 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,340,132 GRT/
marine: 1,908,687 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 29, cargo 8, container 1,
liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo
3, roll on/roll off 2, vehicle carrier 5
foreign-owned: 51 (Australia 2, Canada 5, Denmark 6,
Estonia 1, Japan 28, Poland 5, Russia 1, Switzerland 2,
US 1) (2006)
Ports and Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)
terminals:
Military
Military no regular military forces; security forces comprise
branches: the Vanuatu Police Force (VPF) and paramilitary Vanuatu
Mobile Force (VMF), which includes Vanuatu's naval
force, known as the Police Maritime Wing (PMW); border
security in Vanuatu is the joint responsibility of the
Customs and Inland Revenue Service, VPF, VMF, and PMW
(2003)
Manpower males age 18-49: 50,221 (2005 est.)
available for
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 33,837 (2005 est.)
for military
service:
Military NA
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military NA
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia
international: claimed by Vanuatu and France