Vanuatu

Republic of Vanuatu

parliamentary republicIndependence 30 July 1980 (from France and UK)

Vanuatu as the 2005 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 108 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalPort-Vila (Efate)

Position16 00 S, 167 00 E

Area12,200 sq km

LocationOceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Populationas each edition published it

205,754 people July 2005 est. · 165,006 in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.52% 2005 est. · 2.36% in 1993

Median ageyears

22.64 years 2005 est. · 21.9 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

62.49 years 2005 est. · 58.8 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.77 children per woman 2005 est. · 5.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

55.16 deaths per 1,000 live births 2005 est. · 36 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$2,900 2003 est. · $900 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

1.1% 2003 est. · 6% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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.

Geography

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia

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Land useshare of 12,200 sq km

arable land 2.46%permanent crops 7.38%other 90.16% (2001)

Area

12,200sq km

land: 12,200 sq kmwater: 0 sq kmnote: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabitedslightly larger than Connecticut

Coastline

2,528km

land boundaries: 0 kmMaritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselinesterritorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Highest point

1,877m

Tabwemasanalowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

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 references

Oceania

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

Natural resources

manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Irrigated land

Natural hazards

tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April);
volcanism causes minor earthquakes;
tsunamis

Environment - current issues

a majority of the population does not have access to a reliable supply of potable water; deforestation

Environment - 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
signed, but not ratified:: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

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

People

19 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2005 est.)

3,878

65 and over3.6%

3,471

66,311

15-6463.1%

63,502

35,039

0-1433.3%

33,553

MaleFemale

Population

205,754

(July 2005 est.)growth rate: 1.52% (2005 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2005 est.)

Birth

23.06Death

7.9Net migration

Male · female(2005 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years62.49

61 · 64.05Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births55.16

57.73 · 52.45

TotalMale · femaleMedian age years22.64

22.68 · 22.59

MaleFemale

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)

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:: 1.12 male(s)/female
total population:: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.77 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS - deaths

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)

Literacy

definition:: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:: 74%
male:: NA%
female:: NA% (1999 est.)

Government

Parliamentary republic; President Kalkot Matas KELEKELE (since 16 August 2004); Prime Minister Ham LINI (since 11 December 2004)

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Parliament, 52 seats, elected 6 July 2004one dot, one seat

UMP 8VP 8NUP 10VRP 4MPP 3VGP 3other and independent 16

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

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

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

unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by 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 - 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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

Diplomatic representation 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

This South Pacific island economy is based primarily on small-scale agriculture, which provides a living for 65% of the population.

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GDP, purchasing power parity

$580million

(2003 est.)

Real growth rate

1.1%

(2003 est.)industrial production growth: 1% (1997 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

3.1%

(2003 est.)

Debt - external

$83.7million

(2002)

GDP - composition by sector(2000 est.)

agriculture 26%industry 12%services 62% (2000 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

47%

Thailand

Taiwan

24%

18.4%

Malaysia

Australia

16.5%

7.5%

Japan

11.4%

Singapore

8.5%

New Zealand

7.2%

Fiji

6.3%

5.4%

Belgium

4.9%

China

4.4%

Exports $26.6 million f.o.b. (2003)Imports $138 million c.i.f. (2002)(2004)

Budget

Revenues

$52.6 millionExpenditures

$54.3 million (2003 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $700,000

Electricity

Electricity production

48.42 million (2002)Electricity consumption

45.03 million (2002)

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.

Communications

8 fields

Mobile cellular

7,800

(2003)

Internet users

512

(2003)

Fixed lines

6,500

(2003) · country code .vu

Telephone system

general assessment:: NA
domestic:: NA
international:: country code - 678; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Transportation

6 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

2,438 to 3,047 m

1524 to 2437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

Paved 3Unpaved 27

Highways

total:: 1,070 km
paved:: 256 km
unpaved:: 814 km (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors

Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)

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)

Airports

30 (2004 est.)

Military

3 fields

Military branches

no regular military forces;
security forces comprise 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)