Vanuatu

Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct language, migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia preceding 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.

• 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

• tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April);
• volcanic eruption on Aoba (Ambae) island began 27 November 2005, volcanism also causes minor earthquakes;
• tsunamis

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

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:

1.07 male(s)/female

total population:

1.04 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

noun:

Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)

adjective:

Ni-Vanuatu

definition:

age 15 and over can read and write

total population:

74%

male:

NA

female:

NA (1999 census)

conventional long form:

Republic of Vanuatu

conventional short form:

Vanuatu

local long form:

Ripablik blong Vanuatu

local short form:

Vanuatu

former:

New Hebrides

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)

chief of state:

President Kalkot Matas KELEKELE (since 16 August 2004)

head of government:

Prime Minister Edward NATAPEI (since 22 September 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Ham LINI (since 22 September 2008)

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 22 September 2008 (next to be held following general elections in 2012)

election results:

Kalkot Matas KELEKELE elected president, with 49 votes out of 56, after several ballots on 16 August 2004

• Greens Confederation or GC [Moana CARCASSES];
• Jon Frum Movement or JF [Song KEASPAI];
• Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP [Barak SOPE];
• Nagriamel movement or NAG [Havo MOLI];
• Namangi Aute or NA [Paul TELUKLUK];
• National United Party or NUP [Ham LINI];
• People's Action Party or PAP [Peter VUTA];
• People's Progressive Party or PPP [Sato KILMAN];
• Shepherds Alliance Party [leader NA];
• Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR];
• Vanuatu Family First Party or VFFP [Eta RORI];
• Vanuatu Labor Party or VLP [Joshua KALSAKAU];
• Vanuatu National Party or VNP [Issac HAMARILIU];
• Vanua'aku Pati (Our Land Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI];
• Vanuatu Republican Party or VRP [Maxime Carlot KORMAN];
• Vanuatu Republican Farmers Party or VPRFP [Jean RAVOU]

• 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

agriculture:

65%

industry:

5%

services:

30% (2000 est.)

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

• copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, fruits, vegetables;
• beef;
• fish

general assessment:

NA

domestic:

NA

international:

country code - 678; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

total:

1,070 km

paved:

256 km

unpaved:

814 km (1999)

total:

54

by type:

bulk carrier 32, cargo 8, container 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 4, vehicle carrier 5

foreign-owned:

54 (Australia 2, Belgium 4, Canada 5, Estonia 1, Greece 1, Japan 29, Monaco 1, Poland 7, Russia 2, Switzerland 1, US 1) (2008)

male:

2,385

female:

2,290 (2008 est.)