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 on 27 November 2005, volcanism also causes minor earthquakes;
• tsunamis

volcanism:

• significant volcanic activity with multiple eruptions in recent years;
• Yasur (elev. 361 m), one of the world's most active volcanoes, has experienced continuous activity in recent centuries;
• other historically active volcanoes include, Aoba, Ambrym, Epi, Gaua, Kuwae, Lopevi, Suretamatai, and Traitor's Head

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

noun:

Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)

adjective:

Ni-Vanuatu

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.96 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

1.07 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

definition:

age 15 and over can read and write

total population:

83.2%

male:

NA 84.9%

female:

NA 81.6% (2011 est.)

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 Iolu Johnson ABBIL (since 3 September 2009)

head of government:

Prime Minister Joe NATUMAN (since 14 May 2014)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to parliament; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

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 on 2 September 2009 (next to be held in 2014);
• following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister by parliament from among its members;
• election for prime minister last held on 23 March 2013 (next to be held following general elections in 2016)

election results:

• Iolu Johnson ABBIL elected president, with 41 votes out of 58, on the third ballot on 2 September 2009;
• Joe NATUMAN elected prime minister following a no confidence vote against the government of Moana CARCASSES Kalosil on 15 May 2014

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 3 judges);
• note - appeals from the Supreme Court are considered by the Court of Appeal, constituted by 2 or more judges of the Supreme Court sitting together

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition;
• other judges are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, a 4-member advisory body;
• judges appointed until age of retirement

subordinate courts:

magistrates' courts; island courts

• Greens Confederation or GC [Moana CARCASSES Kalosil]
• Iauko Group or IG [NA]
• Land and Justice Party (Graon mo Jastis Pati) or GJP [Ralph REGENVANU]
• Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP [Barak SOPE]
• Nagriamel movement or NAG [NA]
• Natatok Indigenous People's Democratic Party or (NATATOK) or NIPDP [Alfred Roland CARLOT]
• National United Party or NUP [Ham LINI]
• People's Progressive Party or PPP [Sato KILMAN]
• People's Service Party or PSP [Don KEN]
• Reunification of Movement for Change or RMC [Charlot SALWAI]
• Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]
• Vanua'aku Pati (Our Land Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI]
• Vanuatu Democratic Party [Maxime Carlot KORMAN]
• Vanuatu Liberal Democratic Party or VLDP [Tapangararua WILLIE]
• Vanuatu National Party or VNP [Issac HAMARILIU]
• Vanuatu Progressive Development Party or VPDP [Robert Bohn SIKOL]
• Vanuatu Republican Party or VRP [Marcellino PIPITE]

• 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 fern fronds, all in yellow;
• red represents the blood of boars and men, green the richness of the islands, and black the ni-Vanuatu people;
• the yellow Y-shape - which reflects the pattern of the islands in the Pacific Ocean - symbolizes the light of the Gospel spreading through the islands;
• the boar's tusk is a symbol of prosperity frequently worn as a pendant on the islands;
• the fern fronds represent peace

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

agriculture:

65%

industry:

5%

services:

30% (2000 est.)

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

• 1 state-owned TV station;
• multi-channel pay TV is available;
• state-owned Radio Vanuatu operates 2 radio stations;
• 2 privately owned radio broadcasters;
• programming from multiple international broadcasters is available (2008)

total:

1,070 km

country comparison to the world: 184

paved:

256 km

unpaved:

814 km (2000)

males age 16-49:

43,331

females age 16-49:

44,927 (2010 est.)

male:

2,323

female:

2,230 (2010 est.)