VANUATU
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 14,760 km2; land area: 14,760 km2; includes more
than 80 islands

Comparative area: slightly larger than Connecticut

Land boundary: none

Coastline: 2,528 km

Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);

Contiguous zone: 24 nm;

Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds

Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

Natural resources: manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures
2%; forest and woodland 1%; other 91%

Environment: subject to tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to
April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes

Note: located 5,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific
Ocean about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and Australia

PEOPLE
Population: 170,319 (July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)

Birth rate: 36 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Infant mortality rate: 36 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 72 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 5.4 children born/woman (1991)

Nationality: noun--Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural);
adjective--Ni-Vanuatu

Ethnic divisions: indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, remainder
Vietnamese, Chinese, and various Pacific Islanders

Religion: Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Catholic 15%,
indigenous beliefs 7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ
3.8%, other 15.7%

Language: English and French (official); pidgin (known as Bislama
or Bichelama)

Literacy: 53% (male 57%, female 48%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1979)

Labor force: NA

Organized labor: 7 registered trade unions--largest include Oil
and Gas Workers' Union, Vanuatu Airline Workers' Union

GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Republic of Vanuatu

Type: republic

Capital: Port-Vila

Administrative divisions: 11 island councils; Ambrym, Aoba/Maewo,
Banks/Torres, Efate, Epi, Malakula, Paama, Pentecote, Santo/Malo,
Shepherd, Tafea

Independence: 30 July 1980 (from France and UK; formerly New
Hebrides)

Constitution: 30 July 1980

Legal system: unified system being created from former dual French
and British systems

National holiday: Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
(cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament; note--the National
Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Leaders:

Chief of State--President Frederick TIMAKATA (since 30 January
1989);

Head of Government--Prime Minister Father Walter Hadye LINI (since
30 July 1980); Deputy Prime Minister (vacant)

Political parties and leaders:
National Party (Vanua'aku Pati), Donald KALPOKAS;
Union of Moderate Parties, Maxine CARLOT;
Melanesian Progressive Party, Barak SOPE

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections:

Parliament--last held 30 November 1987 (next to be held
by November 1991); byelections were held in December 1988 to fill
vacancies resulting from the expulsion of opposition members for
boycotting sessions; results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(46 total)
National Party 26, Union of Moderate Parties 19, independent 1

Member of: ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, NAM, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNIDO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation: Vanuatu does not have a mission in
Washington;

US--the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu

Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green (bottom)
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 farming
that provides a living for about 80% of the population. Fishing and
tourism are the 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.

GDP: $137 million, per capita $860; real growth rate 4.3% (1989
est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.8% (1989 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues $90.0 million; expenditures $103.0 million,
including capital expenditures of $45.0 million (1989 est.)

Exports: $14.5 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);

commodities--copra 59%, cocoa 11%, meat 9%, fish 8%, timber 4%;

partners--Netherlands 34%, France 27%, Japan 17%, Belgium 4%, New
Caledonia 3%, Singapore 2% (1987)

Imports: $58.4 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);

commodities--machines and vehicles 25%, food and beverages 23%,
basic manufactures 18%, raw materials and fuels 11%, chemicals 6%;

partners--Australia 36%, Japan 13%, NZ 10%, France 8%, Fiji 5%
(1987)

External debt: $30 million (1990 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity: 17,000 kW capacity; 30 million kWh produced,
180 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries: food and fish freezing, forestry processing, meat
canning

Agriculture: export crops--copra, cocoa, coffee, and fish;
subsistence crops--copra, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, and vegetables

Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-88), $565 million

Currency: vatu (plural--vatu); 1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: vatu (VT) per US$1--109.62 (January 1991), 116.57
(1990), 116.04 (1989), 104.43 (1988), 109.85 (1987), 106.08 (1986),
106.03 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year

COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: none

Highways: 1,027 km total; at least 240 km sealed or all-weather
roads

Ports: Port-Vila, Luganville, Palikoulo, Santu

Merchant marine: 129 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,242,850
GRT/3,447,671 DWT; includes 33 cargo, 13 refrigerated cargo, 8 container,
11 vehicle carrier, 1 livestock carrier, 5 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 55 bulk,
1 combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry; the USSR
has 2 ships under the Vanuatu flag

Civil air: no major transport aircraft

Airports: 32 total, 28 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with
runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: stations--2 AM, no FM, no TV; 3,000 telephones;
satellite communications ground stations--1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT

DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: no military forces; Vanuatu Police Force, paramilitary
force

Manpower availability: males 15-49, 41,183; NA fit for military
service

Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP



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