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VANUATU

@Vanuatu:Geography

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

 Map references: Oceania
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VANUATU - MAJOR CITIES 
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                                        Latitude,      Internat'l     Time   
                        Population      Longitude      Phone Code     Zone   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
PORT VILA                   15,000    17.45S,168.18E     678-        GMT+11  
Santo                          N/A    15.32S,167.08E     678-        GMT+11  
Norsup                         N/A    16.05S,167.23E     678-        GMT+11  
Lamap                          N/A    16.26S,167.43E     678-        GMT+11  
Isangel                        N/A    19.32S,169.16E     678-        GMT+11  
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 Area:
 total area: 14,760 sq km
 land area: 14,760 sq km
 comparative area: slightly larger than Connecticut
 note: includes more than 80 islands

 Land boundaries: 0 km

 Coastline: 2,528 km

 Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
 contiguous zone: 24 nm
 continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
 exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
 territorial sea: 12 nm

 International disputes: none

 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%

 Irrigated land: NA sq km

 Environment:
 current issues: a majority of the population does not have access to a
 potable and reliable supply of water
 natural hazards: tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April);
 volcanism causes minor earthquakes
 international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
 Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
 Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

@Vanuatu:People

 Population: 173,648 (July 1995 est.)

 Age structure:
 0-14 years: 41% (female 34,819; male 36,128)
 15-64 years: 56% (female 47,320; male 50,456)
 65 years and over: 3% (female 2,217; male 2,708) (July 1995 est.)

 Population growth rate: 2.22% (1995 est.)

 Birth rate: 31.26 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Death rate: 9.06 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Infant mortality rate: 66.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

 Life expectancy at birth:
 total population: 59.71 years
 male: 57.9 years
 female: 61.61 years (1995 est.)

 Total fertility rate: 4.14 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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

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

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

 Languages: English (official), French (official), pidgin (known as
 Bislama or Bichelama)

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

 Labor force: NA
 by occupation: NA

@Vanuatu:Government

 Names:
 conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu
 conventional short form: Vanuatu
 former: New Hebrides

 Digraph: NH

 Type: republic

 Capital: Port-Vila

 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 Jean Marie LEYE (since 2 March 1994)
 head of government: Prime Minister Maxime CARLOT Korman (since 16
 December 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Sethy REGENVANU (since 17
 December 1991)
 cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister,
 responsible to parliament

 Legislative branch: unicameral
 Parliament: elections last held 2 December 1991 (next to be held NA
 November 1995); note - after election, a coalition was formed by the
 Union of Moderate Parties and the National United Party to form a new
 government on 16 December 1991, but political party associations are
 fluid; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (46 total) UMP
 19, NUP 10, VP 10, MPP 4, TUP 1, Nagriamel 1, Friend 1
 note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and
 land

 Judicial branch: Supreme Court

 Political parties and leaders: Vanuatu Party (VP), Donald KALPOKAS;
 Union of Moderate Parties (UMP), Maxime CARLOT Korman; Melanesian
 Progressive Party (MPP), Barak SOPE; National United Party (NUP),
 Walter LINI; Tan Union Party (TUP), Vincent BOULEKONE; Nagriamel
 Party, Jimmy STEVENS; Friend Melanesian Party, leader NA; People's
 Democratic Party (PDP), Sethy REGENVANU
 note: the VP, MPP, TUP, and Nagriamel Party have formed a coalition
 called the United Front (UF) heading into the November 1995 elections

 Member of: ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
 IDA, IFC, IFRCS (associate), IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user),
 IOC, ITU, NAM, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
 WHO, WMO

 Diplomatic representation in US: Vanuatu does not have a mission in
 the US

 US diplomatic representation: the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is
 accredited to Vanuatu

 Flag: 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

 Overview: The economy is based primarily on subsistence farming which
 provides a living for about 80% of the population. Fishing and tourism
 are the other mainstays of the economy, with 43,000 visitors in 1992.
 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.

 National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $200 million (1993
 est.)

 National product real growth rate: NA%

 National product per capita: $1,200 (1993 est.)

 Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.3% (1992 est.)

 Unemployment rate: NA%

 Budget:
 revenues: $90 million
 expenditures: $103 million, including capital expenditures of $45
 million (1989 est.)

 Exports: $14.9 million (f.o.b., 1991)
 commodities: copra, beef, cocoa, timber, coffee
 partners: Netherlands, Japan, France, New Caledonia, Belgium

 Imports: $74 million (f.o.b., 1991)
 commodities: machines and vehicles, food and beverages, basic
 manufactures, raw materials and fuels, chemicals
 partners: Australia 36%, Japan 13%, NZ 10%, France 8%, Fiji 8%

 External debt: $40 million (yearend 1992)

 Industrial production: growth rate 8.1% (1990); accounts for about 10%
 of GDP

 Electricity:
 capacity: 17,000 kW
 production: 30 million kWh
 consumption per capita: 181 kWh (1993)

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

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

 Economic aid:
 recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
 commitments (1970-89), $606 million

 Currency: 1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes

 Exchange rates: vatu (VT) per US$1 - 112.42 (December 1994), 116.41
 (1994), 121.58 (1993), 113.39 (1992), 111.68 (1991), 116.57 (1990)

 Fiscal year: calendar year

@Vanuatu:Transportation

 Railroads: 0 km

 Highways:
 total: 1,027 km
 paved: 240 km
 unpaved: 787 km

 Ports: Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)

 Merchant marine:
 total: 116 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,874,698 GRT/2,758,783
 DWT
 ships by type: bulk 52, cargo 18, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk
 1, container 4, liquefied gas tanker 5, livestock carrier 1, oil
 tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 17, vehicle carrier 10
 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes 21 countries among
 which are ships of the US 117, Japan 39, Netherlands 12, China 11, UAE
 6, Greece 6, Canada 6, Hong Kong 4, Russia 2, Australia 2

 Airports:
 total: 31
 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
 with paved runways under 914 m: 17
 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 11

@Vanuatu:Communications

 Telephone system: 3,000 telephones
 local: NA
 intercity: NA
 international: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station

 Radio:
 broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0
 radios: NA

 Television:
 broadcast stations: 0
 televisions: NA

@Vanuatu:Defense Forces

 Branches: no regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF;
 includes the paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force or VMF)

 Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP


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