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