Airports [time series]

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

Civil air [time series]

no major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

Port-Vila, Luganville, Palikoulo, Santu

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

none

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

no military forces; Vanuatu Police Force, paramilitary force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

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

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

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

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

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

Electricity [time series]

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

Exchange rates [time series]

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)

Exports [time series]

$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)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$30 million (1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$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)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA%

Industries [time series]

food and fish freezing, forestry processing, meat canning

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

7.8% (1989 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Climate [time series]

tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds

Coastline [time series]

2,528 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than Connecticut

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Land boundaries (Land boundary) [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

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

Maritime claims [time series]

(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

Natural resources [time series]

manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

Area (Total area) [time series]

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

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Port-Vila

Constitution [time series]

30 July 1980

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Vanuatu does not have a mission in Washington; US--the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court 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) National Party (Vanua'aku Pati), Donald KALPOKAS; Union of Moderate Parties, Maxine CARLOT; Melanesian Progressive Party, Barak SOPE

Legal system [time series]

unified system being created from former dual French and British systems

Legislative branch [time series]

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

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Vanuatu

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 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

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Birth rate [time series]

36 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

36 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

NA

Languages (Language) [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

67 years male, 72 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

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

Population [time series]

170,319 (July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.4 children born/woman (1991)