Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

2 (1999)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios [time series]

62,000 (1997)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

2,500 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

121 (1995)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 (1997)

Televisions [time series]

2,000 (1997)

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $94.4 million expenditures: $99.8 million, including capital expenditures of $30.4 million (1996 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes

Debt - external [time series]

$48 million (1997 est.)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$45.8 million (1995)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

The economy is based primarily on subsistence or small-scale agriculture which provides a living for 65% of the population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with about 50,000 visitors in 1997, are 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. Economic development is hindered by dependence on relatively few commodity exports, vulnerability to natural disasters, and long distances from main markets and between constituent islands. The most recent natural disaster, a severe earthquake in November 1999 followed by a tsunami, caused extensive damage to the northern island of Pentecote and left thousands homeless.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

30 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production [time series]

32 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1998)

Exchange rates [time series]

vatu (VT) per US$1 - 129.76 (December 1999), 129.08 (1999), 127.52 (1998), 115.87 (1997), 111.72 (1996), 112.11 (1995)

Exports [time series]

$33.8 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities [time series]

copra, beef, cocoa, timber, coffee

Exports - partners [time series]

Japan 32%, Germany 14%, Spain 8%, New Caledonia 7%, Australia 2% (1997 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $245 million (1999 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 24% industry: 13% services: 63% (1997 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $1,300 (1999 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$76.2 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports - commodities [time series]

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels

Imports - partners [time series]

Japan 52%, Australia 20%, New Caledonia, Singapore, New Zealand, France, Fiji (1997 est.)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

1% (1997 est.)

Industries [time series]

food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

3.9% (1998 est.)

Labor force [time series]

NA

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture 65%, services 32%, industry 3% (1995 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Area [time series]

total: 14,760 sq km land: 14,760 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes more than 80 islands

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly larger than Connecticut

Climate [time series]

tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds

Coastline [time series]

2,528 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

a majority of the population does not have access to a potable and reliable supply of water; deforestation

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

16 00 S, 167 00 E

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 2% permanent crops: 10% permanent pastures: 2% forests and woodland: 75% other: 11% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Oceania

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Natural hazards [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Terrain [time series]

mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

Administrative divisions [time series]

6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Torba

Capital [time series]

Port-Vila

Constitution [time series]

30 July 1980

Country name [time series]

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

Data code [time series]

NH

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US, it does, however, have a Permanent Mission to the UN

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Father John BANI (since 25 March 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Barak SOPE (since 25 November 1999); Deputy Prime Minister Stanley REGINALD (since 25 November 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils for a five-year term; election for president last held 25 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime minister last held 6 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: Father John BANI elected president; percent of electoral college vote - NA; Barak SOPE elected prime minister by Parliament with a total of 28 votes; other candidate, Edward NATAPEI, received 24 votes note: as a result of legislative elections in March 1998, Donald KALPOKAS was elected prime minister and the VP formed a coalition government with the NUP; in November 1999, KALPOKAS, facing strong opposition and the threat of a no confidence vote, resigned; Barak SOPE was elected prime minister in his place and a coalition government was formed

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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

Government type [time series]

republic

Independence [time series]

30 July 1980 (from France and UK)

International organization participation [time series]

ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NAM, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court, chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, three other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission

Legal system [time series]

unified system being created from former dual French and British systems

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 6 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - VP 18, UMP 12, NUP 11, other and independent 11; note - political party associations are fluid; there have been four changes of government since the November 1995 elections note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Friend Melanesian Party [Albert RAVUTIA]; John Frum Movement [leader NA]; Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP [Barak SOPE]; Na-Griamel Movement [Frankie STEVENS]; National United Party or NUP [Willie TITONGOA]; Tan Union or TU [Vincent BOULEKONE]; Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanuatu Party or VP [Donald KALPOKAS]; Vanuatu Republican Party [Maxime Carlot KORMAN]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Background [time series]

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.

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$NA

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

NA%

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 37% (male 35,934; female 34,404) 15-64 years: 60% (male 58,155; female 55,156) 65 years and over: 3% (male 3,228; female 2,741) (2000 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

25.93 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate [time series]

8.52 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, Vietnamese, Chinese, Pacific Islanders

Infant mortality rate [time series]

62.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 60.57 years male: 59.23 years female: 61.98 years (2000 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population [time series]

189,618 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.74% (2000 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.18 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.29 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Disputes - international [time series]

claims Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Airports [time series]

32 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 29 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 17 (1999 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 1,070 km paved: 256 km unpaved: 814 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 78 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,266,634 GRT/1,618,877 DWT ships by type: bulk 27, cargo 24, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 2, container 1, liquified gas 4, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 9, vehicle carrier 6 (1999 est.) note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 15 countries among which are ships of Japan 28, India 10, US 10, Greece 3, Hong Kong 3, Australia 2, Canada 1, China 1, and France 1 (1998 est.)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)

Railways [time series]

0 km