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

1 (2000)

Internet country code [time series]

.vu

Internet users [time series]

3,000 (2000)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 1 (2002)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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

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

5,500 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

310 (2000)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 (2002)

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]

vatu (VUV)

Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]

VUV

Debt - external [time series]

$68.6 million (2000 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. A severe earthquake in November 1999 followed by a tsunami, caused extensive damage to the northern island of Pentecote and left thousands homeless. Another powerful earthquake in January 2002 caused extensive damage in the capital, Port-Vila, and surrounding areas, and also was followed by a tsunami. GDP growth rose less than 3% on average in the 1990s. In response to foreign concerns, the government has promised to tighten regulation of its offshore financial center. In mid-2002 the government stepped up efforts to boost tourism. Australia and New Zealand are the main suppliers of foreign aid.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

40.42 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production [time series]

43.46 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates [time series]

vatu per US dollar - 139.2 (2002), 145.31 (2001), 137.64 (2000), 129.08 (1999), 127.52 (1998)

Exports [time series]

$22 million f.o.b. (2001)

Exports - commodities [time series]

copra, beef, cocoa, timber, kava, coffee

Exports - partners [time series]

India 32.5%, Thailand 22.8%, South Korea 10.5%, Indonesia 6.3%, Japan 4.9% (2002)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $563 million (2002 est.)

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

agriculture: 26% industry: 12% services: 62% (2000 est.)

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

purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2002 est.)

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

-0.3% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$93 million c.i.f. (2001)

Imports - commodities [time series]

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels

Imports - partners [time series]

Australia 22.1%, Japan 19.2%, New Zealand 10.1%, Singapore 8.1%, Fiji 6.6%, Taiwan 5%, India 5% (2002)

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]

3.2% (2001 est.)

Labor force [time series]

NA

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture 65%, services 30%, industry 5% (2000 est.)

Oil - consumption [time series]

600 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports [time series]

NA (2001)

Oil - imports [time series]

NA (2001)

Oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Area [time series]

total: 12,200 sq km land: 12,200 sq km note: includes more than 80 islands water: 0 sq km

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: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

16 00 S, 167 00 E

Geography - note [time series]

a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 2.46% permanent crops: 7.38% other: 90.16% (1998 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 exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin contiguous zone: 24 NM

Natural hazards [time series]

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

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

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) elections: president elected for a four-year term 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 2 August 2002 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: Father John BANI elected president on second vote (24 March 1999) after the first (17 March 1999) did not have any candidate with the required two-thirds majority; percent of electoral college vote - NA% cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament head of government: Prime Minister Edward Nipake NATAPEI (since 13 April 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Ham LINI (since NA)

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]

parliamentary 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, IOC, ITU, NAM, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

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 2 May 2002 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP 15, VP 14, VRP 3, MPP 2, other and independent 18; note - political party associations are fluid 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]

Jon Frum Movement [Song KEASPAI]; Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP [Barak SOPE]; National United Party or NUP [Dinh Van THAN]; Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanuaaku Party (Our Land Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI]; Vanuatu Republican Party or VRP [Maxime Carlot KORMAN]

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

NA

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; including the paramilitary 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: 34.8% (male 35,499; female 33,992) 15-64 years: 61.8% (male 63,021; female 60,149) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 3,605; female 3,148) (2003 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

24.26 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate [time series]

8.13 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

indigenous Melanesian 98%, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, other Pacific Islanders

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

NA

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 58.11 deaths/1,000 live births female: 55.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 60.76 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages [time series]

three official languages: English, French, pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama), plus more than 100 local languages

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 61.71 years male: 60.28 years female: 63.21 years (2003 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Median age [time series]

total: 21.9 years male: 22 years female: 21.8 years (2002)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Population [time series]

199,414 (July 2003 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.61% (2003 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% (including Jon Frum Cargo cult)

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: 1.15 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.98 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Disputes - international [time series]

Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by Vanuatu and France

Airports [time series]

30 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1524 to 2437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 27 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 17 (2002)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 1,070 km paved: 256 km unpaved: 814 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,181,463 GRT/1,552,813 DWT ships by type: bulk 26, cargo 5, combination bulk 3, container 3, liquefied gas 2, multi-function large-load carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 7, vehicle carrier 5 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 3, Canada 2, China 1, Japan 25, Monaco 4, Netherlands 1, NZ 5, Panama 1, Poland 1, Switzerland 2, UK 4, US 2, Vietnam 1 (2002 est.)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)

Railways [time series]

0 km

Waterways [time series]

none