Background: The British and French, who settled in the New Hebrides in the 19th century, formed a joint Anglo-French colonial possession in 1906, which existed until independence in 1980.
Geography
Location: Oceania, a group of islands in the South Pacific, three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia.
Geographical coordinates: 16° 00′ S. latitude, 167° 00′ E
Reference map: Oceania.
Area: total: 12,200 km2; land surface area: 12,200 km2; water surface area: 0 km2; note: includes over 80 islands.
Comparative area: slightly larger than the state of Connecticut.
Land borders: 0 km.
Coastline: 2,528 km.
Maritime claims: measured from the declared boundaries of the archipelago; neutral waters: 24 nautical miles; continental shelf: 200 nautical miles or to the outer limits of the continent; exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles; territorial waters: 12 nautical miles.
Climate: tropical; moderated by the southeast trade winds.
Terrain: mountainous islands of volcanic origin, with narrow coastal plains.
Maximum and minimum heights: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: Mount Tabwemasana1 877 m.
Natural resources: manganese, hardwood, fish.
Land use: arable land: 2%; cultivated land: 10%; pastures: 2%; forests and plantations: 75%; others: 11% (1993 est.).
Irrigated lands: no data.
Natural hazards: tropical cyclones or typhoons (January-April); volcanic activity causes minor earthquakes.
Actual environmental problems: most of the population is not provided with a reliable supply of drinking water; reduction in forest area.
International environmental agreements: member: Biodiversity, Climate change, Desertification, Endangered species, Law of the sea, Marine pollution, Ozone layer protection, Ship pollution, Tropical timber 94; signed but not ratified: no.
Population
Population: 192,910 people (July 2001 est.).
Age structure: under 14: 36.35% (male 35,822; female 34,299); 15 to 64 years old: 60.43% (male 59,764; female 56,808); over 65: 3.22% (male 3,348; female 2,869) (2001 est.).
Population growth: 1.7% (2001 est.).
Birth rate: 25.4 newborns / 1000 people. (2001 est.).
Mortality: 8.38 deaths / 1000 people. (2001 est.).
Migration: 0 people /1000 people (2001 est.).
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male/female; under 15: 1.04 male/female; 15 to 64 years old: 1.05 male/female; over 65: 1.17 male/female; for the general population: 1.05 male/female (2001 est.);
Child mortality: 61.05 deaths/1000 births (2001 est.).
Life expectancy: for the general population: 60.95 years; men: 59.58 years; women: 62.39 years (2001 est.).
General birth rate: 3.19 children/wives. (2001 est.).
Proportion of the adult population infected with HIV: no data available.
Number of people infected with HIV: no data.
Mortality due to AIDS: no data available.
Nationality: noun: resident of Vanuatu; adjective: Vanuatu.
Ethnic groups: local Melanesians 94%, French 4%, Vietnamese, Chinese, Pacific Islanders.
Believers: Presbyterians 36.7%, Anglicans 15%, Roman Catholics 15%, Native faiths 7.6%, Seventh-day Adventists 6.2%, Church of Christ 3.8%, other 15.7%.
Language(s): English (official), French (official), Pidgin Ingpish (known as Bislama).
Literacy: definition: persons aged 15 and over who can read and write; for the general population: 53%; men: 57%; women: 48% (1979 est.). State Name:
Politics
conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu;
conventional short form: Vanuatu; former: New Hebrides.
State structure: republic. See politicsezine.com to know more about Vanuatu Political System.
Capital: Port Vila.
Administrative division: 6 provinces: Ma-lampa, Penama, Sanma, Tafeya, Torba, Shefa.
Independence: from July 30, 1980 (until 1980 – a joint Anglo-French colonial possession).
National holiday: Independence Day, 30 July (1980).
Constitution: adopted July 30, 1980.
Legal system: a unified system based on the French and English legal systems.
Suffrage: from 18 years old; universal.
chief of state: President Father John BANI (since 25 March 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Edward NATAPEI (since 16 April 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Serge VOHOR since (16 April 2001);
Government: the council of ministers is appointed by the prime minister and is responsible to parliament; elections: the president is elected by the Electoral College, consisting of parliament and presidents of regional councils, for 5 years; presidential elections last held 25 March 1999 (next to be held in 2003); after parliamentary elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by parliament; prime ministerial elections last held 6 March 1998 (next to be held in 2002); election results: John BANY elected president; percentage of Electoral College votes:] n.a.; Barack SOPE elected Prime Minister with 28 votes; another candidate, Ezvard NATAPEI, received 24 votes; note: Prime Minister I Barak SOPE’s government resigned in a vote of no confidence on April 14, 2001.
Legislature: unicameral parliament (52 seats; members are elected by universal suffrage for 4 years); elections: last 6 March 1998 (next j to be held in 2002); election results: distribution of votes between parties – no data; party members: VP18, UMP 12, NUP 11, others and independents 11; schzh-] tag —alliances of political parties are unstable; there were five changes of government in November 1995; note: The People’s Council of Chiefs gives advice on j customs and land management.
Judiciary: Supreme Court, Chief Justice appointed by the President after consultation with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, < three other judges appointed by the President on | Council of the Commission on Legal Affairs.
Political parties and leaders:
Political pressure groups and their leaders: Melanesian Progressive Party (MPP) (Barak SOPE); -1 National United Party (NUP) (Willie TITONGOA); Union of Moderate Parties (UMP) (Serge VOHOR); Our Land Party (Vanuaaku Party) (VP) (Edward NATAPEI); Republican Party of Vanuatu (Maxime Carlot] KORMAN [Maxime Carlot KORMAN]).
Participation in international organizations: ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ‘ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IM0, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NAM, Sparteca, j SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDOJ UNMIBH, UNTAET, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO j (observer).
Diplomatic representation in the USA: Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the USA, but there is a permanent mission to the UN.
US Diplomatic Mission: I There is no US embassy in Vanuatu; Ambassador : US to Papua New Guinea accredited to Vanuatu.
Description of the flag: two equal horizontal stripes of red (top) and green with a black isosceles triangle (whose base is the left side of the flag) separated by a yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (two branches of the Y facing the left side of the flag and bordering the triangle), bordered in black; in the center of the triangle is a boar’s tusk surrounding two intersecting leaves, all yellow.
