231 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
231 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
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VANUATU
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 14,760 km2; land area: 14,760 km2; includes more
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than 80 islands
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Comparative area: slightly larger than Connecticut
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Land boundary: none
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Coastline: 2,528 km
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Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
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Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
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Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate: tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds
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Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains
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Natural resources: manganese, hardwood forests, fish
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Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures
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2%; forest and woodland 1%; other 91%
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Environment: subject to tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to
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April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes
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Note: located 5,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific
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Ocean about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and Australia
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PEOPLE
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Population: 170,319 (July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)
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Birth rate: 36 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 36 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 72 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 5.4 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural);
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adjective--Ni-Vanuatu
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Ethnic divisions: indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, remainder
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Vietnamese, Chinese, and various Pacific Islanders
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Religion: Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Catholic 15%,
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indigenous beliefs 7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ
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3.8%, other 15.7%
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Language: English and French (official); pidgin (known as Bislama
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or Bichelama)
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Literacy: 53% (male 57%, female 48%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1979)
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Labor force: NA
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Organized labor: 7 registered trade unions--largest include Oil
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and Gas Workers' Union, Vanuatu Airline Workers' Union
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Republic of Vanuatu
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Type: republic
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Capital: Port-Vila
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Administrative divisions: 11 island councils; Ambrym, Aoba/Maewo,
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Banks/Torres, Efate, Epi, Malakula, Paama, Pentecote, Santo/Malo,
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Shepherd, Tafea
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Independence: 30 July 1980 (from France and UK; formerly New
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Hebrides)
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Constitution: 30 July 1980
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Legal system: unified system being created from former dual French
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and British systems
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National holiday: Independence Day, 30 July (1980)
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Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
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(cabinet)
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Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament; note--the National
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Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--President Frederick TIMAKATA (since 30 January
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1989);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister Father Walter Hadye LINI (since
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30 July 1980); Deputy Prime Minister (vacant)
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Political parties and leaders:
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National Party (Vanua'aku Pati), Donald KALPOKAS;
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Union of Moderate Parties, Maxine CARLOT;
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Melanesian Progressive Party, Barak SOPE
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Suffrage: universal at age 18
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Elections:
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Parliament--last held 30 November 1987 (next to be held
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by November 1991); byelections were held in December 1988 to fill
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vacancies resulting from the expulsion of opposition members for
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boycotting sessions; results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(46 total)
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National Party 26, Union of Moderate Parties 19, independent 1
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Member of: ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
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ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, NAM, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNIDO,
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UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
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Diplomatic representation: Vanuatu does not have a mission in
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Washington;
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US--the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu
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Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green (bottom)
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with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated
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by a black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the
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two points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle);
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centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed
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namele leaves, all in yellow
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ECONOMY
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Overview: The economy is based primarily on subsistence farming
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that provides a living for about 80% of the population. Fishing and
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tourism are the other mainstays of the economy. Mineral deposits are
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negligible; the country has no known petroleum deposits. A small
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light industry sector caters to the local market. Tax revenues come
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mainly from import duties.
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GDP: $137 million, per capita $860; real growth rate 4.3% (1989
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est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.8% (1989 est.)
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Unemployment rate: NA%
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Budget: revenues $90.0 million; expenditures $103.0 million,
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including capital expenditures of $45.0 million (1989 est.)
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Exports: $14.5 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
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commodities--copra 59%, cocoa 11%, meat 9%, fish 8%, timber 4%;
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partners--Netherlands 34%, France 27%, Japan 17%, Belgium 4%, New
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Caledonia 3%, Singapore 2% (1987)
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Imports: $58.4 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
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commodities--machines and vehicles 25%, food and beverages 23%,
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basic manufactures 18%, raw materials and fuels 11%, chemicals 6%;
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partners--Australia 36%, Japan 13%, NZ 10%, France 8%, Fiji 5%
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(1987)
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External debt: $30 million (1990 est.)
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Industrial production: growth rate NA%
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Electricity: 17,000 kW capacity; 30 million kWh produced,
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180 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: food and fish freezing, forestry processing, meat
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canning
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Agriculture: export crops--copra, cocoa, coffee, and fish;
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subsistence crops--copra, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, and vegetables
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Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
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commitments (1970-88), $565 million
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Currency: vatu (plural--vatu); 1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes
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Exchange rates: vatu (VT) per US$1--109.62 (January 1991), 116.57
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(1990), 116.04 (1989), 104.43 (1988), 109.85 (1987), 106.08 (1986),
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106.03 (1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: none
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Highways: 1,027 km total; at least 240 km sealed or all-weather
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roads
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Ports: Port-Vila, Luganville, Palikoulo, Santu
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Merchant marine: 129 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,242,850
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GRT/3,447,671 DWT; includes 33 cargo, 13 refrigerated cargo, 8 container,
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11 vehicle carrier, 1 livestock carrier, 5 petroleum, oils, and
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lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 55 bulk,
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1 combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry; the USSR
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has 2 ships under the Vanuatu flag
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Civil air: no major transport aircraft
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Airports: 32 total, 28 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with
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runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: stations--2 AM, no FM, no TV; 3,000 telephones;
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satellite communications ground stations--1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: no military forces; Vanuatu Police Force, paramilitary
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force
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 41,183; NA fit for military
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service
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Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
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