Vanuatu

Vanuatu

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Ripablik blong Vanuatu/République de Vanuatu/Republic of Vanuatu Area 14,800 sq km/5,714 sq mi Capital Port-Vila (on Efate island) (and chief port) Language Bislama (82%), English, French (all official) Religion Christian 80%, animist about 8% Time difference GMT +11 Major holidays 1 January, 5 March, 1 May, 30 July 15 August, 25–26 December; variable: Ascension, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Constitution (October), Unity (November)


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Luganville (on Espíritu Santo) Major ports Santo Physical features comprises around 70 inhabited islands, including Espíritu Santo, Malekula, and Efate; densely forested, mountainous; three active volcanoes; cyclones on average twice a year Airports three international airports and 26 small domestic airports and airstrips; total passengers carried: 97,000 (2001 est) Railways none Roads total road network: 1,070 km/665 mi, of which 23.9% paved (1999 est); passenger cars: 35.7 per 1,000 people (1998)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Kalkot Mataskelekele from 2004 Head of government Ham Lini from 2004 Political system liberal democracy Political executive parliamentary Administrative divisions six provinces Political parties Union of Moderate Parties (UMP), Francophone centrist; National United Party (NUP), formed by Walter Lini; Vanua'aku Pati (VP), Anglophone centrist; Melanesian Progressive Party (MPP), Melanesian centrist; Fren Melanesian Party, Death penalty laws do not provide for the death penalty for any crime Armed forces no standing defence force; paramilitary force of about 300 and police naval service of about 50 (2006 est) Education spend (% GDP) 6.3 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 2.9 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency vatu GDP (US$) 341 million (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 3 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 338 million (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 3,170 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 2.3% (2006 est) Labour force 35% agriculture, 4% industry, 61% services, (2003) Foreign debt (US$) 90 million (2004 est) Major trading partners EU, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Fiji Islands, Singapore Resources manganese; gold, copper, and large deposits of petroleum have been discovered but have hitherto remained unexploited Industries processing of agricultural products (chiefly copra, meat canning, fish freezing, saw milling), soft drinks, building materials, furniture, aluminium, tourism, offshore banking, shipping registry Exports coconut oil, copra, kava, beef, cocoa, shells. Principal market: Australia 12.1% (2004) Imports machinery and transport equipment, food and live animals, basic manufactures, miscellaneous manufactured articles, mineral fuels, chemicals, beverages, tobacco. Principal source: Australia 42.5% (2005) Arable land 1.6% (2006 est) Agricultural products coconuts and copra, cocoa, coffee, yams, taro, cassava, breadfruit, squash and other vegetables, bananas; livestock rearing (cattle, pigs, goats, and poultry); forest resources


POPULATION

Population 215,400 (2006 est) Population growth rate 3.6% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 15 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 24 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 40%, 15–59 55%, 60+ 5% (2005 est) Ethnic groups 94% Melanesian, 4% European or mixed European, 2% Vietnamese, Chinese, or other Pacific islanders Life expectancy 68 (men); 72 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 40 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 7 Literacy rate 54% (men); 23% (women) (1995 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 1.1 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 3.1 (2003 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 85(urban); 52 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 3.2 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 5.8 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 350 (1997 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 13 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 1.4 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 3.8 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

1606 First visited by Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernandez de Queiras, who named the islands Espirítu Santo. 1774 Visited by British navigator Capt James Cook, who named them the New Hebrides, after the Scottish islands. 1830s European merchants attracted to islands by sandalwood trade. Christian missionaries arrived, but many were attacked by the indigenous Melanesians who, in turn, were ravaged by exposure to European diseases. later 19th century Britain and France disputed control; islanders were shipped to Australia, the Fiji Islands, Samoa, and New Caledonia to work as plantation labourers. 1906 The islands were jointly administered by France and Britain as the Condominium of the New Hebrides. 1963 Indigenous Na-Griamel (NG) political grouping formed on Espíritu Santo to campaign against European acquisition of more than a third of the land area. 1975 Representative assembly established following pressure from Vanua'aku Pati (VP), formed in 1972 by English-speaking Melanesian Protestants. 1978 Government of national unity formed, with Father Gerard Leymang as chief minister. 1980 Revolt on island of Espíritu Santo by French settlers and pro-NG plantation workers delayed independence; but it was achieved within the Commonwealth, with George Kalkoa (adopted name Sokomanu) as president and left-of-centre Father Walter Lini (VP) as prime minister. 1988 Dismissal of Lini by Sokomanu led to Sokomanu's arrest for treason; Lini later reinstated. 1991 Lini was voted out by party members; replaced by Donald Kalpokas. General election produced coalition government of Francophone Union of Moderate Parties (UMP) and Lini's new National United Party (NUP) under Maxime Carlot Korman. 1993 Cyclone caused extensive damage. 1995 Governing UMP–NUP coalition won general election; Serge Vohor of VP-dominated Unity Front became prime minister. 1996 VP, led by Donald Kalpokas, joined governing coalition. 1997 Prime Minister Vohor formed new coalition. Legislature dissolved; new elections called after no-confidence vote against Vohor. 1998 Two-week state of emergency followed rioting in capital. 1999 John Bernard Bani elected president, and Barak Sope elected prime minister. 2001 Edward Natapei became prime minister. 2002 Public Health Director, Myriam Abel, became first female Pacific Islander elected to World Health Organization's executive. 2003 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development removed Vanuatu from list of uncooperative tax havens. 2004 Elections called after governing coalition lost majority. Serge Vohor elected prime minister; controversy over his attempt to initiate diplomatic relations with Taiwan led to his replacement by Ham Lini following vote of confidence. 2005 Ambae's active volcano, Mount Manaro, began discharging steam and ash, causing evacuation of thousands of people. 2007 Clashes in capital between islanders from Ambrym and Tanna, reportedly over allegations of witchcraft, left three people dead; state of emergency declared.


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