1986 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1986 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Agriculture
export crops of copra, cocoa, coffee, some livestock and fish production; subsistence crops of copra, taro, yams
Area
About 14,763 km2; about the size of Connecticut; over 80 islands Water
Branch
unicameral legislature (39-member Parliament), elected November 1983
Capital
Port-Vila
Coastline
about 2,528 km People
Electric power
10,000 kW capacity (1985); 20 million kWh produced (1985), ISUkWh per capita
Ethnic divisions
90% indigenous Melanesian; 8% French; remainder Vietnamese, Chinese, and various Pacific Islanders
Exports
$44 million (1984); 24% copra, 59% frozen fish, meat
Fishing
catch, 2,470 metric tons (1983)
GDP
$77 million (1984), average annual growth rate 5.0% (1985 est.)
Government leader
Father Walter Hadye LINI, Prime Minister (since 1980) Political parties and leaders: National Party (Vanuaaku Pati), Walter Lini, chairman
Language
English and French (official); pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama)
Legal system
unified system being created from former dual French and British systems
Life expectancy
55
Limits of territorial waters
12 nm (200 nm exclusive economic zone); maritime limits measured from claimed "archipelagic baselines," which generally connect the outermost points of outer islands or drying reefs
Literacy
probably 10-20% Government
Major industries
fish-freezing, canneries, tourism
Member of
ADB, Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, ITU, NAM, SPF, UN, WHO, WMO Economy
Nationality
noun — Vanuatuan(s); adjective— Vanuatuan
Natural resources
manganese, hardwood forests, cattle
Official name
Republic of Vanuatu
Political subdivisions
four administrative districts
Population
136, 000 (July 1986), average annual growth rate 3.2%
Religion
most at least nominally Christian
Type
republic, formerly Anglo-French condominium of New Hebrides, independent 30 July 1980