necticut
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
2,528 km
Maritime claims:
(measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)
Contiguous zone:
24 nm
Continental shelf:
edge of continental margin or 200 nm
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds
Terrain:
mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains
Natural resources:
manganese, hardwood forests, fish
Land use:
arable land 1%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and
woodland 1%; other 91%
Environment:
subject to tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism
causes minor earthquakes
Note:
located 5,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about
three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and Australia

:Vanuatu People

Population:
174,574 (July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
35 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
30 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
67 years male, 72 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
5.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural); adjective - Ni-Vanuatu
Ethnic divisions:
indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, remainder Vietnamese, Chinese, and
various Pacific Islanders
Religions:
Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Catholic 15%, indigenous beliefs 7.6%,
Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ 3.8%, other 15.7%
Languages:
English and French (official); pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama)
Literacy:
53% (male 57%, female 48%) age 15 and over can read and write (1979)
Labor force:
NA
Organized labor:
7 registered trade unions - largest include Oil and Gas Workers' Union,
Vanuatu Airline Workers' Union

:Vanuatu Government

Long-form name:
Republic of Vanuatu
Type:
republic
Capital:
Port-Vila
Administrative divisions:
11 island councils; Ambrym, Aoba/Maewo, Banks/Torres, Efate, Epi, Malakula,
Paama, Pentecote, Santo/Malo, Shepherd, Tafea
Independence:
30 July 1980 (from France and UK; formerly New Hebrides)
Constitution:
30 July 1980
Legal system:
unified system being created from former dual French and British syste