; tsunamis

Environment - current issues:
a majority of the population does not have access to a potable and
reliable supply of water; deforestation

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands;
several of the islands have active volcanoes

People Vanuatu

Population:
202,609 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.1% (male 35,281; female 33,785)
15-64 years: 62.4% (male 64,669; female 61,829)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 3,740; female 3,305) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 22.3 years
male: 22.3 years
female: 22.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.57% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
23.67 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
8.02 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 56.63 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 53.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 59.25 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.1 years
male: 60.64 years
female: 63.63 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.87 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)
adjective: Ni-Vanuatu

Ethnic groups:
indigenous Melanesian 98%, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, other
Pacific Islanders

Religions:
Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Roman Catholic 15%, indigenous
beliefs 7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ 3.8%,
other 15.7% (including Jon Frum Cargo cult)

Languages:
three official languages: English, French, pidgin (known as Bislama
or Bichelama), plus more than 100 local languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: