ister Father Walter Hadye LINI (since
30 July 1980); Deputy Prime Minister (vacant)

Political parties and leaders: National Party (Vanua'aku Pati),
Walter Lini; Union of Moderate Parties, Maxine Carlot;
Melanesian Progressive Party, Barak Sope

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections:
Parliament--last held 30 November 1987 (next to be held NA);
byelections were held NA December 1988 to fill vacancies resulting from
the expulsion of opposition members for boycotting sessions;
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(46 total) National Party 26, Union of Moderate Parties 19,
independent 1

Member of: ACP, ADB, Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC,
IMF, ITU, NAM, SPF, UN, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation: Vanuatu does not have a mission in
Washington;
US--the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu

Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green (bottom) with a
black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a
black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two
points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle);
centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed
namele leaves, all in yellow

- Economy
Overview: The economy is based primarily on subsistence farming that
provides a living for about 80% of the population. Fishing and tourism are the
other mainstays of the economy. Mineral deposits are negligible; the country has
no known petroleum deposits. A small light-industry sector caters to the local
market. Tax revenues come mainly from import duties.

GDP: $120 million, per capita $820; real growth rate 0.7% (1987 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.0% (1988 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues $80.1 million; expenditures $86.6 million, including
capital expenditures of $27.1 million (1988 est.)

Exports: $16 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--copra 37%,
cocoa 11%, meat 9%, fish 8%, timber 4%; partners--Netherlands 34%, France
27%, Japan 17%, Belgium 4%, New Caledonia 3%, Singapore 2% (1987)

Imports: $58 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--machines and
vehicles 25%, food and beverages 23%, basic manufactures 18%, raw materials and
fuels 11%, chemicals 6%;
partners--Australia 36%, Japan 13%, NZ 10%, France 8%, Fiji 5% (1987)

External debt: $57 million (1988)

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity: 10,000 kW capacity; 20 million kWh produced,