former dual French
and British systems

_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
(cabinet)

_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament; note--the National
Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land

_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State--President Frederick TIMAKATA (since 30 January
1989);

Head of Government--Prime Minister Father Walter Hadye LINI (since
30 July 1980); Deputy Prime Minister (vacant)

_#_Political parties and leaders:
National Party (Vanua'aku Pati), Donald KALPOKAS;
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
by November 1991); byelections were held in 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: ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, NAM, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNIDO,
UPU, WFTU, 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: $137 million, per capita $860; real growth rate 4.3% (1989
est.)

_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.8% (1989 est.)

_#_Unemployment rate: NA%

_#_Budget: revenues $90.0 million; expenditures $103.0 million,
including capital expenditures of $45.0 million (1989 est.)