Vanuatu
Republic of Vanuatu
Capital: Port-Vila (on Efate)
History
Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct language, migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia preceding European exploration in the 18th century. This settlement pattern accounts for the complex linguistic diversity found on the archipelago to this day. The British and French, who settled the New Hebrides in the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in 1980, when the new name of Vanuatu was adopted.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
12,189
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
0
km
|
| Border Countries |
No data |
| Coastline |
2,528
km
|
| Terrain |
mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains |
| Minimum Elevation |
0
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
1,877
m
|
| Climate |
tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October; moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected by cyclones from December to April |
| Natural Resources |
manganese, hardwood forests, fish |
| Arable Land |
1.64% |
| Permanent Crops |
10.25% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$67.4 million |
| Export Items |
copra, beef, cocoa, timber, kava, coffee |
| Export Partners |
Thailand 57.3%, Japan 21.8% (2011) |
| Imports |
$310.2 million |
| Import Items |
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels |
| Import Partners |
China 26.7%, Singapore 21.2%, Australia 13.6%, NZ 7.2%, Fiji 6.7%, Japan 5.4% (2011) |
People
| Population |
261,565 |
| Population Growth |
2.06% |
| Ethnic Groups |
Ni-Vanuatu 98.5%, other 1.5% (1999 Census) |
| Religion |
Protestant 55.6% (Presbyterian 31.4%, Anglican 13.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%), Roman Catholic 13.1%, other Christian 13.8%, indigenous beliefs 5.6% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 9.6%, none 1%, unspecified 1.3% (1999 Census) |
| Life Expectancy |
72.38 years |
| Infant Mortality |
1.01 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
4.2 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
