Vanuatu
|
| Basic Facts |
| Country name |
conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu
conventional short form: Vanuatu local long form: Ripablik blong Vanuatu local short form: Vanuatu former: New Hebrides |
| Gevernment type | parliamentary republic |
| Capital |
name: Port-Vila (on Efate)
geographic coordinates: 17 44 S, 168 19 E time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Flag description | two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green 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 |
| Currency | vatu (VUV) |
| Internet country code | .vu |
| Ports and terminals | Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo) |
| Agriculture products | copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, fruits, vegetables; beef; fish |
| Industries | food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning |
| Geography |
| Location | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia |
| Coordinates | 16 00 S, 167 00 E |
| Continent | Oceania |
| Area |
total: 12,200 sq km
land: 12,200 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited |
| Boundaries | 0 km |
| Coastline | 2,528 km |
| 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 |
| Terrain | mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains |
| Natural resources | manganese, hardwood forests, fish |
| Natural hazards | tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanic eruption on Aoba (Ambae) island began 27 November 2005, volcanism also causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis |
| People |
| Population | 208,869 (July 2006 est.) |
| Ethnic groups | Ni-Vanuatu 98.5%, other 1.5% (1999 Census) |
| Religions | Presbyterian 31.4%, Anglican 13.4%, Roman Catholic 13.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, other Christian 13.8%, indigenous beliefs 5.6% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 9.6%, none 1%, unspecified 1.3% (1999 Census) |
| Languages | local languages (more than 100) 72.6%, pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama) 23.1%, English 1.9%, French 1.4%, other 0.3%, unspecified 0.7% (1999 Census) |
