80 islands

_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Connecticut

_#_Land boundary: none

_#_Coastline: 2,528 km

_#_Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);

Contiguous zone: 24 nm;

Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

_#_Climate: tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds

_#_Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

_#_Natural resources: manganese, hardwood forests, fish

_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures
2%; forest and woodland 1%; other 91%

_#_Environment: subject to tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to
April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes

_#_Note: located 5,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific
Ocean about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and Australia

_*_People
_#_Population: 170,319 (July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 36 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 36 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 72 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 5.4 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural);
adjective--Ni-Vanuatu

_#_Ethnic divisions: indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, remainder
Vietnamese, Chinese, and various Pacific Islanders

_#_Religion: Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Catholic 15%,
indigenous beliefs 7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ
3.8%, other 15.7%

_#_Language: English and French (official); pidgin (known as Bislama
or Bichelama)

_#_Literacy: 53% (male 57%, female 48%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1979)

_#_Labor force: NA

_#_Organized labor: 7 registered trade unions--largest include Oil
and Gas Workers' Union, Vanuatu Airline Workers' Union

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: Republic of Vanuatu

_#_Type: republic

_#_Capital: Port-Vila

_#_Administrative divisions: 11 island councils; Ambrym, Aoba/Maewo,
Banks/Torres, Efate, Epi, Malakula, Paama, Pentecote, Santo/Malo,
Shepherd, Tafea

_#_Independence: 30 July 1980 (from France and UK; formerly New
Hebrides)

_#_Constitution: 30 July 1980

_#_Legal system: unified system being created from