hiefs advises on matters of custom and
land

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice is appointed by the
president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of
the opposition, three other justices are appointed by the president on
the advice of the Judicial Service Commission

Political parties and leaders: Union of Moderate Parties (UMP), Serge
VOHOR; National United Party (NUP), Walter LINI; Vanuatu Party (VP),
Donald KALPOKAS; Melanesian Progressive Party (MPP), Barak SOPE; Tan
Union (TU), Vincent BOULEKONE; Na-Griamel Movement, Frankie STEVENS;
Friend Melanesian Party, Albert RAVUTIA; John Frum Movement, leader
NA; Vanuatu Republican Party, Maxime Carlot KORMAN

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NAM, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US: Vanuatu does not have an embassy
in the US

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy
in Vanuatu; the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to
Vanuatu

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

@Vanuatu:Economy

Economy-overview: The economy is based primarily on subsistence or
small-scale agriculture which provides a living for 65% of the
population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with
46,000 visitors in 1996, are 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. Economic development is hindered by
dependence on relatively few commodity exports, vulnerability to
natural disasters, and long distances from main markets and between
constituent islands.

GDP: purchasing power parity-$231 million (1996 est.)

GDP-real growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)

GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$1,300 (1996 est.)

GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 23%
industry: 13%
services: 64% (1996)

Inflat