Vanuatu, an archipelago of approximately 83
islands is situated in the South-western
Pacific Ocean, about 1,750 kilometers east
of Australia and 500 kilometers northeast of
New Caledonia. The Republic of Vanuatu lies
between latitude 13degrees south and
23degrees south and longitude 166 degrees
east and 172degrees east. The total land
area is approximately 14,700 square
kilometers and the territorial waters cover
450,000 square kilometers.
The climate varies considerably from
tropical to subtropical according to
exposure to trade winds and elevation. The
north is wetter and more humid than the
south. The average midday temperature in
Port Vila is 29 degrees C. in summer and 25
degrees C. in winter. Rainfall is about 235
centimeters (90 inches) annually. Both the
climate and arable soils are very conducive
to the development of land and livestock
husbandry.
The total population of Vanuatu is estimated
to be more than 300,000 people. About 95% of
the population is indigenous known as
"Ni-Vanuatu". The other segment of the
population includes people of different
nationalities, such as Australians, New
Zealanders, Europeans, Asians and other
Pacific Islanders. Over 20% live in the two
large cities of Port Vila and Luganville.
More than 40,000 people live in the capital
city of Port Vila.
Vanuatu or New
Hebrides as it was known in the condominium
days has been inhabited for over 4000 years
was discovered by Europeans in May 1606 by
the Spanish Explorer Captain, Pedro
Fernandez de Quiros. After de Quiros
followed Captain James Cook in 1774, French
and English missionaries, traders, and black
birders who took local people as slaves to
work in the Sugar cane plantations in
Queensland, Australia. Most of these people
never returned home.
After some 74
years of joint "Condominium" rule between
Britain and France, Vanuatu finally received
its independence on the 30th July 1980. On
December 1994, the 11 Local Government
Councils were changed into 6 provinces,
giving them more autonomy to decide on what
is best for their people, though still under
the rule of the national Government.
The Republic of Vanuatu is an
independent parliamentary democracy, with 52
members of Parliament, for which general
elections are held every 4 years. The most
recent national election was held in July
2004.
The head of state is the
President of the Republic, who is elected
for a period of five years by an electoral
college consisting of Members of Parliament
and the Presidents of the Provincial
Councils. The current President of the
Republic of Vanuatu was elected in August
2004.
The Prime Minister and the 12
co-members of the council of ministers
oversee the administration of Vanuatu's 13
government ministries.
The Constitution provides for
executive and legislative arms of
government, and the judiciary. The President
is Vanuatu's Head of State.
The judiciary consists of the
Supreme Court with a Chief Justice and a
Magistrates Court. The highest court is the
Court of Appeal.
Vanuatu is a full member of
the British Commonwealth, the French League
of Nations, the United Nations, Agence de
Co-operation Culturelle et Technique, the
South Pacific Bureau for Economic
Co-operation (SPEC), the Secretariat of the
Pacific Community, the World Bank and the
Asian Development Bank.
