Vanuatu (2002) | Saint Lucia (2007) | |
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Administrative divisions | 6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Torba | 11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 35.6% (male 35,681; female 34,164)
15-64 years: 61.1% (male 61,384; female 58,473) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 3,473; female 3,003) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 29.4% (male 25,869/female 24,248)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 55,115/female 56,641) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 3,200/female 5,576) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, vegetables; fish, beef | bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa |
Airports | 31 (2001) | 2 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 17 (2002) |
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Area | total: 12,200 sq km
land: 12,200 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes more than 80 islands |
total: 616 sq km
land: 606 sq km water: 10 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Connecticut | 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979. |
Birth rate | 24.83 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 19.28 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $94.4 million
expenditures: $99.8 million, including capital expenditures of $30.4 million |
revenues: $141.2 million
expenditures: $146.7 million (2000 est.) |
Capital | Port-Vila | name: Castries
geographic coordinates: 14 01 N, 61 00 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds | tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August |
Coastline | 2,528 km | 158 km |
Constitution | 30 July 1980 | 22 February 1979 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu
conventional short form: Vanuatu former: New Hebrides |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Lucia |
Currency | vatu (VUV) | - |
Death rate | 8.25 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 5.03 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $64.6 million (1999 est.) | $257 million (2004) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu | the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia |
Diplomatic representation in the US | Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US, it does, however, have a Permanent Mission to the UN | chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6723 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York |
Disputes - international | Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by Vanuatu and France | joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea |
Economic aid - recipient | $45.8 million (1995) | $11.06 million (2005) |
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 about 50,000 visitors in 1997, 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. A severe earthquake in November 1999 followed by a tsunami, caused extensive damage to the northern island of Pentecote and left thousands homeless. Another powerful earthquake in January 2002 caused extensive damage in the capital, Port-Vila, and surrounding areas, and also was followed by a tsunami. GDP growth has risen less than 3% on average in the 1990s. In response to foreign concerns, the government has promised to tighten regulation of its offshore financial center. | Changes in the EU import preference regime and the increased competition from Latin American bananas have made economic diversification increasingly important in Saint Lucia. The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. Tourism is the main source of foreign exchange, with more than 700,000 arrivals in 2005. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry. Economic fundamentals remain solid, even though unemployment needs to be cut. |
Electricity - consumption | 36.27 million kWh (2000) | 282.9 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 39 million kWh (2000) | 304.2 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
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Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m |
Environment - current issues | a majority of the population does not have access to a potable and reliable supply of water; deforestation | deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | indigenous Melanesian 98%, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, other Pacific Islanders | black 82.5%, mixed 11.9%, East Indian 2.4%, other or unspecified 3.1% (2001 census) |
Exchange rates | vatu per US dollar - 146.02 (December 2001), 145.31 (2001), 137.64 (2000), 129.08 (1999), 127.52 (1998), 115.87 (1997) | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Father John BANI (since 25 March 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Edward NATAPEI (since 16 April 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Serge VOHOR (since 16 April 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected for a four-year term by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils for a five-year term; election for president last held 25 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime minister last held 2 May 2002 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: Father John BANI elected president; percent of electoral college vote - NA%; Edward NATAPEI reelected prime minister by Parliament note: the government of Prime Minister Barak SOPE was ousted in a no confidence vote on 14 April 2001 and Edward NATAPEI was elected the new prime minister by Parliament |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since September 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Stephenson KING (since 9 September 2007); note - Sir John COMPTON died in office Friday, 7 September 2007 cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general |
Exports | $22.8 million f.o.b. (2000) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | copra, kava, beef, cocoa, timber, coffee | bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil |
Exports - partners | Japan 32%, Belgium 17%, US 17%, Germany 8% (2000) | France 69.7%, US 10.2%, UK 8.8% (2006) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
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 | blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $257 million (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 26%
industry: 12% services: 62% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 5%
industry: 15% services: 80% (2005 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.7% (2000 est.) | 5.1% (2005 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 16 00 S, 167 00 E | 13 53 N, 60 58 W |
Geography - note | a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes | the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean |
Highways | total: 1,070 km
paved: 256 km unpaved: 814 km (1996) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | $87.5 million f.o.b. (2000) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels | food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels |
Imports - partners | Australia 28%, Singapore 14%, New Zealand 8%, Japan 4%, US 1% (2000) | US 21.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.9%, Italy 12.3%, France 11.8%, Venezuela 7.2%, UK 6.9%, Netherlands 5.8% (2006) |
Independence | 30 July 1980 (from France and UK) | 22 February 1979 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 1% (1997 est.) | -8.9% (1997 est.) |
Industries | food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning | clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism; lime processing, coconut processing |
Infant mortality rate | 59.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: 12.81 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.5% (2000 est.) | 2.9% (2005 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, NAM, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (observer) | ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 30 sq km (2003) |
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) | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (jurisdiction extends to Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) |
Labor force | NA | 43,800 (2001 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 65%, services 30%, industry 5% (2000 est.) | agriculture: 21.7%
industry: 24.7% services: 53.6% (2002 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 2.46%
permanent crops: 7.38% other: 90.16% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 6.45%
permanent crops: 22.58% other: 70.97% (2005) |
Languages | three official languages: English, French, pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama), plus more than 100 local languages | English (official), French patois |
Legal system | unified system being created from former dual French and British systems | based on English common law |
Legislative branch | unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 2 May 2002 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP 15, VP 14, VRP 3, MPP 2, other and independent 18; note - political party associations are fluid note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; six members appointed on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and two after consultation with religious, economic, and social groups) and the House of Assembly (17 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 11 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2011) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - UWP 50%, SLP 46.9%, other 3.1%; seats by party - UWP 11, SLP 6 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 61.33 years
male: 59.93 years female: 62.8 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 74.08 years
male: 70.53 years female: 77.88 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 53% male: 57% female: 48% (1979 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 90.1% male: 89.5% female: 90.6% (2001 est.) |
Location | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago |
Map references | Oceania | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
Merchant marine | total: 54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,092,838 GRT/1,329,576 DWT
ships by type: bulk 22, cargo 9, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 3, container 2, liquefied gas 3, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 7, vehicle carrier 6 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 3, Canada 2, China 1, Japan 25, Monaco 4, Netherlands 1, New Zealand 5, Panama 1, Poland 1, Switzerland 2, United Kingdom 4, US 2, Vietnam 1 (2002 est.) |
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Military branches | no regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF; including the paramilitary Mobile Force or VMF) | no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard) (2007) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | NA |
National holiday | Independence Day, 30 July (1980) | Independence Day, 22 February (1979) |
Nationality | noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)
adjective: Ni-Vanuatu |
noun: Saint Lucian(s)
adjective: Saint Lucian |
Natural hazards | tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis | hurricanes and volcanic activity |
Natural resources | manganese, hardwood forests, fish | forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | -1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Jon Frum Movement [Song KEASPAI]; Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP [Barak SOPE]; National United Party or NUP [Dinh Van THAN]; Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanuaaku Party (Our Land Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI]; Vanuatu Republican Party [Maxime Carlot KORMAN] | National Alliance or NA [George ODLUM]; Saint Lucia Freedom Party or SFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth ANTHONY]; Sou Tout Apwe Fete Fini or STAFF [Christopher HUNTE]; United Workers Party or UWP [Sir John COMPTON] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 196,178 (July 2002 est.) | 170,649 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.66% (2002 est.) | 1.297% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo) | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 1 (2002) | AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2003) |
Radios | 67,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Roman Catholic 15%, indigenous beliefs 7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ 3.8%, other 15.7% (including Jon Frum Cargo cult) | Roman Catholic 67.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.5%, Pentecostal 5.7%, Rastafarian 2.1%, Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%, other Christian 5.1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (2001 census) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.16 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.067 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.973 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.574 male(s)/female total population: 0.974 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
general assessment: adequate system
domestic: system is automatically switched international: country code - 1-758; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados; international calls beyond these countries are carried by Intelsat from Martinique |
Telephones - main lines in use | 5,500 (1998) | 51,100 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 310 (2000) | 105,700 (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2002) | 2 (1 commercial broadcast station and 1 community antenna television or CATV channel) (2003) |
Terrain | mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains | volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys |
Total fertility rate | 3.08 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 2.15 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 20% (2003 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |