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ISLAND DIRECTORY

Vanuatu     [3]
(Independent since 1980 from United Kingdom and France)
ISO COUNTRY CODE: VU
LAND AREA: 12190 sq. km     SEA AREA: 710000 sq. km
NUMBER OF ISLANDS BY SIZE (sq. km):
>17,000 >10,000 >1,000 >100 >10 >1 <1 Unknown TOTAL
0 0 2 12 16 8 1 42 81

DEMOGRAPHY
  POPULATION: 169000 (1996)
  DENSITY: 14 persons/sq. km    GROWTH RATE: 3%/year
  POP AGR/FISH/MINING: 12%
  URBAN POP: 19% (1994), versus 9% (1960), Annual Growth: 3.8%
  LIFE EXPECTANCY: 65.9 years,  ADULT LITERACY: 64.0%
  INFANT MORTALITY: 44 per/1000 (1994), versus 141 (1960)
  HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX: 0.547

ECONOMY
  GNP: US$0.2 billion,  Annual Growth Rate GNP/Capita: 0.5%
  GDP/Capita: $821  GDP/Capita PPP: $2276
  GDP/Capita: 1960 $0, 1970 $0, 1980 $807, 1990 $904
  OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE: $46 million  ODA%GNP: 24.5%
  ODA/Capita: $288

ENVIRONMENT (see also individual islands)
  TOTAL FOREST AREA: 900,000 ha, 73.8% of land area, 5.3 ha/capita
  NATURAL FOREST AREA: 893,000 ha
  ARABLE LAND: 1.6% of land area
NATURE CONSERVATION INTEREST: 

Plants:                                                                 
  ca. 870 vascular plants, including 130 endemics (15%)                 
  31 endemic orchids (39%)                                              
Insects:                                                                
  71 species of butterflies, with 5 only in Vanuatu, 26 shared with PNG 
  and/or Solomon Islands; southern islands with distinctive fauna.      
  12 species of ants and termites, 5 endemic (42%)                      
Other invertebrates:                                                    
  76 species of land snails, including 57 endemics, high generic        
endemicity.                                                             
  6 Partulidae                                                          
  3 freshwater molluscs                                                 
  22 species of earthworms, including 11 endemics (50%)                 
Reptiles-Amphibians:                                                    
  22 species, including 4 endemic lizards                               
  Perochirus guentheri (Saw-tailed Gecko) group endemic, Efate and      
Anatom,                                                                 
    known from 4 specimens.                                             
  Emoia speiseri (Speiser's Skink) group endemic, Ambrym, Anatom, Efate,
    Malakula.                                                           
Birds:                                                                  
  57 species of land birds, 2 endemic genera and 5 other endemic species
  Ptilinopus tannensis (Silver-shouldered Fruit Dove) group endemic     
  Ducula bakeri (Baker's Pigeon) group endemic                          
  Halcyon farquhari (Chestnut-bellied Kingfisher) group endemic         
  Neolage banksiana (Vanuatu Flycatcher) monospecific genus, group      
endemic                                                                 
  Phylidonyris notabilis (White-bellied Honeyeater) group endemic       
  Zosterops flavifrons (Yellow-fronted White-eye) group endemic         
  Aplonis santovestris (Santo Mountain Starling) endemic to Espiritu    
Santo                                                                   
Mammals:                                                                
  12 species of bats, including 1 endemic                               
  Dugong dugon (Dugong) Vulnerable (RDB) but healthy populations        
reported                                                                
    throughout Vanuatu under no present threat (1987)

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
  ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION: 176 kw-hr/capita, versus 108 kw-hr/cap (1970)

INSTITUTIONS
GOVERNMENT ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY: 

Environment Unit, Ministry of Lands, Minerals and Fisheries has broad   
  responsibility for environmental protection and co-ordination.        
National Advisory Committee on Environment reviews environmental impacts
of                                                                      
  major development projects.

ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION: 
Forest Reserves can be created under Forestry Act 1982.                 
Fisheries Act of 1983 provides for fisheries management,                
marine reserves and species protection.                                 
Mining activities are controlled by the Department of Geology           
under the Mines and Minerals Act, 1982.                                 
The Wildlife Protection (Birds) Regulations administered by             
the Department of Agriculture give total protection to 16               
species, closed season for 11 species and an export ban on 11           
species.

ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS: 
Vanuatu Natural Science Society, Port Vila, Vanuatu

REFERENCES:

Last updated 11/02/98

Islands of Vanuatu
Ambae (Vanuatu)
Ambrym (Vanuatu)
Aneityum (Vanuatu)
Aniwa (Vanuatu)
Aore (Vanuatu)
Efate (Vanuatu)
Emae (Vanuatu)
Epi (Vanuatu)
Erromango (Vanuatu)
Espiritu Santo (Vanuatu)
Futuna (Vanuatu)
Hiu (Vanuatu)
Loh (Vanuatu)
Lopevi (Vanuatu)
Maewo (Vanuatu)
Malakula (Vanuatu)
Malo (Vanuatu)
Mere Lava (Vanuatu)
Merig (Vanuatu)
Metoma (Vanuatu)
Mota (Vanuatu)
Mota Lava (Vanuatu)
Nguna (Vanuatu)
Paama (Vanuatu)
Pentecost (Vanuatu)
Reef Islands (Vanuatu)
Santa Maria (Vanuatu)
Tanna (Vanuatu)
Tegua (Vanuatu)
Toga (Vanuatu)
Tongoa (Vanuatu)
Ureparapara (Vanuatu)
Vanua Lava (Vanuatu)
Vot Tande (Vanuatu)

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Page last updated: 09/05/10