Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia.
Area: total: 12,189 sq km, land: 12,189 sq km, water: 0 sq km; note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited.
Natural resources: Manganese, hardwood forests, fish.
Population: 282,814 (July 2017 est.).
Capital: Port-Vila (on Efate).
Time Zone: UTC+11.
Languages: Local languages (more than 100) 63.2%, Bislama (official; creole) 33.7%, English (official) 2%, French (official) 0.6%, other 0.5% (2009 est.).
Government type: Parliamentary republic.
Legal system: Mixed legal system of English common law, French law, and customary law.
International organization participation: ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, IOC, IOM, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO.
Economy: This South Pacific island economy is based primarily on small-scale agriculture, which provides a living for about two thirds of the population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with more than 330,000 visitors in 2017, are other mainstays of the economy. Australia and New Zealand are the main source of tourists and foreign aid. 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. In response to foreign concerns, the government has promised to tighten regulation of its offshore financial center.
Currency: Vatu (VUV).