Vanuatu - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Vanuatu, it was the name means "Our land forever" in several of the Austronesian languages spoken on the islands; the former name, New Hebrides, was given by Captain James COOK in 1774 because he thought they looked similar to the Hebrides islands off the coast of Scotland. The Government system in this country is the parliamentary republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Torba
National symbols
Boar's tusk with crossed fern fronds; national colors: red, black, green, yellow.
The flag
The National flag of Vanuatu has 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); a boar's tusk in the triangle encircles two crossed namele fern fronds, all in yellow; red stands for unity and the blood of men and boars, green for the richness of the islands, and black for the ni-Vanuatu people; the yellow Y-shape reflects the islands' layout in the Pacific Ocean and symbolizes the light of the Gospel; the boar's tusk is a symbol of prosperity; the ferns represent peace.
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note: one of four national flags that reflect the shape of the country in the flag design; the others are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, and Eritrea
The National Anthem
| Title | "Yumi, Yumi, Yumi" (We, We, We) |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | Francois Vincent AYSSAV |
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note: adopted 1980; the anthem is written in Bislama, a Creole language that mixes Pidgin English and French
More about the government of Vanuatu
| Date of Independence | 30 July 1980 (from France and the UK) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Independence Day, 30 July (1980) |
| Legal system | mixed system of English common law, French law, and customary law |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Constitution | |
| History | Draft completed August 1979, finalized by constitution conference 19 September 1979, ratified by French and British Governments 23 October 1979, effective 30 July 1980 at independence |
| Amendment process | Proposed by the prime minister or by the Parliament membership; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by Parliament in special session with at least three fourths of the membership; passage of amendments affecting the national and official languages, or the electoral and parliamentary system also requires approval in a referendum |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | both parents must be citizens of Vanuatu; in the case of only one parent, it must be the father who is a citizen |
| Dual citizenship recognized | no |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 10 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Nikenike VUROBARAVU (since 23 July 2022) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Jotham NAPAT (since 11 February 2025) |
| Cabinet | Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament |
| Elections/appointments | president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and presidents of the 6 provinces; Vanuatu president serves a 5-year term; election last held on 23 July 2022 (next to be held in 2027); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime minister last held on 11 February 2025 |
| Election results | 2025: Jotham NAPAT (LVP) elected prime minister; 50-0 votes 2022: Nikenike VUROBARAVU elected president in eighth round; electoral college vote - Nikenike VUROBARAVU (VP) 48 votes, Solas MOLISA (VP) 4 votes |
| Legislative branch | |
| Legislature name | Parliament |
| Legislative structure | Unicameral |
| Number of seats | 52 (all directly elected) |
| Electoral system | Proportional representation |
| Scope of elections | Full renewal |
| Term in office | 4 years |
| Most recent election date | 1/16/2025 |
| Parties elected and seats per party | Leaders Party of Vanuatu (LPV) (9); Vanua'aku Pati (VP) (7); Iauko Group (IG) (6); Union of Moderate Parties (UMP) (6); Rural Development Party (RDP) (6); Graon mo Jastis Pati (Land and Justice Party, GJP) (5); Reunification Movement for Change (RMC) (5); Other (8) |
| Percentage of women in chamber | 1.9% |
| Expected date of next election | January 2029 |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Court of Appeal (consists of 2 or more judges of the Supreme Court designated by the chief justice); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 puisne judges -- 3 local and 3 expatriate) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; other judges appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, a 4-member advisory body; judges serve until the age of retirement |
| Subordinate courts | Magistrates Courts; Island Courts |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Odo TEVI (since 8 September 2017) note - also Permanent Representative to the UN |
| Chancery | 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400B, New York, NY 10017 |
| Telephone | [1] (212) 661-4303 |
| FAX | [1] (212) 422-3427 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://www.un.int/vanuatu/ |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Ann Marie YASTISHOCK (since 16 April 2024); note - also accredited to the Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea |
| Embassy | Port Vila |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 1 (cultural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Chief Roi Mata’s Domain |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Vanuatu
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Vanuatu
Want to know more about Vanuatu? Check all different factbooks for Vanuatu below.
