Vanuatu - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Vanuatu, it was derived from the words "vanua" (home or land) and "tu" (stand) that occur in several of the Austonesian languages spoken on the islands and which provide a meaning of "the land remains" but which also convey a sense of "independence" or "our land". 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); centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed namele fern fronds, all in yellow; red represents the blood of boars and men, as well as unity, green the richness of the islands, and black the ni-Vanuatu people; the yellow Y-shape - which reflects the pattern of the islands in the Pacific Ocean - symbolizes the light of the Gospel spreading through the islands; the boar's tusk is a symbol of prosperity frequently worn as a pendant on the islands; the fern fronds represent peace.
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note: one of several flags where a prominent component of the design reflects the shape of the country; other such flags are those of 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 legal 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 |
| Amendments | 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; amended several times, last in 2013 |
| 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 Charlot SALWAI (since 6 October 2023) |
| 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 20 April 2020 (next to be held following general elections in 2024) |
| Election results | 2022: Nikenike VUROBARAVU elected president in eighth round; electoral college vote - Nikenike VUROBARAVU (VP) 48 votes, Solas MOLISA (VP) 4 votes; note - Charlot SALWAI (RMC) elected prime minister on 6 October 2023, 29 votes for, 0 against; Prime Minister Sato KILMAN lost no-confidence vote on 6 October 2023, requiring a new election 2017: Bob LOUGHMAN elected prime minister on 20 April 2020; Bob LOUGHMAN 31 votes, Ralph REGENVANU 21 votes |
| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members directly elected in 8 single-seat and 9 multi-seat constituencies by single non-transferable vote to serve 4-year terms (candidates in multi-seat constituencies can be elected with only 4% of the vote) |
| Elections | Last held on 13 October 2022 (next to be held in 2026) |
| Election results | Percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 7, VP 7, LPV 5, RMC 5, GJP 4, NUP 4, RDP 4, IG 3, PPP 2, NCM 2, VNDP 2, LM 1, NAG 1, PUDP 1, UCM 1, VLM 1, VPDP 1, independent 1; composition - men 50, women 1, percentage women 2%; note - political party associations are fluid |
| 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.
