Capital: Port-Vila
Administrative divisions: 11 island councils; Ambrym, Aoba/Maewo, Banks/Torres, Efate, Epi, Malakula, Paama, Pentecote, Santo/Malo, Shepherd, Tafea

Independence: 30 July 1980 (from France and UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

Constitution: 30 July 1980

Legal system: unified system being created from former dual French and British systems
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jean Marie LEYE (since 2 March 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Maxime CARLOT Korman (since 16 December 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Sethy REGENVANU (since 17 December 1991)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister, responsible to parliament

Legislative branch: unicameral
Parliament: elections last held 2 December 1991 (next to be held by November 1995); note - after election, a coalition was formed by the Union of Moderate Parties and the National United Party to form a new government on 16 December 1991, but political party associations are fluid; seats - (46 total) UMP 19; NUP 10; VP 10; MPP 4; TUP 1; Nagriamel 1; Friend 1
note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Vanuatu Party (VP), Donald KALPOKAS; Union of Moderate Parties (UMP), Serge VOHOR; Melanesian Progressive Party (MPP), Barak SOPE; National United Party (NUP), Walter LINI; Tan Union Party (TUP), Vincent BOULEKONE; Nagriamel Party, Jimmy STEVENS; Friend Melanesian Party, leader NA
Member of: ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NAM, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US: Vanuatu does not have a mission in the US
US diplomatic representation: the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu

Flag: 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

NOTE: The information regarding Vanuatu on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Vanuatu Government 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Vanuatu Government 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.