URUGUAY (Continued)
Budget: (1979 est.) revenue, $1,063 million; expenditure, $1,014 million
Monetary conversion rate: 9.16 pesos=US$1 (1980 annual average)
Fiscal year: calendar year
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 2,795 km, all standard gauge (1.435 m) and government owned
Highways: 49,900 km total; 6,700 km paved, 3,000 km gravel, 40,200 km earth
Inland waterways: 1,600 km; used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft
Freight carried: highways 80% of total cargo traffic, rail 15%, waterways 5%
Ports: 4 major (Montevideo, Colonia, Fray Bentos, Paysandu), 6 minor
Civil air: 22 major transport aircraft, including 1 leased in
Airfields: 129 total, 85 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; 279,000 telephones (9.9 per 100 popl.); 85 AM, 4 FM, and 20 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station
DEFENSE FORCES
Military manpower: males 15-49, 686,000; 557,000 fit for military service; no conscription
Military budget: for fiscal year ending 31 December 1979, $211.7 million; 18.6% of central government budget
VANUATU
(formerly New Hebrides)
(See reference map X) |
LAND
About 14,763 km²
WATER
Limits of territorial waters: 12 nm (fishing 200 nm; exclusive economic zone 200 nm)
Coastline: about 2,528 km
PEOPLE
Population: 123,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.7%
Nationality: noun—Vanuatuan(s); adjective—Vanuatuan
Ethnic divisions: 90% indigenous Melanesian, 8% French, remainder Vietnamese, Chinese, and various Pacific Islanders
Religion: most at least nominally Christian
Literacy: probably 10%-20%
GOVERNMENT
Official name: Republic of Vanuatu
Type: republic, formerly Anglo-French condominium of New Hebrides, independent 30 July 1980
Capital: Port-Vila
Political subdivisions: 4 administrative districts
Legal system: unified system being created from former dual French and British systems
Branches: Parliament of 39 members, elected November 1979
Government leader: Prime Minister Father Walter LINI
Political parties and leaders: National Party (Vanuaaku Pati), chairman Walter Lini
Member of: South Pacific Forum, UN
ECONOMY
Agriculture: export crops of copra, cocoa, coffee, some livestock and fish production; subsistence crops of copra, taro, yams