In 1998, Vanuatu was an independent island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. It had a population of approximately 176,000 people and its capital city, Port Vila, served as the nation’s political hub. The economy relied heavily on its agricultural exports such as copra and beef, as well as tourism. During this time, Vanuatu had recently gained its independence from both France and the United Kingdom in 1980 and was attempting to transition to a market-based economy. Despite these efforts, many citizens still faced economic hardship due to low wages and poverty levels. Additionally, human rights violations were still common in many parts of the country with women facing particular discrimination. To address these issues, Vanuatu had taken steps to improve living standards for many citizens by introducing several economic reforms including privatization and liberalization of the economy. These reforms had helped attract more foreign investment into the country’s economy while also improving infrastructure throughout Vanuatu. Additionally, Vanuatu had established diplomatic relations with other countries in order to gain access to foreign markets and promote economic growth within their borders. See dentistrymyth for Vanuatu in the year of 2015.

Yearbook 1998

Vanuatu. In the general elections in March, Vanuaaku Pati (VP) gained a majority together with the National United Party (NUP). With 35 votes in favor and 17 against, the newly elected parliament appointed Donald Kalpokas (VP) as Prime Minister and Walter Lini (NUP) as Deputy Prime Minister.

In October, Donald Kalpokas dismissed his Deputy Prime Minister and excluded his party from participating in the government. As a result of this measure, the Prime Minister stated that the NUP has initiated a distrust vote against the government. According to Countryaah, the capital of Vanuatu is Port-Vila. Willie Jimmy was appointed new Deputy Prime Minister, and new coalition parties for VP became Union of Moderate Parties (UMP) and John Frum Movement (JFM).

• Abbreviationfinder: What does VUT stand for in geography? Here, this 3 letter acronym refers to the country of Vanuatu.

Port Vila

Port Vila, the capital of the Vanuatu kingdom (formerly the New Hebrides) in the western Pacific; 33,700 residents (1999). The city is located around a large natural harbor on the southern main island, Éfaté, and the airport is one of the hubs in the region. Port Vila bears the mark of its past as both French and British colonial city. Modern hotels and banks reflect Vanuatu’s commitment to tourism and offshore banking.

HUMAN AND ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY

The population, according to official United Nations estimates, in 1998 was 182. 000 residents; the average annual demographic growth rate, in the period 1990 – 97, stood at 26 ‰. About 80 % of the population lives in rural villages, mostly located in the most fertile and cultivated coastal strips; the only urban center is the capital, Port Vila, which carries out port and commercial functions.

Vanuatu’s economy, still based almost exclusively on agriculture, especially on the production and export of copra, is directly linked to climatic conditions (severe damage caused by hurricane Beti in 1996) and to fluctuations in prices on the markets international. In the nineties, the government implemented an economic diversification plan that focuses above all on the development of the tourism sector: new accommodation facilities were built and the airport system was upgraded. The economic take-off, however, still appears to be blocked by the scarcity of infrastructures and by the clear prevalence of activities linked to foreign capital (in this regard, the recent political instability and a financial scandal that broke out in 1996 suggest that foreign interests are at the expense of internal investments). In addition, substantial cuts were made in the public sector in 1996. Agriculture contributes 22.2 % to the formation of GDP (1995) and employs almost half of the workforce. In addition to copra, the main exports are made up of cocoa, coffee, fruit, vegetables and corn. The industry (13, 1 % of GDP) employs only 3, 5 % of the labor force and is based almost exclusively on the processing of agricultural products. The economy is largely dependent on the service sector which contributes nearly two thirds of GDP.