Vanuatu: Introduction

Vanuatu is a group of islands in the Southern Pacific Ocean in Oceania off the eastern coast of Australia. Proximate countries include Fiji, Tuvalu, and the Solomon Islands. The geography of the islands is mountainous with mostly volcanic origins. The government system of Vanuatu is a parliamentary republic; the chief of state is the president, and the head of government is the prime minister. Vanuatu has a traditional economy in which the economy is based primarily on small-scale agriculture.