The economy is based primarily on subsistence or small-scale agriculture which provides a living for 65% of the population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with about 50,000 visitors in 1997, are other mainstays of the economy. Mineral deposits are negligible; the country has no known petroleum deposits. A small light industry sector caters to the local market. Tax revenues come mainly from import duties. Economic development is hindered by dependence on relatively few commodity exports, vulnerability to natural disasters, and long distances from main markets and between constituent islands. The most recent natural disaster, a severe earthquake in November 1999 followed by a tsunami, caused extensive damage to the northern island of Pentecote and left thousands homeless. GDP growth has risen less than 3% on average in the 1990s. In response to foreign concerns, the government is moving to tighten regulation of its offshore financial center.
Industry:
food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning
Ethnicgroups:
indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, Vietnamese, Chinese, Pacific Islanders
Vaccination requirements:
No vaccination requirements for any international traveller.
Malaria:
Low to moderate malaria risk—predominantly due to P. falciparum—exists throughout the year in the whole country. P. falciparum resistant to chloroquine and sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine reported. P. vivax resistant to chloroquine reported.
