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he Y-shaped archipelago consists of about 82 a five-year term by a two-thirds majority of an
electoral college, are primarily ceremonial. The
Trelatively small, geologically newer islands of Prime Minister, who is the head of government,
is elected by a majority vote of a three-quarters
volcanic origin (65 of them inhabited). . It is part quorum of the Parliament. The Prime Minister, in
of the Australasia ecozone, which includes New turn, appoints the Council of Ministers. The Prime
Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, Australia, New Minister and the Council of Ministers constitute
Guinea, and New Zealand. Most of the islands are the executive government.
steep, with unstable soils and little permanent
fresh water. One estimate, made in 2005, is that The Parliament of Vanuatu is unicameral and
only 9% of land is used for agriculture (7% with has 52 members, who are elected by popular
permanent crops, plus 2% considered arable). vote every four years unless earlier dissolved by a
The shoreline is mostly rocky with fringing reefs majority vote of a three-quarters quorum or by a
and no continental shelf, dropping rapidly into directive from the President on the advice of the
the ocean depths. There are several active volca- Prime Minister. The national Council of Chiefs,
noes in Vanuatu, including Lopevi, Mount Yasur, called the Malvatu Mauri and elected by district
and several underwater volcanoes. Volcanic ac- councils of chiefs, advises the government on
tivity is common, with an ever-present danger of all matters concerning Vanuatu culture and lan-
a major eruption; a nearby undersea eruption of guage. Besides national authorities and figures,
6.4 magnitude occurred in November 2008 with Vanuatu also has high-placed people at the
no casualties, and an eruption occurred in 1945 village level. Chiefs were and are still the leading
figures on village level. It has been reported that
The Republic of Vanuatu is a parliamentary even politicians need to oblige them. itance (the
democracy with a written constitution, latter only in Polynesian-influenced villages).
which declares that the “head of the Repub-
lic shall be known as the President and shall
symbolise the unity of the nation.”The powers
of the President of Vanuatu, who is elected for
