53
NATIONS AND GOVERNMENTS SOCIAL SCIENCE YEAR 9
NATIONSAND
GOVERNMENTS
SOCIAL SCIENCE YEAR 9
NATIONSAND
GOVERNMENTS
Ministry of EducationPort Vila
Republic of Vanuatu1998
Student’s Book
Year 9
Third Edition 1998Revised by Charles Pierce, following recommendations from the Social Science Workshop held at Matevulu College in August 1995.
First published in 1981 under the title Governing and Government Around the World and in Vanuatu.
Second Edition 1988
This revised edition has been prepared by the Ministry of Education under the auspices of the Primary and Secondary EducationProject with support from the World Bank (Credit 1964-VAN).
© Ministry of Education
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by anymeans, without written permission from the publisher.
Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction ......................................................................... 5
Chapter 2 Nations and Governments of the World .............................. 8
Chapter 3 Governments of the South Pacific .................................... 25
Chapter 4 Current Events .................................................................. 29
Chapter 5 Government in Vanuatu .................................................... 30
National Symbols ..................................................... 30Constitution and Structure of Government ............... 33How Parliament is Elected ....................................... 36
Appendix A Extra Activities ................................................................. 46
Appendix B Revision Test .................................................................... 47
Appendix C Glossary ........................................................................... 49
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
This book will help you to learn about the nations of the world and the differentgovernments that they have.
A nation is a group of people who have something in common, such aslanguage, tradition, a shared history, or a similar set of values, and who arewilling to live together. Because of these common values, the people of a nationusually want to control their own affairs freely on their own territory, or to set uptheir own independent state.
A state is a body that has sovereignty, or the right to rule, over a group ofpeople who live in a particular area. The “state” refers to the territory insidecertain limits or borders. It also refers to the people who live in that territory, andto the system of government that directs those people. The system ofgovernment is set out in the state’s constitution. A state has its own laws,currency, army and police force. Its symbols are the flag and the nationalanthem.
A state usually means a nation that governs itself on its own territory. However,there are some states that include many nations; one example is the formerSoviet Union, which broke up in the 1990’s; another is the former Yugoslavia,which did the same. There are some national groups that do not exist as states,because they are minority groups inside a state; one example is the variousgroups of Kurds who live in the Middle Eastern countries of Iraq, Turkey andIran.
Every community takes decisions or makes rules. In a family, the decisions areusually taken by the parents. In a village, the chief may be the most importantdecision-maker, but there is often a village council that makes the rules. Withlarger communities, such as cities and nations, decision-making is much morecomplicated.
Sometimes there is one person or leader who is very powerful and makes all thedecisions himself or herself. This is called an authoritarian or totalitarian wayof governing. One group may also rule in a totalitarian fashion, as for examplethe army in Myanmar (Burma).
In other cases, every adult citizen has a chance to take part in the decision-making. They may elect a group of people to make the decisions on their behalf.This is called a democratic way of governing.
5
6
What ways of governing are shown in diagrams A and B below?
The term government refers to the actual institution or body that makes thedecisions and then carries out the decisions that have been made.
In this book, we shall look at the various ways in which nations are governed,taking examples from Vanuatu and around the world.
ACTIVITIES
1. Here are some of the leaders you can find at local and national levels:
Village chief Head Boy or Head Girl Prime MinisterPresident Member of Parliament King or QueenPresident of Provincial Council
For each of the above, name one actual example. Then say how he orshe became a leader. Was he/she elected (and by whom?), did he/sheseize power through a revolution, did he/she inherit the leadership,or did he/she become a leader in another way?
2. What do you think that an ideal leader should be like? Make a list ofthe personal qualities that he or she should have.
3. What is the difference between:a. “governing” and “government”b. a “state” and a “nation”?
4. Give one example of each of the following:
a. a nation formed by people who share the same language:b. a nation formed by people who share the same culturec. a nation formed by people who share the same religiond. a nation formed by people who share the same history
A B
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5. Role plays: “Who is the boss?”
Two groups of students should perform role plays, in which they discussthe question “Where shall we go for the class picnic?”
One of these groups should follow a democratic way of working. Thereshould be a chairman, but everyone will contribute to the discussion, and avote may be taken.
The other group will have a totalitarian way of working. There will be onlyone leader or decision-maker, who will allow no-one to disagree with himor her.
As the plays are performed, the other students in the class should observecarefully and then note down answers to these questions:
a. How are decisions made?
b. What is the role of each person in the group?
c. How do members of the group feel about the way that decisions are taken?
Students can then discuss their findings.
Finally, each student should copy and complete the following table:
Question Totalitarian answer Democratic answer
How does a personbecome a leader
How are decisions made?
How are decisionsenforced?
What is the role ofmembers of the group?
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CHAPTER 2
NATIONS ANDGOVERNMENTS OF THE
WORLD
There are now almost 200 independent states in the world, all being governed indifferent ways.
The system of government is usually established by the state’s constitution. Thisdetermines how the leaders are chosen, how long they hold office, the limits totheir powers, and by whom they are controlled. Many constitutions allow for thestate to be run according to the views of the political party that is in control.
Here are descriptions of some of the main types of government. Note that someways of governing are very similar, but are called by different names. In othercases, the same name is given to governments that are in fact very different fromeach other: a good example is with nations that are called republics. Note alsothat a country can be classified under more than one of these terms. Vanuatu, forexample, comes under coalition government, parliamentary democracy, andrepublic.
COALITION GOVERNMENTThis type of government is found in democratic nations. In a coalition, the mainpolitical parties join together to carry out the work of government. Ministers arechosen from several political parties, rather than from just one. A nation mayadopt a coalition government if one political party cannot get a majority inparliament. A coalition may also be formed in times of hardship, wheneveryone must co-operate together for the good of the country. For example,Britain had a coalition government during the Second World War. Vanuatu hashad a coalition government since 1991, even though the political partiesgrouping together to form the coalition have changed several times.
COLONIAL GOVERNMENTA colonial power, is one which occupies land outside the boundaries of its ownnation. It governs the people living in this territory, or colony. Many Europeannations were colonial powers in the past: Britain, France, Germany, Belgium,Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Italy, etc.
Since the Second World War (1939-1945), however, most of the world’s colonieshave achieved their independence. Often, the struggle for independence has beenlong and hard. Most of Britain’s former colonies have now joined together toform an association, called the British Commonwealth.
9
COMMUNIST GOVERNMENTThe main idea of communism is that all means of production should belong tothe community (public ownership), and not to individuals (private ownership).Communists also believe that methods of revolution, or force, should be used, ifnecessary, to make the change from private to public ownership.
In Communist countries, the government owns and runs industries, farms,transport, schools, hospitals, radio and television stations, and newspapers. Onlyone political party is allowed - the Communist Party. The government istotalitarian. People are not free to act or think in the way that they wish.
Russia had a communist government from 1917 to 1991. During this time, it wasknown as the “Union of Soviet Socialist Republics” (U.S.S.R). A “soviet” was acouncil that represented the workers living in different regions of the country.The soviets chose the members of the Supreme Soviet, or national parliament,every 4 years.
China adopted a Communist system of government in 1949, under ChairmanMao Zedong. The system still survives, and the nation is known as the“People’s Republic of China”.
DEMOCRACY
The term democracy comes from the Greek word demos, meaning “people”.Democracy means “Government of the people, by the people, for the people.” Ina democracy, the people take part in decision-making. They choose their ownrepresentatives who sit down and make decisions together.
Imperial governments and their colonies in the year 1900
British
French
Spanish
Portuguese
Chinese
American
Turkish
Russian
Belgian
Dutch
Italian
German
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A democracy has the following features:
• People freely choose their leaders. Every adult citizen of the country hasthe right to vote, and elections are held frequently. People are free to belongto different political parties. A political party is a group of people whoshare the same beliefs about the way in which the country should be run.
• People enjoy basic human rights. They are free to say what they wish(“freedom of opinion”), move about the country as they want to (“freedomof movement”), form groups and meet together (“freedom of assembly”),believe what they like (“freedom of religion”), etc.
• There is a separation of powers. The three kinds of power that agovernment holds (legislative, executive and judicial) are given to differentbranches of the government.
Legislative power means the power to make laws. This power is normallygiven to a parliament, which consists of the elected representatives of thepeople.
Executive power means the power to apply or enforce the laws. This poweris exercised by the various department of the Government, under thedirection of the Government Ministers, or (in some countries) by thePresident.
Judicial power means the power to ensure that all people follow the laws ofthe country. This branch of government judges whether a person has brokena law, and decides upon a suitable punishment.
There are two common kinds of democratic government - a parliamentarydemocracy and a presidential democracy.
In a parliamentary democracy, the people choose representatives to make thedecisions, and these representatives meet in a parliament. Parliament is thedriving force in the government.
Britain (U.K.) was one of the earliest parliamentary democracies, and many ofher former colonies have adopted the same type of government - for example,Papua New Guinea, Canada and New Zealand. Vanuatu is also a parliamentarydemocracy.
In a presidential democracy, the nation is governed by both the electedPresident and the elected Parliament, but the President is the driving force in thegovernment. He is the nation’s Chief Executive, and he often has greater powersthan the legislative body. This type of government only exists in republics.
Examples of presidential democracies are France and the U.S.A. In bothcountries, the elected President may come from one political party, while theparliament may be run by an opposition party. In the U.S.A. in 1997, forexample, President Bill Clinton comes from the Democratic Party, while theHouse of Representatives and Senate (the parliament) is controlled by theRepublican party.
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DICTATORSHIPIn a dictatorship, one person or group has complete control of the government.Ordinary people have no say at all in government affairs, and fundamentalhuman rights are not respected. Those who disagree with the leader orgovernment are put in prison or else executed. Elections are not allowed.
Germany came under the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler from 1933 to 1945. Otherrecent examples of dictatorships are Uganda under Idi Amin Dada (1971 to1979), and Haiti under “Papa Doc” and “Baby Doc” (1957 to 1986).
Most dictators deny that they interfere with human rights. They maintain thatthey are democratic!
FEDERATION
A federation is a group of states or territories that agree to form a nation and togive up some of their powers to one central government. The central governmentlooks after things that affect the whole nation, such as currency, defence andforeign policy. But individual states or provinces have their own laws and lookafter things like education and health.
The federal system is usually found incountries that cover very large areas, suchas U.S.A., Canada, Brazil, India, Australiaand the Federated States of Micronesia(F.S.M.). The national flag of the UnitedStates of America shows 50 stars,representing the 50 states.
But there are also smaller federations, suchas Switzerland and Malaysia.
Idi Amin Dada Adolf Hitler
National flag of the U.S.A.
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MILITARY RULEA nation under military rule is governed by the leaders of its army or armedforces.
The military forces usually seize power in a coup, or coup d’etat. This meansthat army officers, who are not satisfied with the way that the country is beingrun, use force to take over the government. The previous leaders are exiled, putin prison or executed. The new leaders usually run the nation in an authoritarianmanner, and do not allow elections. One person, usually a general, may be incharge. Or there may be a junta, or small group of army officers, that runs thecountry.
There are several examples of nations under military rule. Libya has been ruledby Colonel Muammar Khaddafi since 1979, when he seized power from KingIdris. In Fiji, a military coup in 1987 brought Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka to power;he was worried about the rising influence of the Indian population, and felt thatthe native Fijians should have greater control of their country’s government.
In Haiti, a military junta seized power from President Bertrand Aristide in 1991,and ruled the country until 1994. The junta surrendered its power after Haiti wasinvaded by a multinational force led by the U.S.A. and supported by the UnitedNations. President Aristide was then allowed to resume his duties.
Myanmar (Burma) has had a military regime since 1988. Elections have beenbanned and opposition leaders put in prison.
Colonel Rabuka and a Fijian soldier
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MONARCHYA monarchy is a nation ruled by a king or queen. The position of monarch isusually inherited. A monarchy may be absolute or constitutional.
In an absolute monarchy, the monarch has complete power to rule the countryin the way that he wants. He may claim that he has been chosen by God, so thatthe people must obey him totally. Although this type of government wascommon in the past, there are very few absolute monarchies left in the worldtoday. One example is Saudi-Arabia, where King Fahd ibn Abdul Aziz has ruledsince 1982. He makes the decisions with the help of advisers, all of whom hechooses himself.
In a consitutional monarchy, the king or queen is really only a figurehead,without any real power. Most of the decision-making is done by the parliament,and the constitution ensures that the king or queen has very little authority.Sweden, U.K., Japan and Thailand are all constitutional monarchies. Monaco isa principality, which is very similar.
Some nations claim that they have constitutional monarchies, when in fact theking has considerable power. Examples are Morocco and Tonga.
There are two other forms of government that are really monarchies. They aresultanates and sheikhdoms. Sultans and sheikhs are like high chiefs or kings,who inherit their powers from their fathers, and who rule in a manner similar toabsolute monarchs. Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar are sheikhdoms. Oman andBrunei are sultanates.
Queen Elizabeth II of Britain Sheikh Isa ibn-Sulman al Jhalifah of Bahrain
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ONE-PARTY STATEThis is a nation in which only one political party is allowed. Whenever electionsare held, people must choose between candidates who all come from the sameparty.
Kenya, Tanzania and Algeria had this type of government after they gained theirindependence. However, in the 1990s all three states have adopted multi-partysystems.
Communist countries such as China and Cuba are also one-party states.
REPUBLICThis term covers many types of government in the world today. There are“democratic” republics, “federal” republics, “presidential” republics,“parliamentary” republics and “Islamic” republics. However, all republics haveone common feature: their head of state is not a member of a royal family, but apresident.
In many republics, the president is elected by the people. This may be by directsuffrage, in which all citizens of the country vote for the president in anelection, such as in France and the U.S.A. Or it may be by indirect suffrage, inwhich the citizens first elect their representatives (members of parliament), whothen elect the president - as, for example, in Vanuatu. The president is electedfor a term, or a certain length of time, which varies from country to country - 7years in France, 5 years in Vanuatu and 4 years in the U.S.A.
In some republics, an individual has seized power and called himself president.One example is President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, who came to power inNovember 1965, but was himself finally deposed in 1997.
The powers of presidents vary from country to country. In some African andAsian republics, the president has complete power and is really a dictator.Examples are Colonel Muammar Khaddafi of Libya and President SaddamHussein of Iraq. In many republics, however, the president shares power with theparliament; for example, decision-making in the U.S.A. is carried out by thePresident and the two-house parliament (Congress and Senate). Other republicshave presidents who have little power, and are really figureheads: an example isIndia.
Republics where the president holds a lot of power are called presidentialrepublics. Those where the Parliament is more powerful than the president areparliamentary republics.
In recent years, countries such as Iran, Pakistan and Sudan have become“Islamic Republics”. The laws of these nations have been changed until theyfollow the strict rules of the Koran, the sacred book of the Muslim religion.Leaders govern in a dictatorial manner, and no freedom of opinion or expressionis allowed. Other religious groups in the country are not tolerated, and arefrequently persecuted and killed. Examples are members of the Baha’i Faith inIran, and Christians and animists in the Sudan.
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Republics where the president holds a lot of power are called presidentialrepublics. Those where the Parliament is more powerful than the president areparliamentary republics.
In recent years, countries such as Iran, Pakistan and Sudan have become“Islamic Republics”. The laws of these nations have been changed until theyfollow the strict rules of the Koran, the sacred book of the Muslim religion.Leaders govern in a dictatorial manner, and no freedom of opinion or expressionis allowed. Other religious groups in the country are not tolerated, and arefrequently persecuted and killed. Examples are members of the Baha’i Faith inIran, and Christians and animists in the Sudan.
The President of the Republic of South Africa, Nelson Mandela,
signs his country’s new constitution in December 1996
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ACTIVITIES
1. Political map of the world:
On a copy of the outline map on page 19, mark the code numbers of theindependent nations of the world in the correct places. These codenumbers are given in the key to the map on page 18. Use an atlas to helpyou.When you have finished, shade in the individual countries that you havemarked, using different colours. Note that your map only showsindependent countries:it does not show those that are still under colonial rule.
2. Briefly explain the meaning of each of the following terms. Use theinformation on pages 8 to 16 to help you:
dictatorship republiccommunist government democracyconstitutional monarchy military rulecoalition government
3. What is the difference between:
a. a parliamentary democracy and a presidential democracyb. the legislative and the executive powers of a governmentc. an absolute monarchy and a constitutional monarchyd. direct and indirect suffragee. a federal republic and an Islamic republic
4. What is a political party? Choose any three countries and find out thenames of the main political parties in each.
5. Group mimes: Types of Government
The class divides into groups. Each group chooses one type of government,then prepares and performs a mime (a role play without words) to illustrateits choice. The other students must try to guess which type of governmenthas been shown.
6. Name one country in the world that is an example of
a. a sheikhdom b. a presidential republicc. a federation d. an absolute monarchye. a one-party state
7. Using the map on page 9 and the map you drew for questions:
a. List the nations that had colonies in Africa in the year 1900
b. Name any three independent African nations that used to becolonies; for each,
find out the colonial power that ruled it.
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8. Copy this table, and use the information on pages 20 to 24 to complete it:
Country Form of Date of Capital Populationgovernment independence (million)
Consitutional - Copenhagen monarchy
Abidjan
Egypt
Republic 58.1
Presidential 198.4 republic
Iran -
Jamaica
Parliamentary 1993 republic
Vietnam
Vanuatu
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INDEPENDENT NATIONS OF THE WORLD, 1996NORTH AMERICA EUROPE 77. Bulgaria 117. Burundi 157. Pakistan
1. Canada 36. Iceland 78. Russia 118. Tanzania 158. India
2. United States 37. Norway 119. Angola 159. Nepal
38. Sweden AFRICA 120. Zambia 160. Bhutan
CENTRAL AMERICA 39. Finland 79. Cape Verde Is. 121. Malawi 161. Bangladesh
3. Mexico 40. Denmark 80. Morocco 122. Mozambique 162. Sri Lanka
4. Guatemala 41. Estonia 81. Algeria 123. Namibia 163. Maldives
5. Belize 42. Latvia 82. Tunisia 124. Botswana 164. Myanmar
6. El Salvador 43. Lithuania 83. Libya 125. Zimbabwe 165. Thailand
7. Honduras 44. Ireland 84. Egypt 126. South Africa 166. Laos
8. Nicaragua 45. U.K. 85. W. Sahara 127. Swaziland 167. Cambodia
9. Costa Rica 46. Belgium 86. Mauritania 128. Lesotho 168. Vietnam
10. Panama 47. Netherlands 87. Mali 129. Madagascar 169. Malaysia
11. Bahamas 48. Luxembourg 88. Niger 130. Comoros 170. Singapore
12. Cuba 49. Germany 89. Chad 131. Mauritius 171. Brunei
13. Haiti 50. France 90. Sudan 132. Seychelles 172. Indonesia
14. Dominican Republic 51. Liechtenstein 91. Eritrea 173. Philippines
15. St.Kitts-Nevis 52. Switzerland 92. Ethiopia ASIA 174. Taiwan
16. Antigua-Barbuda 53. Austria 93. Djibouti 133. Turkey 175. China
17. Dominica 54. Portugal 94. Somalia 134. Cyprus 176. Mongolia
18. St. Lucia 55. Spain 95. Senegal 135. Lebanon 177. North Korea
19. Barbados 56. Andorra 96. Gambia 136. Syria 178. South Korea
20. St. Vincent 57. Monaco 97. Guinea-Bissau 137. Israel 179. Japan
21. Grenada 58. Italy 98. Guinea 138. Jordan
22. Trinidad-Tobago 59. Vatican City 99. Sierra Leone 139. Saudi Arabia OCEANIA
23. Jamaica 60. San Marino 100. Liberia 140. Yemen 180. Australia
61. Slovenia 101. Côte d’Ivoire 141. Oman 181. New Zealand
SOUTH AMERICA 62. Croatia 102. Burkina Faso 142. Un. Arab Em. 182. Papua N.Guinea
24. Guyana 63. Bosnia-Herz. 103. Ghana 143. Qatar 183. Solomon Is.
25. Suriname 64. Yugoslavia 104. Togo 144. Bahrain 184. Vanuatu
26. Brazil 65. Macedonia 105. Benin 145. Kuwait 185. Fiji
27. Uruguay 66. Albania 106. Nigeria 146. Iraq 186. Tonga
28. Paraguay 67. Malta 107. Cameroon 147. Iran 187. Nauru
29. Argentina 68. Greece 108. C.African Rep. 148. Afghanistan 188. Tuvalu
30. Chile 69. Poland 109. Eq. Guinea 149. Georgia 189. Kiribati
31. Bolivia 70. Czech Republic 110. Sao Tome 150. Armenia 190. W. Samoa
32. Peru 71. Slovakia 111. Gabon 151. Azerbaijan 191. Marshall Is.
33. Ecuador 72. Hungary 112. Congo 152. Kazakhstan 192. Guam
34. Colombia 73. Belarus 113. Zaire 153. Uzbekistan 193. F.S.Micronesia
35. Venezuela 74. Ukraine 114. Uganda 154. Turkmenistan
75. Moldova 115. Kenya 155. Kyrgyzstan
76. Romania 116. Rwanda 156. Tajikistan
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POPULATION, CAPITAL AND FORM OF GOVERNMENT OF THEINDEPENDENT NATIONS, 1996
Nation Date of Population Capital Form of government
independence* in millions
AFGHANISTAN 18.4 Kabul Republic
ALBANIA 3.5 Tirana Parliamentary republic
ALGERIA 1962 28.4 Algiers Republic
ANDORRA < 0.1 Andorra Principality
ANGOLA 1975 11.5 Luanda Republic
ANTIGUA-BARBUDA 1981 0.1 St.Johns Parliamentary democracy
ARGENTINA 34.6 Buenos Aires Presidential democracy
ARMENIA 1991 3.7 Yerevan Republic
AUSTRALIA 18.0 Canberra Parliamentary democracy
AUSTRIA 8.1 Vienna Federal republic
AZERBAIJAN 1991 7.3 Baku Republic
BAHAMAS 1973 0.3 Nassau Parliamentary democracy
BAHRAIN 1971 0.6 Manama Sheikhdom
BANGLADESH 1947 119.2 Dacca Parliamentary republic
BARBADOS 1966 0.3 Bridgetown Parliamentary democracy
BELARUS 1991 10.3 Minsk Presidential republic
BELGIUM 10.2 Brussels Constitutional monarchy
BELIZE 1981 0.2 Belmopan Parliamentary democracy
BENIN 1960 5.4 Porto Novo Presidential republic
BHUTAN 0.8 Thimphu Constitutional monarchy
BOLIVIA 7.4 Sucre Republic
BOSNIA-HERZEG. 1990 3.5 Sarajevo Republic
BOTSWANA 1966 1.5 Gaborone Parliamentary republic
BRAZIL 157.8 Brasilia Federal republic
BRUNEI 1984 0.3 Bandar Seri Begawan Sultanate
BULGARIA 8.5 Sofia Republic
BURKINA FASO 1960 10.4 Ougadougou Republic
BURUNDI 1962 6.4 Bujumbura Republic
CAMBODIA 1953 10.6 Phnom Penh Constitutional monarchy
CAMEROON 1960 13.5 Yaoundé Parliamentary republic
CANADA 29.6 Ottawa Federal parliamentary democracy
CAPE VERDE IS. 1975 0.4 Praia Parliamentary republic
CEN. AFRICAN REP. 1960 3.2 Bangui One-party state/ Presidential republic
CHAD 1960 6.4 N’Djamena Presidential republic
CHILE 14.3 Santiago Presidential republic
CHINA 1,218.8 Beijing Communist republic
COLOMBIA 37.7 Bogota Presidential republic
COMOROS 1975 0.5 Moroni Parliamentary republic
CONGO 1960 2.5 Brazzaville Parliamentary republic
* This date is only given for those countries that gained their independence after the end of World War IIin 1945
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COSTA RICA 3.3 San José Republic
COTE D’IVOIRE 1960 14.3 Abidjan Parliamentary republic
CROATIA 1991 4.5 Zagreb Presidential republic
CUBA 11.2 Havana Communist republic
CYPRUS 1960 0.7 Nicosia Republic
CZECH REPUBLIC 1992 10.4 Prague Parliamentary republic
DENMARK 5.2 Copenhagen Constitutional monarchy
DJIBOUTI 1977 0.6 Djibouti Republic
DOMINICA 1978 0.1 Roseau Parliamentary democracy
DOMINICAN REP. 7.8 Santo Domingo Republic
ECUADOR 11.5 Quito Presidential republic
EGYPT 61.9 Cairo Presidential republic
EL SALVADOR 5.9 San Salvador Republic
EQ.GUINEA 1968 0.4 Malabo Military rule
ERITREA 1993 3.5 Asmara Parliamentary republic
ESTONIA 1990 1.5 Tallinn Parliamentary republic
ETHIOPIA 56.0 Addis Ababa Republic
F.S. MICRONESIA 1986 0.1 Kolonia Federal republic
FIJI 1970 0.8 Suva Republic
FINLAND 5.1 Helsinki Parliamentary democracy
FRANCE 58.1 Paris Republic
GABON 1960 1.3 Libreville Parliamentary republic
GAMBIA 1965 1.1 Banjul Presidential republic
GEORGIA 1990 5.4 Tbilisi Republic
GERMANY 81.7 Berlin Federal republic
GHANA 1057 17.5 Accra Presidential republic
GREECE 10.5 Athens Republic
GRENADA 1974 0.1 St.George’s Parliamentary democracy
GUAM 1987 0.2 Agana Republic
GUATEMALA 10.6 Guatemala Republic
GUINEA 1958 6.5 Conakry Military rule
GUINEA-BISSAU 1973 1.1 Bissau Presidential republic
GUYANA 1970 5.0 Georgetown Republic
HAITI 7.2 Port-au-Prince Republic
HONDURAS 5.5 Tegucigalpa Republic
HUNGARY 10.2 Budapest Republic
ICELAND 0.3 Reykjavik Parliamentary republic
INDIA 1947 930.6 New Delhi Federal parliamentary republic
INDONESIA 1945 198.4 Jakarta Presidential republic
IRAN 61.3 Teheran Islamic republic
IRAQ 20.6 Baghdad Presidential republic
IRELAND 3.6 Dublin Parliamentary republic
ISRAEL 1948 5.5 Jerusalem Parliamentary republic
ITALY 57.7 Rome Parliamentary republic
JAMAICA 1962 2.4 Kingston Parliamentary democracy
JAPAN 125.2 Tokyo Constitutional monarchy
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JORDAN 1946 4.1 Amman Constitutional monarchy
KAZAKHSTAN 1991 16.9 Alma-Ata Republic
KENYA 1963 28.3 Nairobi Presidential republic
KIRIBATI 1979 0.1 Bairiki Parliamentary republic
KUWAIT 1.5 Kuwait Sheikhdom
KYRGYZSTAN 1991 4.4 Pishpek Republic
LAOS 1949 4.8 Vientiane One party state/ Socialist republic
LATVIA 1990 2.5 Riga Parliamentary republic
LEBANON 3.7 Beirut Republic
LESOTHO 1966 2.1 Maseru Military rule
LIBERIA 3.0 Monrovia Republic
LIBYA 1949 5.2 Tripoli Military rule/ Presidential republic
LIECHTENSTEIN < 0.1 Vaduz Constitutional monarchy
LITHUANIA 1990 3.7 Vilnius Parliamentary republic
LUXEMBOURG 0.4 Luxembourg Constitutional monarchy
MACEDONIA 1991 2.1 Skopje Republic
MADAGASCAR 1960 14.8 Antananarivo Parliamentary republic
MALAWI 1964 9.7 Lilongwe Presidential republic
MALAYSIA 1963 19.9 Kuala Lumpur Federal constitutional monarchy
MALDIVES 1965 0.3 Male Presidential republic
MALI 1960 9.4 Bamako Parliamentary republic
MALTA 1964 0.4 Valletta Republic
MARSHALL IS. 1986 0.1 Majuro Parliamentary republic
MAURITANIA 1960 2.3 Nouakchott Parliamentary republic
MAURITIUS 1968 1.1 Port Louis Parliamentary republic
MEXICO 93.7 Mexico City Federal presidential republic
MOLDOVA 1991 4.3 Kishinev Republic
MONACO < 0.1 Monaco Principality
MONGOLIA 2.3 Ulan Bator Parliamentary republic
MOROCCO 1956 29.2 Rabat Constitutional monarchy
MOZAMBIQUE 1975 17.4 Maputo Republic
MYANMAR (BURMA) 1948 44.8 Rangoon Military rule
NAMIBIA 1990 1.5 Windhoek Presidential republic
NAURU 1968 < 0.1 Nauru Presidential republic
NEPAL 22.6 Kathmandu Constitutional monarchy
NETHERLANDS 15.5 Amsterdam Constitutional monarchy
NEW ZEALAND 3.5 Wellington Parliamentary democracy
NICARAGUA 4.4 Managua Presidential republic
NIGER 1960 9.2 Niamey Republic
NIGERIA 1960 101.2 Abuja Military rule
NORTH KOREA 23.5 Pyongyang One party state/ Presidential republic
NORWAY 4.3 Oslo Constitutional monarchy
OMAN 2.2 Muscat Sultanate
PAKISTAN 1947 129.7 Islamabad Islamic republic
PANAMA 2.6 Panama City Republic
PAPUA N. GUINEA 1975 4.1 Port Moresby Parliamentary democracy
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PARAGUAY 5.0 Asuncion Presidential republic
PERU 24.0 Lima Presidential republic
PHILIPPINES 1946 68.4 Manila Presidential republic
POLAND 38.6 Warsaw Parliamentary republic
PORTUGAL 9.9 Lisbon Parliamentary republic
QATAR 1971 0.5 Doha Sheikhdom
ROMANIA 22.7 Bucharest Republic
RUSSIA 147.5 Moscow Federal parliamentary republic
RWANDA 1962 7.8 Kigali Republic
SAN MARINO < 0.1 San Marino Presidential republic
SAO TOME 1975 0.1 Sao Tomé Republic
SAUDI ARABIA 18.5 Riyadh Absolute monarchy
SENEGAL 1960 8.3 Dakar Parliamentary republic
SEYCHELLES 1976 0.1 Victoria Republic
SIERRA LEONE 1961 4.5 Freetown Military rule
SINGAPORE 1965 3.0 Singapore Parliamentary republic
SLOVAKIA 1993 5.4 Bratislava Parliamentary republic
SLOVENIA 1990 2.0 Ljubljana Republic
SOLOMON IS. 1978 0.4 Honiara Parliamentary democracy
SOMALIA 1960 9.3 Mogadishu Military rule
SOUTH AFRICA 43.5 Pretoria Republic
SOUTH KOREA 44.9 Seoul Republic
SPAIN 39.1 Madrid Constitutional monarchy
SRI LANKA 1948 18.2 Colombo Republic
ST.KITTS-NEVIS 1983 < 0.1 Basseterre Parliamentary democracy
ST.LUCIA 1979 0.1 Castries Parliamentary democracy
ST.VINCENT 1979 0.1 Kingstown Parliamentary democracy
SUDAN 1956 28.1 Khartoum Islamic republic/ Military rule
SURINAME 1975 0.4 Paramaribo Republic
SWAZILAND 1968 1.0 Mbabane Constitutional monarchy
SWEDEN 8.9 Stockholm Constitutional monarchy
SWITZERLAND 7.0 Berne Federal parliamentary republic
SYRIA 1946 14.7 Damascus Republic
TAIWAN 21.2 Taipei Republic
TAJIKISTAN 1991 5.8 Dushanbe Presidential republic
TANZANIA 1961 28.5 Dar-es-Salaam Republic
THAILAND 60.2 Bangkok Constitutional monarchy
TOGO 1960 4.4 Lomé Presidential republic
TONGA 0.1 Nuku’alofa Constitutional monarchy
TRINIDAD-TOBAGO 1962 1.3 Port of Spain Republic
TUNISIA 1956 8.9 Tunis Republic
TURKEY 61.4 Ankara Republic
TURKMENISTAN 1991 4.5 Ashkhabad Presidential republic
TUVALU 1978 < 0.1 Funafuti Parliamentary democracy
UGANDA 1962 21.3 Kampala One party state/ Presidential republic
UKRAINE 1991 52.0 Kiev Republic
24
UNITED ARAB EMIR. 1.9 Abu Dhabi Republic
UNITED KINGDOM 58.6 London Constitutional monarchy
UNITED STATES 263.2 Washington Federal republic
URUGUAY 3.2 Montevideo Republic
UZBEKISTAN 1991 22.7 Tashkent Republic
VANUATU 1980 0.2 Port Vila Parliamentary republic
VATICAN CITY < 0.1 Vatican City Ecclesiastical state
VENEZUELA 21.8 Caracas Republic
VIETNAM 1954 75.0 Hanoi Communist republic
WESTERN SAHARA 1973 0.2 El Aaiun Republic
WESTERN SAMOA 1962 0.2 Apia Constitutional monarchy
YEMEN 1967 13.2 San’a Republic
YUGOSLAVIA (SERBIA) 1945 10.8 Belgrade Federal republic
ZAIRE 1960 44.1 Kinshasa Presidential republic
ZAMBIA 1964 9.1 Lusaka Republic
ZIMBABWE 1980 11.3 Harare Republic
ACTIVITY
Find out the present day leaders of the following countries:
AUSTRALIA Governor-General JAPAN Prime MinisterPrime Minister
NEW ZEALAND Prime MinisterBRAZIL President
PERU PresidentCHINA Communist Party
ChairmanPHILIPPINES President
FIJI PresidentPrime Minister
P.N.G. Prime Minister
FRANCE President RUSSIA PresidentPrime Minister
U.K. MonarchGERMANY Chancellor Prime Minister
INDIA Prime Minister U.S.A. President
25
CHAPTER 3
GOVERNMENTS OF THESOUTH PACIFIC
Although the Pacific islands have been settled for thousands of years, it is onlyrecently that they have been grouped together as nations.
In the last century, colonial powers such as France, Britain, Germany, Hollandand the United States took control of large areas of the Pacific. This century,Japan, Australia and New Zealand have also taken over the governing of certainisland groups.
But, as in the rest of the world, there has been a strong move towards self-government since 1945, and today, most of the former colonial territories haveattained their independence.
The independent Pacific nations have formed an organization known as theSouth Pacific Forum. At the annual meetings of this organization, Pacific islandleaders come together to discuss matters that affect the governments of thewhole region. The executive part of the Forum is called the “Forum Secretariat”.
Nations and islandgroups of the South
Pacific in 1996
26
ACTIVITIES
1. Questions a) to g) refer to this map of part of the South Pacific:
a. Name the nations, island groups and islands shown by the lettersA to 0 on the map.
b. Which countries on the map are independent nations in the BritishCommonwealth? Divide them into two groups:
i) Constitutional monarchies ii) Republics
c. Which island group on the map is part of the U.S.A.?
d. Which island groups on the map are overseas territories of France?
e. Which islands on the map are self-governing territories of NZ.?
f. Which island group on the map has always been independent?
g. In which years did island groups B,C,D,E,G and I gain theirindependence?
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H I
J
K
M N
O
L
27
28
2. a. Make a list of all the member countries of the South Pacific Forum.b. Which island groups are not members of the Forum? Why?
3. Name the countries represented by the flags drawn on the front coverof this booklet. Make accurate copies of all the flags shown, in thecorrect colours. (Hint: black shading represents red; what coloursdo other kinds of shading represent?)
CHAPTER 4
CURRENT EVENTS
ACTIVITIES
1. With the help of your teacher, find out some news items from Vanuatu andaround the world. You can listen to the news on Radio Vanuatu, watch it onthe television, read “Vanuatu Weekly” or “Trading Post”, and look atmagazines such as “Pacific Islands Monthly” and “Time”.
Find out three countries that are currently in the news, and briefly statewhat is happening in each. Report your findings to the class when asked.
2. On an outline map of the world, show the countries and places in the newsthis year. (This could also be done as a group activity, using a large wallmap).
29
CHAPTER 5
GOVERNMENT IN VANUATU
NATIONAL SYMBOLSWhen people group together to form a nation, they choose certain symbols torepresent their country. The use of such symbols helps all people inside thenational boundary to feel that they belong to the same nation. A national symbolhelps them to have pride in the country of which they are citizens.
Common national symbols are the name of the country, the flag, the motto, theemblem, the coat of arms, and the national anthem.
When the New Hebrides gained its independence on 30th July 1980, it adopted anew name for the nation, “Vanuatu”. This word means “our land”, or “islandsthat stand up for ever”. Other national symbols that were adopted are shownbelow.
Flag
Vanuatu’s flag has four colours.
The top part is red, representing the unity of the people of Vanuatu. Althoughpeople come from different islands and have different languages and customs,everyone’s blood is the same colour, red.
The bottom part of the flag isgreen, representing the maincolour of Vanuatu’s islands, whichare covered in rain forest.
The black part of the flagrepresents the skin colour of ni-Vanuatu, who are the indigenouspeople of the nation.
Inside the black part, you can seethe emblem of Vanuatu, made up of a pig’s tusk and two crossed namele leaves.The pig’s tusk is a symbol of traditional wealth, and the namele leaves are usedas a sign of respect or peace. Also inside the black section is the letter “Y”drawn sideways. This represents the rough shape of the islands of Vanuatu,between Torres and Aneityum. Both the emblem and the “Y” are shown inyellow. Most people take this to mean the spiritual light that Christianity broughtto our islands. Others say that it means the sunshine or the sandy beaches that aremajor tourist attractions of the nation.
30
Emblem, Coat of Arms and Motto
National anthem
Chorus: Yumi, yumi, yumi i glad blong talem seYumi, yumi, yumi i man blong Vanuatu.
Verse 1: God i givim ples ia long yumiYumi glad tu mas long hem,Yumi strong mo yumi fri long hem,Yumi brata evri wan.
Verse 2: Planti fasin blong bifo i stapPlanti fasin blong tedei,Be yumi i olsem wan nomo,Hemia fasin blong yumi.
Verse 3: Yumi save plante wok i stapLong ol aelan blong yumiGod i helpem yumi evri wan,Hem i Papa blong yumi.
ACTIVITIES
1. Make your own coloured drawing of the national flag of Vanuatu. Thenexplain the meaning of the colours and the design of this flag.
2. Write short descriptions of Vanuatu’s emblem and its coat of arms. Giveexamples of places, objects or documents where each is found.
3. What is meant by a”national anthem”? On what occasions isVanuatu’s national anthem used? Make a translation of Vanuatu’snational anthem into good English or French.
4. a. Explain why flags are sometimes flown at “half-mast”.b. Why should people stand up when the national anthem is sung?
Emblem
Coat of armsMotto
31
CONSTITUTION AND STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT
A constitution is a set of rules for governing a nation. These rules are usuallywritten down clearly, for everyone in the country to follow.
A constitution is an extremely important document. It states how thegovernment of a nation will be formed, and it describes the duties of thedifferent branches of government.
Vanuatu’s Constitution was made just before Independence. It was prepared by alarge committee containing representatives of the New Hebrides, British andFrench Governments, of the National Council of Chiefs, of the New HebridesChristian Council, and of all political parties.
The ceremony for the signing of the Constitution was held in Port Vila on 5thOctober 1979. On this day, a large crowd gathered in front of the oldCondominium Building (now called “Constitution Building”) to watch theofficial signing of the Constitution by the Chief Minister and Deputy ChiefMinister of the New Hebrides Government,
by other Ministers, and by the
British and French Resident Commissioners. The members of the Comittee whohad prepared the document also added their signatures. The ceremony, waswitnessed by the chiefs of Efate, seated on mats on the ground.
Vanuatu’s Constitution states that the government must be elected in ademocratic manner. It says that the official languages are English, Bislama andFrench, but that local languages must be preserved. The Constitution explainsthat every person in Vanuatu has certain basic rights and duties. It gives rules forcitizenship.
The beginning of the original Constitution is reprinted on page 33. Because itwas signed before Independence, the name of the country was written as “NewHebrides”, and not “Vanuatu”.
The signing of the Constitution on 5th October 1979
32
Extract from Vanuatu’s original Constitution
33
Most of Vanuatu’s Constitution is concerned with how the government ofVanuatu will be carried out. The Constitution says that the Head of State will bethe President. It states that Vanuatu’s laws will be made by a democraticallyelected legislative body known as Parliament, and it gives rules for holdingmeetings of Parliament. It sets up the National Council of Chiefs to advise onmatters to do with custom and language. It gives executive power to the PrimeMinister and the Council of Ministers for making sure that the laws passed byParliament are carried out. It establishes the judiciary to make decisions aboutpeople who break the laws of the country. It explains the duties of the PublicService, which consists of all people who are employed by the government in itsvarious departments.
The diagram on page 34 summarizes the structure of government in Vanuatu in1996. It is based upon the rules of the Constitution.
According to the Constitution, Parliament is elected by all adult citizens ofVanuatu. The members of Parliament choose their own chairman, who is knownas the Speaker. Parliament also elects the Prime Minister, who in turn choosesother Ministers from among the members of Parliament.
Ministers choose their own political secretaries to help them in their work.Ministers and political advisers come from the political party that holds themajority of seats in Parliament. If there is a change in the ruling political party,they will lose their jobs.
Public servants, on the other hand, work permanently for the governmentdepartments shown at the bottom of the diagram on page 33, regardless of whichpolitical party is in power. They are also known as “civil servants”. The seniorpublic servant in each Ministry is the Director-General, who is responsible forall Departments and Units of the Ministry. Under him, each Department isheaded by a Director.
As well as rules about government, the Constitution also contains rules ofbehaviour for leaders, and rules regarding land, decentralization andemergencies.
Finally, the Constitution states clearly the steps that must be taken if any of itsrules are to be changed or amended. At least two-thirds of the members ofParliament must agree to any change. Examples of amendments to theConstitution that have already been made are:
• The name “New Hebrides” has been changed to “Vanuatu”.• The formation of Provincial Government Councils in Vanuatu has been
made legal.
34
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8
35
ACTIVITIES
1. Why do you think that Vanuatu’s Constitution is such an importantdocument?
2. Describe the scene shown in the photograph on page 31
3. How can you tell from the extract from the Constitution on page 32 thatVanuatu is a democracy? Give three pieces of evidence.
4. Explain the meaning of the following words that are used in theConstitution:
preamble sovereigntysupreme franchisefundamental rights
5. Explain why Constitution Day is officially celebrated on 5th Octobereach year.
6. Copy and complete each of the following statements, which are takenfrom Vanuatu’s Constitution:
a. Vanuatu’s three official languages are ..............., .................... and........................
b. The Head of State is known as the .................. He is electedby ............................., and holds his position for a period of.............. years. When he is ill or absent, his place is taken by the................ of ......................
c. To change any part of the Constitution, more than ............. of themembers of Parliament must agree.
d. The body that advises the government on matters regarding customand language is called the ........................................
7. Make a large copy of the diagram on page 34, showing any changes inthe structure of government since March 1998.
Then shade the boxes in three colours:
a. the legislative branch of government (green)
b. the executive branch of government (red)
c. other parts of the government (yellow)
8. State the names of the Government Ministers who presently hold office.Indicate the Ministry for which they are responsible.
9. Explain the difference between the “legislative” and the “executive”branches of government.
36
10. Who is responsible for electing or choosing each of the following:
• Parliament • Prime Minister• Chief Justice • Minister of Health• Political Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture
11. According to the Constitution, the President must choose the Ombudsmanafter consulting the Prime Minister, the Speaker, the leaders of thepolitical parties represented in Parliament, the Presidents of the NationalCouncil of Chiefs and Provincial Government Councils, and the Chairmenof the Public Service and Judicial Service Commissions.
a. Vanuatu’s first Ombudsman was appointed only in 1995, 16 yearsafter the signing of the Constitution. Why do you think it took sucha long time to appoint her?
b. Who is the present Ombudsman?
12. Would you prefer to be a Minister, a political secretary or a public servant?State the reasons for your choice.
HOW PARLIAMENT IS ELECTED
Vanuatu’s Parliament is elected at a general election, which is held every fouryears. General elections have so far been held in 1979, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1995and 1998.
All adult citizens of Vanuatu aged 18 and upwards are eligible to vote in ageneral election. A list of all these eligible electors has been drawn up and isknown as the electoral roll. Each eligible elector holds his own electoral card,which gives him or her the right to vote in a general election.
According to the laws of Vanuatu, it is compulsory for all eligible adults to beregistered on the electoral roll. However, it is not compulsory to actually vote inan election.
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Example of the electoral card used in Vanuatu
To elect the members of Parliament, Vanuatu is divided into a number of voting
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areas, or consituencies. Each constituency must fill a certain number of places orseats in Parliament.
At the first general election, the electors voted for 39 members of Parliament,coming from 14 constituencies. In 1987, this was changed, and at the thirdgeneral election, there were 46 seats in Parliament, coming from 15constituencies. In 1995, the number of Parliamentary seats was raised to 50. In1998, in a further change, the number of constituencies was raised to 17 and thenumber of seats to 52. The names of the present constituencies and the numberof seats they have in Parliament is shown on the map on page 39.
In the 1998 General Election, the following procedure for the election ofParliament was followed:
1. A date was chosen for the election.
2. In each constituency, those people who wished to be elected as members ofParliament had to register their names. They were known as the candidatesfor election in that constituency. Each candidate had to be over 25 yearsold. If he or she was a public servant, he/she had to resign from theirgovernment post. The majority of the candidates represented one or anotherof the political parties; there were however quite a large number ofindependent candidates who did not represent a particular party. In allconstituencies, there were a greater number of candidates than there wereof seats. For example, in the Banks/Torres constituency, there were 7candidates for two seats; in Efate Rural, there were 20 candidates for fourseats (see page 40).
3. On election day, voters in each ward of the constituency came to their localpolling station to elect the candidate(s) of their choice. The method ofvoting used is known as secret ballot. It is described in the official posterthat has been re-printed on pages 42 and 43.
The votes were then counted. In each constituency, the candidates whoreceived the most votes were elected to Parliament, according to thenumber of seats available. In Maewo, for example, only one candidate waselected. In Efate Rural, on the other hand, four out of the twenty candidateswho contested the election became members of Parliament.
5. When all 52 members of Parliament had been elected, the first session ofParliament was held. By majority vote, the members elected the Speaker,and later, the Prime Minister.
Although there are 52 seats in Parliament, it sometimes happens that a seatbecomes vacant. A member of Parliament may resign, he may die, or he may beexpelled. When this happens, a by-election must be held.
In a by-election, voters in a constituency elect a new member of Parliament to fillup the vacant seat. Voting is done in the same way as for a general election. Newcandidates are put forward, and the election is done by secret ballot.
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Luganville
(2)
Electoral constituencies, 1998
(Numbers in brackets show the number
of seats in Parliament)Banks - Torres
(2)
Santo Rural
(7)
Ambae
(3)Maewo (1)
Pentecost(4)
Malakula
(7)
Ambrym (2)
Paama (1)
Epi (2)
Tongoa (1)
Shepherds (1)
Efate Rural
(4)Port Vila (6)
Tafea Outer
Islands (1)
Tanna
(7)
Malo - Aore
(1)
0 80 km
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Candidates standing for election in the constituencies of Banks/Torres, EfateRural and Tafea Outer Islands, March 1998.
CONSTITUENCY OF BANKS/TORRES: 2 SEATSLuke Titinson Dini Union of Moderate PartiesBarnabas Wilson National United PartyStanley Reginald National United PartyJohn Dickenson Hughug Vanuaaku PartyJohn Mark Melanesian Progressive PartyHenry Nelson Nin Vanuatu Republican PartyTagar Wyclife Independent Candidate
CONSTITUENCY OF EFATE RURAL: 4 SEATSLouis Guy Carlot Union of Moderate PartiesRoro Sambo Union of Moderate PartiesChilia Jimmy Meto National United PartyPeter K. Taurakoto National United PartyDonald Kalpokas Vanuaaku PartyFoster Rakon Vanuaaku PartyJoe Bomal Carlo Vanuaaku PartyBarak Tame Sope Melanesian Progressive PartyKalegor Steele Melanesian Progressive PartyLionel Kaluat Vanuatu Republican PartyThomas Brothy Varatia Vanuatu Republican PartyRussel Malakai Vanuatu Republican PartyKalmut Wilfred Kalpukai Liberal PartyLeiasmanu Culwick Vanuatu Women in PoliticsBill Kalsrap Kaltoi Independent CandidateNatonga Saby Independent CandidateKaltamat Joel Felix Independent CandidateTalkananmal Toto Leoped Independent CandidateKanegai Jean Claude Independent CandidateNunu Naperkimala Alick Soalo Independent Candidate
CONSTITUENCY OF TAFEA OUTER ISLANDS: 1 SEATJames Naling Mackenzie Union of Moderate PartiesAllen Nafuki Vanuaaku PartyMete Taki Apei John Melanesian Progressive PartyJohn J. Shing Vanuatu Republican PartyMike Uyori John Frum Candidate
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Ballot papers for the candidates in the Epi constituency, March 1998
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ACTIVITIES
1. Define each of the following terms. If possible, give an actualexample:
general election candidateeligible polling stationelectoral roll constituencyparliamentary session by-electionparliamentary seat marjority votevacant seat
2. Which constituencies have the most seats in Parliament? How is thenumber of seats for each constituency determined?
3. Copy and complete the first page (“Identity”) of the electoral card foryourself. What is the purpose of the electoral card?
4. What is meant by the “secret ballot” method of voting? What is theadvantage of using this method?
5. Name any five members of Parliament. For each one, state theconstituency which he or she represents and the political party that he/shebelongs to.
6. Carefully describe the method of voting that was used in the 1995 GeneralElection. If you wish, you can simply translate the captions for the picturesshown on pages 42- 43 from Bislama into English.
7. How long is the normal term of office of Parliament? How is this differentto the term of office of the President? Can you see any advantage in thisarrangement?
Extra activities
8. Find out how a parliamentary session is opened. What is the role of thePresident of the Republic?
9. State two laws that have been passed by Parliament in the current year.While a draft law is being discussed by Parliament, it is known as a Bill.Once passed and signed by the President, it is called an Act.
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44
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APPENDIX A EXTRA ACTIVITIES
1. Languages of the world
The map above shows the main language “families” of the world.Languages in the same family are similar and probably began in the samearea.
a. To which great language family do ni-Vanuatu languages belong?
b. Why do you think that Indo-European languages are so widelyspread?
c. Compare this map with a map of the nations of the world. Give someexamples of:
• nations in which everyone’s language issimilar
• nations which include peoples from two or more great languagefamilies.
2. Quotations for further thought or discussion
Here are some quotations by various leaders of thought. What exactly
does each quotation mean? Do you agree or disagree?
a. “You can only govern men by serving them, a rule without exception.”(V. Cousin)
b. “He who loves not his country can love nothing.” (Lord Byron)c. “No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s
consent.” (Abraham Lincoln)d. “Ein Reich! Ein Volk! Ein Fuehrer! (“One State! One People! One
Leader!” (Adolf Hitler)e. “The earth is but one country and mankind are its citizens.”
(Baha’u’llah)
Khoisan
Indo-European
Ural-AltaicNilo-SaharanNiger-Congo
Afro-As
Japanese-KoreanSino-Tibetan
DravidianMalay-Polynesian
Austro-AsiaticAmerican IndianEskimo-Aleut
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APPENDIX B REVISION TEST Time: I hour• Write your answers in your exercise book or on special paper.• Trace a copy of the map on page 48, and answer question 6 on this copy.
1. Draw a picture of Vanuatu’s national emblem, and explain what it means. (3)
2. State whether each of the following is true or false:
a. Elections are frequent in a totalitarian country.
b. In a coalition form of government, only one political party makes thedecisions.
c. Most nations in the world became independent after 1945.
d. In a republic, the head of state is usually known as the president.
e. In some member countries of the British Commonwealth, the head ostate is the Queen of the United Kingdom, represented by a governor-general.
f. Vanuatu’s President is elected by the members of Parliament.
g. To make an amendment to Vanuatu’s Constitution, at least one halfof the members of Parliament must agree.
h. The Vanuatu Police Force comes under the direction of the Ministerof Home Affairs.
i. The Prime Minister is the chief executive of the Vanuatu Government. (9)
3. Define the following and give an actual example of each:
a. nation b. coup d’etatc. federation d. colonial powere. parliamentary democracy f. constituency (12)
4. Explain why each of the following is important to Vanuatu:
a. the President b. Parliamentc. the National Anthem d. the Constitution (8)
5. Briefly describe how members of Parliament are elected in Vanuatu. (4)
6. Answer questions a. to e. using the outline map of the world on page 49.
a. State the form of government in nations A and B
b. Name the President of nation C
c. Name the capital city of nation D
d. Print these words on the map in the correct places:
Indian Ocean, Europe, Canada, Antarctica
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e. On the map, mark clearly and name
(i) the country with the greatest population ( )
(ii) a country under military rule ( )
(iii) a country which has a communist government (##)
(iv) the place where last year’s meeting of the South Pacific Forum was held (*)
(v) one absolute monarchy ( )
(vi) the Equator ( ) (14)
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APPENDIX C GLOSSARY
(Note: the meanings given below are for the words as they are used in thisbooklet. You may also find other meanings in your dictionary)
absolute monarchy Nation in which the king or queen has complete power
act A law that has been passed by Parliament
amended Changed
authoritarian Way of decision-making in which one person (or group)makes all the decisions himself and allows no differencesof opinion
bill A proposed law that is being discussed by Parliament
British Commonwealth Group of nations that were formerly governed by Britain(U.K.)
by-election Time when people vote to elect a new member ofParliament in place of one who has died, resigned or beenexpelled
candidate Person ishing to be chosen for, or elected to, a position
citizen Person belonging to a nation, who has all its basic rightsand duties, including holding the passport of that nation
coalition Government formed when two or more political partiesagree to put aside their differences and work together
coat of arms Drawing or badge that represents an organization or anation
colonial government Nation that occupies land outside its own territory andgoverns the people there
colony Area and its people under the control or rule of a foreigngovernment
communist government Totalitarian form of government in which all means ofproduction belong to the community, not to individuals
constituency Area which is represented in Parliament by one or moremembers
constitution Set of rules for governing a nation
constitutional monarchy Nation in which the power of the king or queen is clearlydefined by the nation’s constitution; most decisions aremade by parliament
contested Competed for parliamentary seats (in an election)
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coup (or coup d’état) Violent change of government
democracy Form of government in which the people take part indecision-making
democratic Way of decision-making in which everyone has a chanceto participate
dictatorship Nation in which one person or group has complete controlof the government
direct suffrage All citizens of a country participate in a vote, for example,to elect the President
elector Person who is voting
electoral card Paper that gives a person the right to vote in an election
electoral roll List of all persons allowed to vote in an election
eligible Fit or qualified
emblem Simple sign that represents an organization or a nation
enforced Made to be carried out
executed Put to death
executive Concerned with the carrying out of decisions or laws
executive power Power to apply or enforce the laws
exiled Sent out of one’s own country for ever
federation Group of states or territories that agree to form a nationand give up some of their powers to one centralgovernment
figurehead Leader in name only, but without any real power
franchise Right to vote
fundamental rights Basic things a person should be allowed to do
general election Time when all people in a nation can vote for themembers of Parliament
governing Way in which decisions are made in a nation
government Body that makes decisions for a nation and makes surethat those decisions are carried out
head of state Most important person in a nation
hold office Be in a position of responsibility or power; be in anofficial position
ideal Perfect
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independent Self-governing or self-supporting; not depending onanyone else
indigenous Native, or belonging naturally to a place
indirect suffrage Method of voting in which citizens first electrepresentatives (members of parliament), who then electthe President
institution Organized body that carries out work; it usually operatesfrom one or more buildings
judicial power Power to judge whether a person has broken a law, and todecide upon a suitable punishment
judiciary Judge, or group of judges, who consider cases where thelaws of the country have been broken
junta Small group of military leaders that governs a country
leadership The position of leader, or the guiding head of a body
legislative concerned with the making of laws
legislative power Power to make laws
majority More than half
majority vote More than half the voters agree
military rule Government by army leaders
minority group Group of people in a country who are different inlanguage, religion, customs or other ways from most ofthe people in that country
motto Short saying that expresses the aim or main belief of anorganization or a nation
multi-party system Form of government that allows several political parties tooperate
nation Large group of people who want to live together, governthemselves and be independent of other groups
national anthem Song of praise about a nation
parliament Elected body responsible for framing the laws of a nation
parliamentary democracy Form of government where people choose representativeswho meet in a Parliament to make decisions; Parliamentis the driving force in the government
parliamentary republic Republic where the Parliament is more powerful than thePresident
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political party Group of people sharing the same basic beliefs in how anation should be governed
polling station Building where people go to vote in an election
preamble First or introductory part of a statement
president Head of state in a republic
presidential democracy Form of government where there is both a President andan elected Parliament, but the President is the drivingforce in the government.
presidential republic Republic where the President holds a lot of power
principality Small nation ruled by a prince
private ownership Property belongs to individuals
procedure Way of doing something
public ownership Property belongs to the community
public service All employees of the government, who work to serve thecommunity
republic Nation in which power is held by the people or theirelected representatives; the head of state is a presidentand not a monarch
revolution Sudden overthrow of a government or leadership, usuallydone by violence or force
seat Place in Parliament
secret ballot Method of election in which no-one else knows how aperson has voted
seize Take something suddenly, by force
self-government Form of government in which a nation controls its ownaffairs and makes its own decisions
session Period of time when Parliament is holding its meeting
sheikhdom Nation in the Middle East that is ruled by a sheikh(Arabic title for a high chief)
sovereignty Power or right to rule over others
speaker Person who acts as the chairman at a meeting ofParliament
state Body that has the right to rule over a group of people wholive in an area; it refers to the territory inside certainborders, to the people who live in that territory, and to thesystem of government that directs those people.
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sultanate Nation ruled by a sultan (Arabic title for a king)
supreme Highest
symbol Sign or mark that means something
term Certain length of time
totalitarian See “authoritarian”
vacant Empty
values Things that are considered important
ward Subdivision of a constituency
