Geography

Vanuatu is located about 500 miles (800 kilometers) west of Fiji and 1,100 miles (1,800 kilometers) east of Australia. Vanuatu's chain of islands form a Y shape. There are 13 main islands and some 60 smaller ones. Éfaté is the principal island. The largest island is Espíritu Santo. They are all part of an area of the Pacific known as Melanesia. The total land area of the Vanuatu islands is 4,707 square miles (12,190 square kilometers).

Vanuatu has diverse landforms. Coral reefs are found just offshore of many of the islands. In general, the islands' coasts are lined with narrow plains. The interiors tend to be mountainous with active volcanoes. Vanuatu is also subject to frequent earthquakes. The highest peak is Mount Tabwémasana, on Espíritu Santo. It rises to some 6,165 feet (1,879 meters) above sea level. Vanuatu lies within a region known as the tropics, and the climate is generally hot and rainy. However, seasonal winds make it cooler and drier for part of the year.

Plants and animals

Most of the islands of Vanuatu are covered by dense rain forests. Tall trees thrive above a thick undergrowth of ferns and vines. Rare orchids are found at higher elevations. The drier regions have open patches of grassland. The islands are home to a number of insects and birds, including pigeons, parrots, honeyeaters, and thrushes. Eleven types of bats live on the islands. Three of those types cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

People and culture

The vast majority of the people of Vanuatu are ethnically Melanesian. There are also small groups of Europeans and people from the nearby area of Polynesia. More than 100 languages are spoken in Vanuatu. Most of the people also know how to speak Bislama, a simplified version of English used as a common language. Bislama, English, and French are the country's official languages. Most of the people are Christian, primarily Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, and Anglican. Traditional religions are also practiced.

More than three quarters of the people live in rural areas. The largest towns are Vila, on the island of Éfaté, and Luganville, on Espíritu Santo.

Economy

Farming, fishing, and raising cattle are the major occupations in Vanuatu. Most of the people grow food on small farms to feed to their own families. The main crops for food include coconuts, yams, taro, and other fruits and vegetables. Coconuts also provide Vanuatu's most valuable export—copra, the dried meat of the fruit. Other important exports are timber from the nation's dense rain forests, beef, and cacao beans. Some large-scale commercial fishing also takes place.

Vanuatu's manufacturing industries include processing of food products and wood. Tourism is an important source of foreign income. In addition, Vanuatu has become an international financial center. Companies from all over the world are attracted to Vanuatu because businesses pay no taxes there.

History

Melanesian peoples lived on the northern islands of Vanuatu more than 3,000 years ago. Over time, different groups of Melanesians and some Polynesians came over to settle the other islands. European contact began with the Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernández de Quirós in AD 1606. The French navigator Louis de Bougainville arrived next in 1768. Six years later, British naval captain James Cook mapped the group of islands. He named them the New Hebrides, after the Scottish Hebrides Islands.

European merchants, missionaries, and cotton planters came to the islands from about the mid-19th century. The missionaries were mainly British, and the planters were mainly French. To protect their interests, the British and French governments established political control over the islands in 1887.

During World War II (1939–45), the New Hebrides was a major army base for United States forces. The non-European peoples of New Hebrides were inspired by what seemed like equality among the black and white American troops. After the war, the local people began to seek greater freedom from the Europeans who controlled their islands.

In 1977 representatives from Britain, France, and New Hebrides agreed on independence for New Hebrides. A constitution was created in 1979. It guaranteed that land could not be taken away from its traditional owners and their families. In 1980 New Hebrides became an independent republic. It was renamed Vanuatu, which means “Our Land Forever.” The new nation has faced economic troubles and charges of government corruption. However, in 1997 the government began to reform the economy. Population (2001 estimate), 195,000.