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| CIA Background Information |
Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct language, migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia preceding European exploration in the 18th century. This settlement pattern accounts for the complex linguistic diversity found on the archipelago to this day. The British and French, who settled the New Hebrides in the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in 1980, when the new name of Vanuatu was adopted.
| U.S. State Department Description |
Country Description:
Vanuatu consists of more than 80 islands in a Y-shaped archipelago, 1300 miles northeast of Sydney, Australia. It is an independent parliamentary democracy and a member of the British Commonwealth, with a primarily agricultural economy. Tourist facilities are limited outside the capital, Port Vila, which is located on the Island of Efate. The National Tourism Office of Vanuatu can be contacted at PO Box 209, Port Vila, Vanuatu, telephone (678) 22515, 22685, 22813, fax (678) 23889, e-mail: tourism@vanuatu.com.vu
. Read the Department of State Background Notes
on Vanuatu for additional information.
ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport and onward/ ... Read this Article
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--ni-Vanuatu.
Population (2007 est.): 218,000.
Annual growth rate (2007 est.): 2.0%.
Ethnic groups: 94% ni-Vanuatu; 4% European; 2% other Pacific Islanders, Asian.
Religion: Predominantly Christian (84%).
Languages: Bislama (Pidgin), English (official), French (official), over 100 tribal languages.
Education: Enrollment in primary is 100% with rapid fall-off to 20% in secondary and upper secondary. Adult literacy rate (2007)--74% ... Read this Article
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Location: Vanuatu is Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia See Map
Capital: name: Port-Vila (on Efate)
geographic coordinates: 17 44 S, 168 19 E
time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Currency (Code): vatu (VUV) ...More
Area: total: 12,200 sq km , land: 12,200 sq km , water: 0 sq km , note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited ( 1 sq km is approximately 0.4 sq miles or 250 acres)
Area Comparison: slightly larger than Connecticut
Elevation Extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m , highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m (1 meter = 3.28 feet)
Population: 215,446 (July 2008 est.)
Unemployment: 1.7% (1999)
Ethnic Groups: Ni-Vanuatu 98.5%, other 1.5% (1999 Census)
Religion: Presbyterian 31.4%, Anglican 13.4%, Roman Catholic 13.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, other Christian 13.8%, indigenous beliefs 5.6% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 9.6%, none 1%, unspecified 1.3% (1999 Census)
Languages: local languages (more than 100) 72.6%, pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama) 23.1%, English 1.9%, French 1.4%, other 0.3%, unspecified 0.7% (1999 Census)
More Statistics
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| History
The preHistory of Vanuatu is obscure; archaeological evidence supports the commonly held theory that peoples speaking Austronesian languages first came to the islands some 4,000 years ago. Pottery fragments have been found dating back to 1300-1100 B.C.
The first island in the Vanuatu group discovered by Europeans was Espiritu ... Read this Article
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| Geographic Info for Vanuatu : |
Geography
Area: Land--11,830 sq. km. (4,568 sq. miles) archipelago of 83 islands. Comparative area--about the size of Connecticut.
Cities: Capital--Port Vila (on the island of Efate), pop. 33,700. Other towns--Luganville (on the island of Espiritu Santo, also known as Santo).
Terrain: Mostly mountains of volcanic origin, narrow coastal plains.
Climate: Tropical or subtropical.
... Read this Article
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