Source: MAPS IN MINUTES™ © RH Publications (1997)

A country comprising a double chain of over 80 south-west Pacific Ocean islands between latitudes 13° and 21°S and longitudes 167° and 170°E.

Physical

Only a dozen of Vanuatu’s islands are suitable for settlement, the largest being Espíritu Santo, Efate, Malekula, Maewo, Pentecost, Ambrim, Erromanga, and Tanna. Of volcanic origin, they are very hilly. South-east trade winds moderate the heat from May to October.

Economy

Small-scale agriculture employs about two-thirds of the workforce and provides Vanuatu’s principal exports: copra, beef, cocoa, timber, kava, and coffee. Fishing, financial services, and tourism are also important.

History

During the 19th century, thousands of the indigenous people of Vanuatu—Kanakas—were taken to work on sugar plantations in Queensland, Australia. The population was decimated and took many years to recover. The islands were placed under an Anglo-French naval commission in 1887. In World War II they served as a major Allied base. They became an independent republic and member of the Commonwealth of Nations in 1980. In 2015 Cyclone Pat devastated Vanuatu, leaving over 65,000 people homeless and destroying much of the islands’ agriculture.