Vanuatu

Vanuatu is positioned in the Southwestern Pacific. It is made up of 70 islands and the main ones are Espiritu Santo, Malakula, Efate, Erromango and Ambryn which are nearly all coral formations of volcanic origin.

Vanuatu is shaped in a Y and is a republic.The total area is 14 763 square kilometres. The capital city is Port Vila.  

Market in Port Vila

The highest volcano is Tabwemasana which is 1811m and is on Espiritu Santo. Most of the islands are forested and the climate is wet and tropical and the average temperature is 25 degrees. The annual rainfall in the north is 3810mm or lower and in the south it is 2286mm or lower.

Farmers harvesting yams
on Pentecost Island..
The picture is from Encarta.

The food crops are yams, taro and bananas. The tourism is expanding rapidly and their currency is 'vatu.'

Families grow their fruit and vegetables, raise chickens and hogs and catch fish. On Vanuatu there are 300 elementary schools and several high schools. Small ships and airplanes are the main means of transport. There are no railway tracks. The government runs a newspaper factory and a radio station.

People have lived in Vanuatu for 3000 years even when it wasn't called Vanuatu. Pedro Fernandez de Queiros, the leader of a Spanish expedition, was the first European to see Vanuatu. From 1906-1980 Britain and France jointly governed Vanuatu which was then called New Hebrides. In 1987 a cyclone struck Vanuatu and caused many deaths and major damage.

Port Vila has a
sheltered harbour.

Bibliography :

Encarta 96 Encyclopedia
CD ROM by Microsoft Pty Ltd

The World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia- World Book, Inc.