Vanuatu
Republic of Vanuatu Ripablik blong Vanuatu (Bislama)
République de Vanuatu (French) |
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Motto: "Long God yumi stanap" (Bislama) (In God we stand[1][2][3]) |
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Anthem: "Yumi, Yumi, Yumi" (Bislama) ("We, We, We") |
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Capital and largest city |
Port Vila 17°45′S 168°18′E / 17.75°S 168.3°E |
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Official languages | Bislama English French |
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Ethnic groups (1999) | Ni-Vanuatu 98.5% other 1.5% |
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Demonym | Ni-Vanuatu; Vanuatuan | |||||
Government | Unitary parliamentary republic | |||||
- | President | Baldwin Lonesdale | ||||
- | Prime Minister | Joe Natuman | ||||
Independence | ||||||
- | from France and the United Kingdom | 30 July 1980 | ||||
Area | ||||||
- | Total | 12,190 km2 (161st) 4,710 sq mi |
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Population | ||||||
- | estimate | 224,564 (July 2011 est.)[4] | ||||
- | 2009 census | 243,304[5] | ||||
- | Density | 19.7/km2 (188th) 51/sq mi |
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GDP (PPP) | 2010 estimate | |||||
- | Total | $1.216 billion[6] | ||||
- | Per capita | $5,500 (2010 est.)[6] | ||||
GDP (nominal) | 2010 estimate | |||||
- | Total | $721 million[6] | ||||
- | Per capita | $2,835[6] | ||||
HDI (2004) | 0.693 medium · 126th |
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Currency | Vanuatu vatu (VUV) | |||||
Time zone | VUT (Vanuatu Time) (UTC+11) | |||||
Drives on the | right | |||||
Calling code | 678 | |||||
Internet TLD | .vu |
Vanuatu is a country in the Pacific Ocean. The official languages of Vanuatu are Bislama, English and French. Vanuatu has a population of about 202,609 people (2004). The capital of Vanuatu is Port Vila. The country was ruled as a colony by England and France until it got its freedom in 1980. During the colonial time, it was named the "New Hebrides" or "Nouvelles Hebrides".
Geography[change | change source]
Vanuatu is an island archipelago. It has about 82 small islands. The islands were made from Volcanos. 65 of the islands are lived on. There is about 800 miles (1,300 km) north to south distance between the outermost islands. Two of the islands (Matthew and Hunter) are also claimed by France. Fourteen of Vanuatu's islands have surface areas of more than 100 square kilometres (39 sq mi).
The highest point in Vanuatu is Mount Tabwemasana, at 1,879 metres (6,165 ft), on the island of Espiritu Santo.
Flora and fauna[change | change source]
Even though it has tropical forests, Vanuatu has a small number of plant and animal species. There are no large mammals. The 19 species of native reptiles include the flowerpot snake, found only on Efate. The Fiji Banded Iguana (Brachylophus fasciatus) was introduced as a feral animal in the 1960s.[7][8] There are 11 species of bats and 61 species of land and water birds.
The region is rich in sea life. There are more than 4,000 species of marine molluscs. Coneshell and stonefish carry poison that will kill humans. The giant East African land snail arrived only in the 1970s but already has spread from the Port-Vila region to Luganville.
There are three or possibly four adult saltwater crocodiles living in Vanuatu's mangroves and no current breeding population.[8] It is said the crocodiles reach the northern part of the islands after cyclones. This is because of the island chain's closeness to the Solomon Islands and New Guinea where crocodiles are very common.[9]
Cuisine[change | change source]
The national dish of Vanuatu is the lap lap.[10]
Locations[change | change source]
There are six provinces in Vanuatu. They are Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea and Torba.
Some of the cities are:[11]
- Bunlap
- Forari
- Ipikil
- Ipota
- Isangel
- Lakatoro
- Lamap
- Loltong
- Longana
- Lorevilko
- Luganville
- Lénakel
- Port Olry
- Port Vila - Capital
- Rovo Bay
- Sola
- Sulphur Bay
- Whitesands
Gallery[change | change source]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Selmen, Harrison (2011-07-17). "Santo chiefs concerned over slow pace of development in Sanma". Vanuatu Daily Post. http://www.dailypost.vu/content/santo-chiefs-concerned-over-slow-pace-development-sanma?page=7&quicktabs_1=0. Retrieved 2011-08-29.
- ↑ John Lynch and Fa'afo Pat (eds), Proceedings of the first International Conference on Oceanic Linguistics, Australian National University, 1993, p. 319.
- ↑ G. W. Trompf, The Gospel is not Western: Black theologies from the Southwest Pacific, Orbis Books, 1987, p. 184.
- ↑ Central Intelligence Agency. "Vanuatu". The World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nh.html. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
- ↑ (PDF) 2009 Census Household Listing Counts. Vanuatu National Statistics Office. 2009. Archived from the original on 19 January 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20100119201716/http://www.spc.int/prism/country/vu/stats/P_releases/Adhoc/HH%20listing%20count%20release%20-%20071009.pdf. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Vanuatu". International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2010/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2007&ey=2010&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=846&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=33&pr.y=9. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
- ↑ Robert George Sprackland (1992). Giant lizards. Neptune, NJ: T.F.H. Publications. .
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Harewood, Jocelyn (2009). Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Lonely Planet. p. 47. .
- ↑ Bennett, Michelle; Jocelyn Harewood (2003). Vanuatu. Lonely Planet. p. 19. .
- ↑ The secrets of Vanuatu's national dish, the Lap Lap
- ↑ "Background Note: Vanuatu". Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. U.S. Department of State. April 2007. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2815.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-16.
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