VANUATU: OUR FIRST LOOK AT THE SOUTH PACIFIC

Vanuatu is one of the first of many nations that will be discussed that lies in the South Pacific Ocean which is famous for its tourist hot spots like Bora Bora in Tahiti and Fiji. Islands that were created by still active volcanic calderas, the South Pacific has some of the most famous and beautiful beaches in the world. Located in the Ring of Fire, Vanuatu’s closest neighbor is the French territory of New Caledonia to the southwest, the Solomon Islands chain to the northwest, and Fiji directly to the east with the massive continent of Australia laying southwest and New Zealand being located directly south.

The history of Vanuatu can be quickly summarized. This part of the South Pacific is where the United States began its island hopping strategy during World War II towards Okinawa and their eventual defeat of the Empire of Japan. 10,000 Vanuatu men served in the labor force during World War II helping the Allies with logistics during the Battle for Guadacanal in the Solomon Islands just to the northwest. The South Pacific is divided into three island regions. The first is Polynesia spanning a triangle from Hawaii in the north to New Zealand in the south to Easter Island to the east. The second region is Micronesia laying west of Hawaii and located the furthest north with all the primary islands in this section being very small and self-contained. The American territory of Guam which we re-captured during World War II is inside this region. The final region is Melanesia where Vanuatu is located. These are the islands located northeast of Australia. The first recorded human activity on Vanuatu was by the Austronesians of the Lapita Culture tracing back as much as 3000 years. The first contact with foreigners occurred in 1606 when the Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernandes de Querios discovered the island chain. The Spanish eventually created a settlement of their own in 1768. The islands were a source of indentured servitude for these European Empires. Eventually, the British and French took them over. Captain Cook, calling the islands New Hebrides, visited as well as French missionaries who came to convert the population to Christianity. The British and French entered into a condominium agreement exercising dual control over the islands in 1887. Due to the poverty and ongoing colonial conditions, a man named Jimmy Stevens began a rebellion against British rule. Conquering the island of Espiritu Santo and declaring it the new nation of Vemerana, Papua New Guinea attacked Vanuatu in what would eventually be called The Coconut War. A month later on July 30, 1980, the Republic of Vanuatu as an independent sovereign nation was created.

Flag of Vanuatu

Vanuatu is an archipelago officially recognizing 83 islands as part of its nation. All of them were created through volcanic activity and 65 of them are inhabited. The population of the island are the native Ni-Vanuatu people which make up close to 99% of its citizens. Their native language of Bislama is spoken as well as the languages of English and French. Over 90% of the population is Christian. Its capital is Port Vila and the country has around a 335,000 person population. The total area of all 83 islands still makes it one of the smallest nations on the Earth ranking 157th. Their currency is the Vatu. Vanuatu is still recovering from its colonial era. It is a poor nation with approximately 30% of the people living below the poverty line. Part of the reason for this is that the majority of the population practices subsistence farming, fishing and craft making which gives the people the basic necessities for survival but does not produce enough to make it an economic force of internatioal trade. The largest island, Espiritu Santo has the largest mountain resting at 6165 feet above sea level. Due to ongoing volcanic activity from a couple of submarine, underwater volcanoes, the island grows in size slowly every single year while continuously being aware of the threat that their calderas can activate at any time.

Next week: Argentina