About Vanuatu

Vanuatu, formerly known as the New Hebrides, is an island nation in the Southwest Pacific Ocean with about a dozen significant islands and many smaller islands extending between the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn. Independence was obtained in 1980 after some 74 years of joint rule by Britain and France. Detailed map.

Melanesians were the first people to settle in Vanuatu about 3000 years ago and were joined later by small numbers of Polynesians between the 11th and 15th centuries. Permanent settlement by Europeans didn't happen until the 19th century. The population count in the 1999 census was close to 195,000. About 95% are the indigenous people, known as 'Ni-Vanuatu'. Most Ni-Vanuatu live on the outer islands in villages and live a mostly subsistence lifestyle. The people of Vanuatu depend very much on their natural resources and the link is much more obvious and direct than in western, developed nations.

Vanuatu is situated on the western leading edge of the Pacific tectonic plate and is one of the most geologically active regions in the world. Most of the islands are formed from the summits of volcanic mountain ranges rising from the ocean floor and many are less than 3 million years old. Volcanic activity and uplift continue to change the landscape. Growth of fringing coral reefs adds to the landmass. Erosion by rainfall runoff cuts steep valleys and some islands have spectacular, inaccessible gorges. Rivers are mostly short and fast flowing and some islands have impressive caldera lakes.

Vanuatu's climate ranges from wet tropical in the north to sub tropical in the south. The hottest and wettest months are November to April and this is also the season for Tropical Cyclones. The mountainous topography of many islands creates climatic variations with a wetter windward, southeast side and a drier, 'rain shadow' area on the leeward side. The high mountains are misty, humid and cool throughout the year.

Vanuatu is mostly covered by forest. Evergreen tropical forest is found in the lowlands and hills on the windward sides of the islands. Semi-deciduous forests, fire induced savannahs and grasslands may be found on the drier leeward slopes. Evergreen cloud forests grow on the high mountains. Vanuatu's coasts are mostly rocky and exposed and there are only a few estuaries with mangrove forests.

Vanuatu's flora and terrestrial fauna have fewer species than neighbouring countries which indicates the isolation and young age of the islands. On the other hand, the coral reefs and inshore waters support a very rich marine fauna. In Vanuatu, most land birds breed during the wet season when there is an increased abundance of food.

Tourism, agriculture and the financial centre are the leading forces in the country's economy. Coconuts and beef cattle dominate the agriculture sector. Commercial forestry resources are limited by rugged terrain, low yields and the isolation of the islands. Most of the accesible lowland forests on Efate and Santo have been logged.

Threats to conservation in Vanuatu include natural disasters (such as cyclones, earthquakes and volcanos), population growth and development. Vanuatu's population is growing and becoming more urbanised with no living memory of overpopulation and limited natural resources. The government and legal systems are a legacy of pre-independence and poorly equipped to guide a developing independent nation with a strongly Melanesian society and 99% native land ownership.

This summary is based on a more detailed introduction by Marcus Chambers in Bregulla (1992). References.