Getting to know Vanuatu: islands, people and economy

This article gives a short, documented picture of Vanuatu. The data were checked on 18 October 2026 in the sources listed at the end.

Location and nature

Vanuatu lies about 1,750 kilometres east of northern Australia and 540 kilometres north-east of New Caledonia. The Solomon Islands are to its north-west and Fiji to its east.
It has about 83 islands, about 65 of them inhabited. The islands stretch about 1,300 kilometres from north to south.
The land area is about 12,189 square kilometres. The highest point, Mount Tabwemasana, is 1,879 metres high.
The islands are young and volcanic, with several active volcanoes such as Mount Yasur on Tanna.
The climate is tropical. From November to April it is hot and humid, with a chance of tropical cyclones.

The capital and largest town is Port Vila on Efate. The second town is Luganville on Espiritu Santo.
The country has six provinces: Torba, Sanma, Penama, Malampa, Shefa and Tafea.

About three thousand years ago people of the Lapita culture settled the islands.
In 1606 a Spanish expedition reached the largest island, still called "Espiritu Santo".
In 1774 James Cook charted the archipelago and named it the "New Hebrides".
From 1906 France and Britain governed the islands jointly (the Condominium).
On 30 July 1980 the country became independent as the Republic of Vanuatu.
In 2015 Cyclone Pam, and in December 2024 a strong earthquake near Efate, caused damage, and rebuilding continued afterwards.

The 2020 national census recorded a population of 300,019. Most people are Ni-Vanuatu, of Melanesian descent.
Bislama is the national language. Bislama, English and French are the official languages, and more than a hundred local languages are spoken.
Traditions, or "kastom", shape daily life and land ownership. Vanuatu sand drawing is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list, and "Chief Roi Mata's Domain" is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Vanuatu is a unitary parliamentary republic. The single-chamber Parliament has 52 members elected for four years.
The President is head of state, elected for five years. The Prime Minister is head of government.
The National Council of Chiefs ("Malvatumauri") advises on custom and land matters.

Agriculture provides the most employment. Copra, kava, beef, cocoa and timber are exported.
Tourism and services, including financial services, are other pillars of the economy.
The currency is the vatu (VUV).

Time zone: eleven hours ahead of Greenwich, no summer time
Telephone code: +678
Driving on the right
Main airport: Bauerfield in Port Vila. International flights mostly go to Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Fiji and the Solomon Islands.

Vanuatu National Statistics Office, 2020 National Population and Housing Census — https://vnso.gov.vu/ (checked on 18 October 2026)
Office of the Prime Minister of Vanuatu — https://pmo.gov.vu/en/ (checked on 18 October 2026)
UNESCO, Chief Roi Mata's Domain — https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1280/ (checked on 18 October 2026)
Vanuatu Tourism Office — https://www.vanuatu.travel/en (checked on 18 October 2026)
English Wikipedia, Vanuatu (revision 1380242384) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanuatu (secondary source; checked on 18 October 2026)