 Vanuatu — (vä´nōō ä´tōō) |
About The People
Did You Know...... There are over 113 languages spoken in Vanuatu. Official languages are English, French and Bislama ( »» More
Fashion... In urban areas Western style of clothing is worn. In rural areas women may wear a fiber skirt withou »» More
Family... Family roles vary depending upon the area. In some villages the men are in charge in others the wome »» More
Sports & Recreation... A lack of electricity in many rural areas limits the recreational activities. Socializing and drinki »» More
| World Region: Oceania
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Vanuatu History
The prehistory of Vanuatu is obscure; archaeological evidence supports the commonly held theory that peoples speaking Austronesian languages first came to the islands some 4,000 years ago. Pottery fragments have been found dating back to 1300-1100 B.C.
The first island in the Vanuatu group discovered by Europeans was Espiritu Santo, when in 1606 the Portuguese explorer, Pedro Fernandez De Quiros, spied what he thought was a southern continent. Europeans did not return until 1768, when Louis Antoine de Bougainville rediscovered the islands. In 1774, Captain Cook named the islands the New Hebrides, a name that lasted until independence.
In 1825, trader Peter Dillon’s discovery of sandalwood »» More | Statistics, Graphs, Charts, & Data Tables
Capital Cities... Port-Villa
Population: 218,519
GDP: $983,200,000 (USD)
Total Area: 12,200 (sq km) 4,710 (sq mi)
Currency: vatu
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