Vanuatu is a South Pacific Ocean nation made up of roughly 80 islands that stretch 1,300 kilometers. The islands offer scuba diving at coral reefs, underwater caverns and wrecks such as the WWII-era troopship SS President Coolidge. Harborside Port Vila, the nation’s capital and economic center, is on the island of Efate. The city is home to the Vanuatu National Museum, which explores the nation’s Melanesian culture.
Languages: local languages (more than 100) 72.6%, pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama) 23.1%, English 1.9%, French 1.4%, other 0.3%, unspecified 0.7%
Ethnic Groups: Ni-Vanuatu 98.5%, other 1.5%
Belief Systems: Presbyterian 31.4%, Anglican 13.4%, Roman Catholic 13.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, other Christian 13.8%, indigenous beliefs 5.6% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 9.6%, none 1%, unspecified 1.3%
Demographics:
Population: 264026 people (World Rank: 186th) (2014 estimate)
Population Density: 56.1 people/mi^2 (People per Square Mile) (World Rank: 196th) (2014 estimate)
Population Growth: 2.44 %/yr (World Rank: 36th) (2013 estimate)
Life Expectancy: 71.6 years (World Rank: 141st) (2013 estimate)
Median Age: 21.2 years (World Rank: 143rd) (2010 estimate)
Sites for More Information:
Map of Vanuatu
Worldatlas.com
Vanauatu
World Factbook
Vanuatu - General Information
Encyclopedia.com
Vanuatu Permant Mission to the UN
in New York
Government of Vanuatu Web Sites
by Gunnar Anzinger
