What’s Vanuatu like?
The Y-shaped chain of islands covers more than 500,000 square miles, but only about
7,000 square miles of it are land! It has varied landscape, from rugged mountains
to dense jungle to sandy beaches with vast coral reefs. The islands are, in fact,
summits of mountain ranges rising from the deep ocean floor. Because of its position
over shifting tectonic plates in the earth’s crust, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
are common.
Most of the islands are inhabited, but the outlying areas are often isolated by
the terrain and lack of telephone communication, transportation and educational
opportunities. The economy is predominantly subsistence agriculture, but there are
developing industries in coconut oil, fishing, cattle, and tourism.
Formerly the New Hebrides, the islands were ruled by an Anglo-French condominium
government that was created in 1906. During WWII, 500,000 Allied troops were stationed
throughout the islands in the war against Japan, and the American presence left
a positive impression. Independence was gained in 1980, after some years of struggle,
and the nation became Vanuatu. It continues the hard work of development amidst
seasons of instability.
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