The Republic of Vanuatu is a Melanesian island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago is located some 1,750 km (1090 mi) east of ► Australia, 500 km (310 mi) north-east of ► New Caledonia, west of ► Fiji and south of the ► Solomon Islands. Vanuatu was first inhabited by Melanesian people. Europeans began to settle in the area in the late 18th century and in 1906 Britain and France officially claimed the country, jointly managing it through the British-French Condominium. An independence movement was established in the 1970s, and the Republic of Vanuatu was created in 1980.
La République du Vanuatu est un État de Mélanésie situé dans le sud-ouest de l'océan Pacifique, en mer de Corail. L'archipel est situé à 1 750 kilomètres à l'est de l'Australie, au nord-est de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, à l'ouest des îles Fidji et au sud des îles Salomon.
Short name
Vanuatu
Official name
Republic of Vanuatu
Status
Independent country since 1980
Standort
Pacific Ocean
Capital
Port-Vila
Population
272,459 inhabitants
Area
12,189 square kilometres (4,706 sq mi)
Major languages
Bislama, English and French (all official)
Major religions
Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, and Indigenous Beliefs
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