Vanuatu

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Vanuatu

Area: 4,710 sq mi (12,200 sq km) / World Rank: 159
Location: Southern and Eastern Hemispheres, in Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia.
Coordinates: 16°00?S, 167°00?E
Borders: None
Coastline: 1,570 mi (2,528 km)
Territorial Seas: 12 NM
Highest Point: Mount Tabwemasana, 6,158 ft (1,877 m)
Lowest Point: Sea level
Longest River: None of significant length
Natural Hazards: Typhoons; volcanic eruptions; minor earthquakes; mudslides; heavy rainfall
Population: 192,910 (July 2001 est.) / World Rank: 176
Capital City: Port-Vila, on the island of Éfaté
Largest City: Port-Vila, on Éfaté, population 30,000

OVERVIEW

Vanuatu, formerly the Anglo-French Condominium of the New Hebrides, is a Y-shaped Melanesian archipelago of more than 80 islands, stretching between west of Fiji and northeast of New Caledonia. The entire chain is the result of active volcanism as the Australian and Pacific Plates converge at a rate of 3.5 in (9 cm) per year, uplifting Vanuatu around 1.5 in (4 cm) per year. Lying along the Pacific Ring of Fire, there are active volcanoes on Tanna, Ambrim, and Lopevi. Seventy of the islands are inhabited.

MOUNTAINS AND HILLS

Most of the islands are rugged and mountainous with cultivated narrow coastal plains. The principal peak, Mount Tabwemasana, rises to a height of 6,158 ft (1,877 m) on Espíritu Santo. Other significant peaks include the 4,166 ft (1,270 m) high Mount Maroum on Ambrim, and Mount Tukosmera, which reaches 3,556 ft (1,084 m) on Tanna.

INLAND WATERWAYS

Because the islands are generally very small, there are no rivers or lakes of significant size. However, many small streams do drain the mountains, including the Jourdain, Sarakana, and Wamb Rivers. Some small lakes do exist in extinct volcanic craters and other low-lying areas, including Lake Manaro Ngoro, Lake Manaro Lakua, Lake Voui, and Lake Siwi.

THE COAST, ISLANDS, AND THE OCEAN

Oceans and Seas

The Pacific Ocean surrounding the islands contains many coral reefs just off the rocky shores plunging to hundreds of meters below the surface, as well as under-water volcanoes.

Major Islands

The larger islands are of volcanic origin overlaid with limestone formations; the smaller ones are coral and limestone. The thirteen major islands are Torres Islands (Îles Torres), Bank Islands (Îles Banks—Mota Lava, Sola, Gaua), Espíritu Santo, Ambae, Maéwo, Pentecost, Malakula, Ambrim, Epi, Tongoa, Éfaté, Erromango, Aniwa, Tanna, Fortuna, and Aneityum. The largest islands are Espíritu Santo, Malakula, and Éfaté. Vanuatu makes a disputed claim to Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia. "Ownership" of these would considerably extend Vanuatu's Maritime Economic Zone.

The Coast and Beaches

The beach rock is an unusual aspect of local geology. Calcium carbonate leaches from decayed shells and zooplankton skeletons to the littoral zone of the beaches. When water evaporates the calcium carbonate cements everything within the littoral zone together, forming beach rock.

CLIMATE AND VEGETATION

Temperature

Vanuatu's climate is tropical, moderated by southeast trade winds from about May to September each year. It is hot with humidity averaging 83 percent all year. Average midday temperatures in Port-Vila range from 77°F (25°C) in winter to 84°F (29°C) in summer.

Rainfall

Rainfall averages about 94 in (239 cm) per year, and as high as 160 in (406 cm) per year in the northern islands. During November–April the islands are threatened by tropical cyclones.

Forests and Jungles

Lowland forests cover the southeastern, or windward, sides of Vanuatu's islands. At approximately 1,640 ft (500 m) montane forests begin. Threatened by the logging industry, hardwood forests cover 75 percent of the land area.

HUMAN POPULATION

The majority of the population lives in some 2,000 small villages. The only major city is Port-Vila, which has a population of about 30,000. No other village has more than 2,000 inhabitants. Only 20 percent of the Vanuatuans live in urban areas.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Forests, manganese, and fish are Vanuatu's major natural resources. Both tuna and bonito are frozen and exported to Japan and the United States. Tourism is a developing industry. The absence of personal and corporate income taxes and a shipping registry under a "flag of convenience" have made Vanuatu an offshore financial center.

GEO-FACT

Beach rock on Espíritu Santo has naturally welded itself to human garbage along the shore, including the remains of WWII machinery and tens of thousands of Coca-Cola and 7-Up bottles.

Geo-Data: The World Geographical Encyclopedia