Vanuatu is located in the Pacific Ocean and consists of four larger and about 80 smaller islands. Two of these, Matthew and Hunter, are also claimed by New Caledonia (France). On several of the islands there are active volcanoes. The country’s two largest cities are the capital Port Vila on the island of Efate and Luganville on Espiritu Santo.
| Capital: | Port Vila |
| Biggest city: | Port Vila |
| State: | republic |
| Language: | bislama, English, French |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Surface: | 12,200 km² |
| Population: | 261 600 (2013) |
| Population density: | 18 residents per km² |
| Life expectancy: | 64 years |
| Illiteracy: | 26% |
| Currency: | vatu (VUV) 1 vatu = 0.08 ISK |
| GDP per capita: | $ 4,800 (2010) |
| Time difference: | +10 hours |
| Electricity: | 220/240 V AC, 50Hz |
| National Day: | July 30th |
| Country area code: | 678 |
| 2-Letter country abbreviation: | VU (See more abbreviations on Abbreviationfinder) |
| Business: | agriculture 75%, service sector 22%, industry 3% |
| Climate: | tropical, temperate by trade winds |
According to Countryaah, Port Vila is the capital of Vanuatu. Many of Vanuatu’s islands have been inhabited for thousands of years and the oldest remains have been dated to about 2000 BC. In 1606, the first European, the Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernández de Quiros, came to the islands. After the visit of British Captain Cook in the 1770s, Europeans began to settle on the islands in the late 18th century.
During the 19th century, Britons and French settled on the New Hebrides archipelago. In 1906, a more formal cooperation was formed, and the islands were governed until they became an independent state with the new name Vanuatu in 1980.
In 2006, the British institutes ranked the New Economics Foundation and Friends of the Earth Vanuatu as the happiest place to live among the 178 states that participated in the survey. All countries were rated according to “The Happy Planet Index”, where the environment is more important than GDP.
WORLD HERITAGE
The following objects in Vanuatu are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The year in which the item was added to the list is indicated in parentheses.
- Historic Sites Related to Roi Mata (2008)
ELECTRICAL OUTLET
Electricity and electrical outlets in Vanuatu
Voltage: 230 V
Frequency: 50 Hz
Type of plug: I
Need an adapter: Yes, Swedes need an adapter.
CLIMATE AND WEATHER
Weather in Port Vila
| Climate | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Christmas | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Average temperature °C | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| Day °C | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Night °C | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| Rain (mm) | 240 | 340 | 300 | 270 | 220 | 180 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 90 | 130 | 190 |
| Rainy days | 19 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 16 |
| Soltim / day | 11 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |