Vanuatu Overview

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.

Vanuatu flagVanuatu 2

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