Category: Vanuatu

Vanuatu is situated in South Pacific Ocean and this island nation is volcanic in origin. The first settlers of Vanuatu are Melanesians. In the year 1605, the Europeans discovered Vanuatu when Spanish came in to the island. Parts of Vanuatu were claimed by both France and UK in 1880s and in the year 1906, both nations agreed to manage the island nation jointly. During 1970s, a movement of independence and the country got independence from both France and UK in 1980. In 2009, Vanuatu has experienced many major to moderate earth quakes and in 2010 also the country has experienced major earthquakes measure more than 7 Richter scale. Many active volcanoes are found in Vanuatu.

Vanuatu is a democracy with parliamentary system and powers of President are mainly ceremonial. President can be removed from his office by the members of Electoral College for any kind of misconduct or inability. Head of the government is the Prime Minister and Prime Minister along with Council of Ministers comprises the executive government. Parliament is unicameral with 54 members and there is a national council for chiefs known as Malvatu Mauri that is elected by the district councils of chiefs. The national council will advise the government on all kind of matters in the country.

Economy of the country mainly depends on tourism, raising cattle, agriculture and offshore financial services. The population of Vanuatu is 221,506 and majority of the population are living in rural areas. Majority of the people are the descendants of Melanesian where as remaining people consists of Asians, mixed Europeans as well as other Pacific islander. Bislama is the national language of the country. Bislama, French and English are the official languages of Vanuatu. French and English are the major languages used for education. Christianity is the major religion of the country with many denominations. Majority of the people are following Presbyterian Church.

There are several tourist spots and sightseeing places in Vanuatu. Hide Away Island is a great attraction where you can enjoy snorkeling. Mele Cascades is a spectacular waterfall with refreshing pools and the tourists can go for jungle hiking. Eton Beach has a slow moving and cool stream of fresh water which rushes into warm sea water. The beach is fascinating with sandy shores, sheltered huts and snorkeling ground. Ekasup Village is good for sightseeing as the trip will provide a great cultural and traditional trip to the travelers.

Mount Yasur situated in Tanna Island is an active volcano and it is worth visiting the place. Vanuatu’s interesting history can be known by going to the Museum and Cultural center. Tourists can indulge in activities such as playing along with dolphin, BBQ lunch, bush walks and snorkeling in Lelepa Island. Snorkeling in the warm waters to see numerous shipwrecks and beautiful coral reef is something which the travelers never want to ignore. It is worth visiting the Port Vila local markets that shows you the great culture of the island and you will get different clothing, handicrafts and clothing from here. Espirito Santo is the largest island where you can find white sandy beaches, caves, diving spots, snorkeling spots and blue holes.