An introduction to Vanuatu
The
Republic of Vanuatu, (pop. 221,506 approx. in 2006) formerly called New Hebrides,
is a volcanic and coral island archipelago, consisting of about 82 small islands.
It is situated in the south Pacific, east of Australia. The 3 official languages
are English, French and Bislama (pidgin) and there are more than one hundred spoken
languages. It was discovered in 1606 by the Portuguese and was later colonized
in the 18th century by the British and French. It became independent on July 30th,
1980.
The 14 biggest islands of the archipelago, with more than 100 square
kilometers, are Espiritu Santo, Malakula, Efate, Erromango, Ambrym, Tanna, Pentecost,
Epi, Ambae (aka Aoba), Vanua Lava, Gaua, Maewo, Malo, and Anatom (aka Aneityum).
The biggest towns are Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu on the island of Efate,
and Luganville, on the island of Espiritu Santo, with the highest mountain, Mount
Tabwemasana, rising at 1,879 meters or 6,160 ft.
There are active volcanoes
in Vanuatu, and despite being a paradise with the happiest people in the world,
the islands are a very active tectonic area, and is often hit by destructive tropical
cyclones and earthquakes.
Vanuatu has about nine months of hot rainy weather
from October to June, and three months of cool dry weather in July, August and
September. The Vanuatu tropical rainforest is part of the Australasia "ecozone",
that includes New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, Australia, New Guinea, and New
Zealand. Vanuatu has fifteen bird species and many mammal species found nowhere
else in the world. Population growth, scarce freshwater, deforestation and pollution
is starting to change the face of the islands.
Kava exportation is very
important in Vanuatu and many depend on kava farming to survive. Vanuatu has kava
bars called Nakamals, which means place for peace. It is a place for men to gather
at the end of the day and mainly socialize while drinking kava. In the old days
women were not welcome in nakamals that but in the 21st century things have changed
and good nakamals welcome women.
Vanuatu is said to have the best kava
in the world with the most varieties. Only the noble varieties are allowed to
be exported. Among the popular noble varieties there is Melomelo from Ambae, Borogu
from Pentecost and Palarasul from Espiritu Santo. The noble varieties are for
everyday drinking. There are as well the medicinal varieties used traditionally
for medecinal purposes, the two-day varieties for effects lasting two days, and
the ones that no one in Vanuatu would drink, called the Wichmannii (wild kava).
The Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute has a pretty complete list that
can be found at the bottom of the page at this address: http://www.paclii.org/vu/legis/num_act/ka200252.rtf
Before
drinking a coconut shell of kava, people in Vanuatu say Bula! |