12. What small island nation in the South Pacific - a former Anglo-French colony once known as New Hebrides - often tops the list of countries most at risk of natural disasters?
From Quiz Mother Nature's Heavy Hand
Answer:
Vanuatu
An initiative of the UN University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), the World Risk Index measures the natural disaster risk of most of the world's countries. In the 2021 report, the small South Pacific Republic of Vanuatu ranked first, as it did for at least the previous ten years. Being of volcanic origin, the Vanuatu archipelago is prone to earthquakes, and active volcanoes (some of them underwater) are a constant threat. However, the greatest danger for these islands comes from tropical cyclones. In March 2015, Vanuatu was hit by Category 5 Cyclone Pam, which caused widespread damage, cutting off communication, crippling infrastructure, and affecting the water supply; further damage was inflicted in April 2020 by Cyclone Harold, another Category 5 event.
As can be expected, most of Oceania's island nations and territories are exposed to various kinds of natural disasters. In January 2022, Tonga, another high-risk country, was badly affected by the eruption of submarine volcano Hunga Tonga, while the Solomon Islands were hit by earthquakes in 2007 and 2013. In addition, most island countries in the Pacific and Indian Oceans are endangered by rising sea levels - Kiribati and the Maldives being two of the most vulnerable. New Caledonia, however, is not a sovereign nation, but an overseas territory of France.
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