Vanuatu Trivia

1. Vanuatu is part of the WWF ecozone of Australasia. In what ocean is it found?

From Quiz "We Stand With God" in Vanuatu

Answer: Pacific

The Australasian ecozone includes Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands. An ecozone is an area of the Earth's surface where plants and animals developed in relative isolation over long periods of time, leading to species clustering. Ecozones are usually separated by features such as oceans, mountains or deserts that prevent migration of animals and plants from one area to another.

From Quiz Let's Go! Vanuatu

Answer: Approximately 80

These islands cover an area of 12,200 sq.km.

From Quiz Yumi, Yumi, Yumi!

Answer: We, we, we

The words and music of the Vanuatu national anthem were written in the local creole dialect by the musician and patriot François Vincent Ayssav. The chorus and first verse are given below in the creole version, followed by the English translation. Yumi, yumi, yumi i glat long talem se Yumi, yumi, yumi ol man blong Vanuatu God i givim ples ia long yumi, Yumi glat tumas long hem, Yumi strong mo yumi fri long hem, Yumi brata evriwan! We, we, we are happy to proclaim We, we, we are the people of Vanuatu God has given us this land, We are grateful for this, We are strong and we are free in this land, We are all brothers!

From Quiz "We Stand With God" in Vanuatu

Answer: English, French and Bislama

From the early 19th century British and French interests in the islands were intermingled. In 1906 they agreed to administer the islands jointly, and did so until independence in 1980. Bislama is a pidgin language which combines a Melanesian grammar with a predominantly English vocabulary. While English and French are the main languages of education and government, Bislama is the language of everyday use, as it is the only language that can be spoken and understood by the majority of the Ni-Vanuatu people. Vanuatu has one of the world's most varied language structures: there are currently 113 indigenous languages spoken, with an average of 2,000 speakers per language.

From Quiz Yumi, Yumi, Yumi!

Answer: South Pacific Ocean

Vanuatu is an archipelago that can be found in the South Pacific Ocean around 1000 miles east of Australia, in the Melanesian subregion of Oceania. Other nearby island groups include Fiji, the Solomon Islands and the French territory of New Caledonia.

From Quiz "We Stand With God" in Vanuatu

Answer: Australia and Pacific

Being near the boundary of the Australia and Pacific plates, Vanuatu is part of the "Ring of Fire", the zone around the rim of the Pacific Ocean which includes most of the world's active volcanoes, and which experiences many earthquakes. The islands of Vanuatu are volcanic in origin, as might be expected from their location, with surrounding coral reefs. Seismic activity periodically causes minor earthquakes on a number of the islands. Vanuatu has 11 volcanoes which have erupted during the 20th and early 21st centuries. Severe earthquakes are a relatively frequent event, and have serious economic consequences for the country. An earthquake in 1999, and a subsequent tsunami, caused major damage to the island of Pentecoste, and left several thousand people homeless. Another earthquake in 2002, also followed by a tsunami, destroyed large portions of Port Vila, the nation's capital. A magnitude 7.6 shock that hit on 7 October 2009 was reclassified as a foreshock when it was followed by one of magnitude 7.8 15 minutes later; a further 5 shocks over 6.0 and 12 shocks over 5.0 occurred during the next 12 hours.

From Quiz Yumi, Yumi, Yumi!

Answer: New Hebrides

The name New Hebrides was given to the islands by the English explorer James Cook, who visited them in 1774. Settlement by Europeans began in earnest in the nineteenth century, especially by the French and British. In 1906 the two colonial nations agreed to govern the islands jointly, an unusual situation which lasted until the islands attained independence and took the name Vanuatu.

From Quiz Yumi, Yumi, Yumi!

Answer: 83

Most sources state that there are 83 islands in total, of which around 65 are inhabited on a permanent basis. They are sometimes sub-divided further into groups including the seven Torres Islands in the north, the ten or so Banks Islands just south of them, and the Shepherd Islands further south.

From Quiz "We Stand With God" in Vanuatu

Answer: Pigs are a traditional symbol of wealth and status in Vanuatu.

Pigs arrived in the islands with the first Melanesian settlers, and are the only mammal to populate the island simultaneously with humans. There are no indigenous large mammals. Pig ownership came to be a sign of status, wealth and power. Pig killing became an important ritual, a way of showing social standing and proclaiming political power. Elaborate boar-raising strategies were developed in order to produce the highly-prized circular tusks as shown on the flag. Vanuatu's flag has two horizontal bands (red on top, green on the bottom) and a black triangle on the edge by which it is hoisted, with the regions separated by yellow stripes. The boar's tusk and namele fern are in the black triangle. The red represents the blood of boars and men, the green the richness of the islands, the black the Ni-Vanuatu people, and the yellow the light of the Gospel (Vanuatu is about 90% Christian). The coat of arms of Vanuatu also features a boar's tusk and two ferns, in front of which a Melanesian warrior stands, holding a spear, on top of a scroll that reads "Long God yumi stanap". This national motto translates into English as "In God we stand".

From Quiz Let's Go! Vanuatu

Answer: A boar tusk and two crossed Namele leaves

This is also the Ni-Vanuantu coat of arms.

From Quiz Yumi, Yumi, Yumi!

Answer: Mount Tabwemasana

Mount Tabwemasana is located on the west coast of the island of Espiritu Santo. The other options are all highest points in other countries or island groups in the Oceania region. Mount Kosciuszko (7,310 feet, or 2,228 metres) is the highest point on mainland Australia. Mount Cook (12,218 feet or 3,724 metres) is the highest mountain in New Zealand, and Mauna Kea (13,803 feet or 4,207 metres) is the highest point of the American state of Hawaii.

From Quiz Let's Go! Vanuatu

Answer: Islands near New Caledonia

The Matthew and Hunter Islands, east of New Caledonia, are claimed by both Vanuatu and France.

From Quiz Yumi, Yumi, Yumi!

Answer: Bislama

Bislama is a local creole language whose vocabulary is largely based on English, but with grammar and phonology based on various indigenous languages. Its name is derived from the word "Beach-la-Mer", the name given to the sea cucumbers which were harvested on the islands during the nineteenth century. The word became associated with the local "pidgin" language that developed as a means of communication between the natives and foreign settlers.

From Quiz Let's Go! Vanuatu

Answer: Vatu

The currency code for the Vanuatu Vatu is VUV.

From Quiz Yumi, Yumi, Yumi!

Answer: Christianity

Over 90% of Vanuatu's inhabitants are Christians, as the result of missionary efforts during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Prior to this, the indigenous religion was a form of animism, existing in a variety of forms across the different island groups.

From Quiz Let's Go! Vanuatu

Answer: Éfaté

Although Espiritu Santo is the largest island in Vanutatu, Éfaté has both the capital and the smaller settlement of Forari.

From Quiz Yumi, Yumi, Yumi!

Answer: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

The Melanesian cargo cults, most of which grew up during and after World War Two, are based on the worship of specific elements of more technologically advanced Western societies, which are seen as bringing wealth and related benefits. The "Prince Philip Movement" is followed by a small group of inhabitants of Tanna, and grew up the 1950s and 60s, when the people began to associate Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, with the son of a local mountain spirit from an ancient folk legend.

From Quiz Let's Go! Vanuatu

Answer: January - April

Volcanism can also cause minor earthquakes in Vanuatu, and tsunamis are also an occurrence.

From Quiz Yumi, Yumi, Yumi!

Answer: Port Vila

Port Vila is located on the island of Efate, the most populous of the Vanuatuan islands. In 2009 it had a population of just over 40,000, making it the largest city in Vanuatu. Most tourists who visit Vanuatu make Port Vila their base, and it has a small airport providing air links to some of the other islands. Suva is the capital of Fiji, Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, and Caracas is the capital of Venezuela.

From Quiz Yumi, Yumi, Yumi!

Answer: 1980

Following the establishment of various political groups that lobbied for independence during the 1960s and 70s, the French and British agreed to hand over control to the indigenous peoples. On 30 July 1980 an independent government was established, led by the Vanua'aku Pati ("My Land Party") under Prime Minister Walter Lini. The handover was not entirely trouble free, with the separatist Vemarana party under Jimmy Stevens also attempting to seize control. After a few brief skirmishes during August 1980, known colloquially as the "Coconut War", the separatists were defeated, and Stevens imprisoned. Since then, Vanuatu's political system has remained largely peaceful.

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Last Updated Feb 22 2025 5:49 AM

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