Search Geography Explorer

Search countries, cities, rivers, lakes, deserts, oceans, islands and more

Fun facts about Vanuatu

5 facts - tap any card to flip it and learn more.

Discover more facts
Cave drawings, Lelepa Island, associated with the Roy Mata World Heritage Site
country

Vanuatu's name combines the word vanua, meaning 'land' or 'home', and tu, meaning 'to stand'.

Vanuatu
Tap to learn more
country

Vanuatu

Population
335.2K
Area
12,189 km²
Capital
Port Vila
Continent
Oceania
168th most populous country in the world

Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu, is an archipelagic country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean.

From the “Etymology” section

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand · CC BY 2.0

Fact 1 permalink
Cave drawings, Lelepa Island, associated with the Roy Mata World Heritage Site
country

The Lapita culture, which settled Vanuatu around 3,000 years ago, is known for its distinctive pottery.

Vanuatu
Tap to learn more
country

Vanuatu

Population
335.2K
Area
12,189 km²
Capital
Port Vila
Continent
Oceania
168th most populous country in the world

Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu, is an archipelagic country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean.

From the “History” section

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand · CC BY 2.0

Fact 2 permalink
Cave drawings, Lelepa Island, associated with the Roy Mata World Heritage Site
country

The first recorded European contact with Vanuatu occurred in April 1606 when Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernandes de Queirós landed on Gaua.

Vanuatu
Tap to learn more
country

Vanuatu

Population
335.2K
Area
12,189 km²
Capital
Port Vila
Continent
Oceania
168th most populous country in the world

Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu, is an archipelagic country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean.

From the “History” section

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand · CC BY 2.0

Fact 3 permalink
Cave drawings, Lelepa Island, associated with the Roy Mata World Heritage Site
country

Vanuatu was administered jointly by France and the United Kingdom from 1906 until its independence in 1980.

Vanuatu
Tap to learn more
country

Vanuatu

Population
335.2K
Area
12,189 km²
Capital
Port Vila
Continent
Oceania
168th most populous country in the world

Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu, is an archipelagic country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean.

From the “History” section

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand · CC BY 2.0

Fact 4 permalink
Cave drawings, Lelepa Island, associated with the Roy Mata World Heritage Site
country

The Vanuatu islands became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 due to their significant Lapita archaeological sites.

Vanuatu
Tap to learn more
country

Vanuatu

Population
335.2K
Area
12,189 km²
Capital
Port Vila
Continent
Oceania
168th most populous country in the world

Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu, is an archipelagic country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean.

From the “History” section

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photo: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand · CC BY 2.0

Fact 5 permalink