GEOGRAPHY
Vanuatu is a 'Y' shaped archipelago
that comprises 80 islands. It is located 2,172 kilometers (1,303
mi.) northeast of Sydney and 5,750 kilometers (3,450 mi.) southwest
of Honolulu. Fiji lies to the east, New Caledonia to the south,
and the Solomon Islands to the northwest, all within the area
of the South Pacific called Melanesia.
The two largest islands, Espiritu
Santo (or Santo) and Malakula, account for nearly one-half of
the total land area. They are volcanic, with sharp mountain peaks,
plateaus, and lowlands. The last volcanic eruption was in 1945.
The larger islands of the remaining half also are volcanic but
are overlaid with limestone formations; the smaller ones are coral
and limestone. Rainfall averages about 2,360 millimeters (94 in.)
per year but can be as high as 4,000 millimeters (160 in.) in
the northern islands.
Area: Land--12,200
sq. km. (4,707 sq. mi.), includes more than 80 Islands. Comparative
area--about the size of Connecticut.
Cities: Capital--Port Vila (on the island of Efate),
pop. 30,000. Other towns--Luganville (on the island of
Espiritu Santo, also known as Santo).
Terrain: Mostly mountains of volcanic origin, narrow coastal
plains.
Climate: Tropical.
