ABSTRACT
The Republic of Vanuatu, an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, consists of 13 main islands and many more smaller ones. Distant neighbors include Australia, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Fiji. Vanuatu is home to active volcanoes, including Yasur, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The population of about 300,000 is majority ethnic Melanesian, and they speak more than 100 local languages, in addition to Bislama, English, and French. As much as 70 percent of the population identifies as Protestant, with a smaller proportion of Roman Catholics. Over two-thirds of Vanuatu’s population lives in rural areas; urban dwellers reside in the capital of Port Vila and in Luganville.
