Vanuatu
Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu (in Bislama: Ripablik blong Vanuatu; in English: Republic of Vanuatu; French: République de Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is located about 1,750 km east of Australia, 500 km north-east of New Caledonia, west of Fiji and south of the Solomon Islands near New Guinea. Its colonial name was New Hebrides, but this name is only used for historical references.
Vanuatu was inhabited by the Melanesian people for thousands of years. The archipelago was discovered by an expedition led by Pedro Fernández de Quirós, who set out from the port of Callao in the Viceroyalty of Peru, in 1606. Other Europeans began to settle in the area at the end of the 18th century. In the 1880s France and the United Kingdom claimed parts of the archipelago, and in 1906 they agreed to create a framework to jointly manage the New Hebrides, through an Anglo-French condominium. During the 1970s an independence movement arose, and in 1980 the Republic of Vanuatu was founded. It should be noted that Vanuatu is the only country in Oceania that has French as its official language (outside French territories such as New Caledonia).
Etymology
The first Europeans to visit the islands were part of a Spanish expedition led by the Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernández de Quirós, who landed in 1605; he claimed the archipelago for Spain and christened it 'Espiritu Santo'. In the 1880s, France and the United Kingdom disputed part of the colony and in 1906 agreed to jointly administer the territory known as the 'New Hebrides', after the Scottish archipelago.
The current name of the country comes from the words vanua ("land" or "home"), —a term used in several Austronesian languages— and tu ("stand up"). Taken together, the name "Vanuatu" refers to the independent status of the new country.
History
Many of Vanuatu's islands have been inhabited for thousands of years, having been settled by Austronesians belonging to the Lapita culture around 2000 BC. C. In 1606, the Spanish-Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernández de Quirós became the first European to reach the islands; Believing that he had reached Terra Australis he baptized the archipelago with the name of Terra Austrialia del Espíritu Santo and founded a colony: New Jerusalem on the island of Espiritu Santo. Other European powers began to settle the islands in the late 18th century century, first with the explorations of the Count of Bougainville who rediscovered the island under the name Great Cyclades in 1768 and later with the British explorer James Cook who, attracted by the bright light of the Yasur volcano, visited the islands on his second voyage in August 1774, naming them New Hebrides. There he founded Port Resolution, a village on the eastern tip of the island of Tanna.
In 1887, the New Hebrides began to be administered by a Franco-British naval commission. In 1906, a Franco-British Condominium was established.
During World War II, the United States used the islands of Efaté and Espiritu Santo as military bases, which injected foreign currency into the country and, above all, new ways of thinking, which paved the way for Vanuatu's independence. An Advisory Council was established in 1957. In the 1960s, the Vanuatu aboriginals called for self-government and subsequent independence; in 1974 the nationalists won the election of Parliament that abolished the Advisory Council and in 1978 a cabinet headed by a Chief Minister was created.
On March 24, 1974, the Tanna Nation was proclaimed. While the British were more open to these demands, the French colonists opposed them.[citation needed] The Anglo-French Condominium authorities finally cracked down on them on June 29, 1974..
In 1979, the Constitution was promulgated establishing regional parliaments on the islands of Espiritu Santo and Tanna. The following year Jimmy Stevens, leader of the Na-Griamel group, organized a revolt in Espiritu Santo and proclaimed the Independent State of Vemarana. Vanuatu obtains full independence on July 30, 1980 with Walter Lini as Prime Minister; At his request, troops from Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand restored order in Espiritu Santo. In 1981 he joined the UN and in 1983 in the Non-Aligned Movement.
In February 1984, President George Sokomanu resigned after pleading guilty to late tax payments, but was reelected the following month. In 1985 the Union of Moderate Parties accused the government of restricting human rights and organizing rights. In February 1987 a cyclone destroyed Port Vila, the capital, and caused some 50 deaths.
In December 1988, in the midst of a political crisis sparked by rivalries between Prime Minister Lini and Barak Sope, the general secretary of the Vanua'aku Pati, President Sokomanu dissolved Parliament and named Sope acting prime minister, but both were arrested by forces loyal to Lini; the following year Fred Timakata was elected president.
In 1991, a parliamentary motion removed Lini from his post and Donald Kalpokas of the Vanua'aku Pati, was elected Prime Minister on September 6, but was succeeded by Maxime Carlot Korman on December 16.
In 1996, the paramilitary group Vanuatu Mobile Force tried to overthrow the government, and in that year Carlot's cabinet committed bank fraud. In November 1997, President Jean Marie Leye dissolved Parliament.
In recent years, the country has been plagued by corruption scandals that have slowed the economy. General elections held on September 2, 2008 resulted in the appointment of Edward Natapei as Prime Minister.
On March 14, 2015, Category 5 Cyclone Pam swept through the country. Its winds, with speeds of over 300 km/h, destroyed eighty percent of the homes in the capital and left dozens of victims.
Government and politics
Vanuatu's Parliament is unicameral with 52 members who are elected every four years by popular vote. The leader of the main party in parliament is usually elected prime minister, and heads the government. The Head of State, the President, is elected every five years by Parliament. The presidents of the six provincial governments form a coalition, however there have been problems at times, especially with the competition between the UK and France in trying to win their leaders over to their interests.
The current president is Nikenike Vurobaravu, since July 23, 2022, and the current prime minister is Ishmael Kalsakau, since November 4, 2022.
Human Rights
In terms of human rights, regarding membership of the seven bodies of the International Bill of Human Rights, which include the Human Rights Committee (HRC), Vanuatu has signed or ratified:
 Vanuatu | International treaties | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CESCR | CCPR | CERD | CED | CEDAW | CAT | CRC | MWC | CRPD | |||||||||
| CESCR | CESCR-OP | CCPR | CCPR-OP1 | CCPR-OP2-DP | CEDAW | CEDAW-OP | CAT | CAT-OP | CRC | CRC-OP-AC | CRC-OP-SC | CRPD | CRPD-OP | ||||
| Pertenence |  | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 Signed and ratified,  signed, but not ratified,  neither signed nor ratified,  without information,  it has agreed to sign and ratify the body concerned, but also recognizes the competence to receive and process individual communications from the competent bodies. | |||||||||||||||||
Status of major international human rights instruments
Territorial organization
Vanuatu has experienced various territorial divisions both before and after its independence. The current territorial division, in force since 1994, divides the country into six provinces. The names of these provinces are acronyms of the names of the islands that compose them:
- Malampa (Malakula, Ambrym, Paama)
- Penama (Pentecostés, Ambae, Maewo)
- Sanma (Holy Spirit, Bad)
- Shefa (Islas Shepherd, Éfaté)
- Tafea (Tanna, Aniwa, Futuna, Erromango, Aneityum)
- Torba (Islas Torres, Banks Islands)
Provinces are autonomous units with their own democratically elected local parliaments called provincial councils. They collect their own local taxes and legislate on matters within their competence such as tourism, the provincial budget or the provision of some basic services. These parliaments are headed by a president chosen from among the members of local parliaments, who is assisted by a secretary appointed by the Public Service Commission. The executive branch is composed of a provincial government headed by a president appointed by the prime minister on the recommendation of the Minister of Local Government. The provincial government is normally formed by the party with the largest presence in the provincial council and, as in the national government, is advised on issues of Vanuatuan culture by a council of chiefs. The provincial president is constitutionally a member of the electoral college that elects the president of Vanuatu.
The provinces are further divided into municipalities, which normally comprise a single island, which are run by a council and a mayor elected by the council members.
Geography
Vanuatu is made up of 83 islands, of which two—Matthew and Hunter—are also claimed by the French Overseas Department of New Caledonia. Many of the islands are mountainous and volcanic in origin, and have a tropical or subtropical climate. The largest city in the country is the capital Port Vila, located on the island of Éfaté, with Luganville, located on the island of Espiritu Santo in second place. The highest elevation in the country is Tabwemasana at 1,877 m high.
14 of the islands have a surface area exceeding 100 km². In order from largest to smallest they are: Espiritu Santo, Malakula, Efaté, Erromango, Ambrym, Tanna, Pentecost, Epi, Ambae or Aoba, Vanua Lava, Gaua, Maewo, Malo, and Anatom or Aneityum. The nation's largest cities are Port Vila, located in Efate, and Luganville, located in Espiritu Santo.
The total area of Vanuatu is 12,189 km². Most of the islands are sloping, with unstable soil, and little permanent fresh water. One estimate (2005) is that only 9% of the land is used for agriculture (7% permanent, 2% arable land). The coast is mainly rocky, with coral, and without a continental shelf, which causes it to be rapidly disappearing into the depths of the ocean.
Vanuatu is famous for a terrestrial ecoregion, called the Rainforests of Vanuatu. It is part of the Australasian ecozone, which also includes neighboring New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands, as well as Australia, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand.
Economy
The economy is based primarily on subsistence or small-scale agriculture, which supplies 65% of the population. Fisheries, foreign banking financial services, registration of merchant marine vessels, sale of international fishing licenses (Vanuatu is a member of several regional fisheries committees) and tourism (with 50,000 visitors in 1997), off banking licenses -shore and the formation of international companies are other sources of economy, as well as the issuance of postage stamps, mainly for international collecting. In Puerto Vila is the Banco de la Reserva and the Land Registry. No valuable minerals have been discovered in Vanuatu, nor have oil deposits. A small industrial sector supplies the local market. Taxes come mainly from imports of products and VAT (VAT), since Vanuatu does not apply an income tax, being considered one of many tax havens.
Economic development is relatively dependent on exports, vulnerability to natural disasters, and long distances between major markets and islands. A major earthquake in November 1999, followed by a tsunami, caused extensive damage on the northern island of Pentecost, leaving thousands of people homeless. Another powerful earthquake in January 2002 caused damage to the capital Port Vila, and adjacent areas, followed by a tsunami.
GNP grew at less than 3% in the 1990s. In view of this the government promised to ease regulations in its foreign banking financial center. Australia and New Zealand are the main suppliers of Vanuatu's foreign aid.
Vanuatu's unit of currency is the Vatu. In the year 2000 137.64 vatus were equivalent to 1 US dollar. In the year 2007 (March) 107 vatus were equal to 1 US dollar.
Demographics
Most of Vanuatu's inhabitants (95%) are native Melanesians, or ni-Vanuatu; the remainder of the population is of European, Asian, and other Pacific Islander origin. There are three official languages: English, French, and Bislama (a creole language that evolved from English). In addition, around one hundred local languages are spoken on the islands, all of them are Strontian languages of the southern oceanic group that are classified into two large groups:
- Northern and Central Vanuatu Languages
- Southern Vanuatu languages
Religion
Christianity, divided into several denominations, is the predominant religion in Vanuatu. The Presbyterian Church, which encompasses a third of the population, is the largest of these. The Catholic Church and the Anglican Church are other common denominations, with 15% of the population each. Also found are the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Church of Christ. The ministers of Neil Thomas, as well as various religious groups and denominations.
Due to the modernity that the WWII military brought with them when they arrived on the islands, various cargo cults developed. The cult of John Frum in Tanna is still large, and has supporters in parliament. Also in Tanna is the Prince Philip Movement, which venerates Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Villagers of the Yaohnanen tribe believe an ancient story about the pale-skinned son of a mountain spirit who He ventured across the sea to find a powerful woman to marry. Prince Philip, having visited the island with his new wife, Queen Elizabeth II, fits the exact description and is therefore revered and even worshiped as a god on the island of Tanna.
Culture
Tanna Island is populated entirely by Melanesians, who follow a more traditional way of life than many other islands. Some of the villages are known as kastom (from English custom, custom), where modern inventions are prohibited, men wear kotekas (called nambas in the Bislama language) and grass shirts.
Because of the particularities in the lifestyle of these people; Vanuatu is, according to the Happy Planet Index, the happiest country in the world.
Music
Traditional Vanuatu music continues to thrive in rural Vanuatu. Musical instruments consist mostly of idiophones: drums of different shapes and sizes, slit gongs, stamping tubes, as well as rattles, among others. Another music genre that has become very popular during the 20th century in all areas of Vanuatu, is known as string band music. Combine guitars, ukulele, and popular songs.
Gastronomy
Vanuatu cuisine (Aelan kakae) incorporates fish, root vegetables such as malanga and yams, fruits and vegetables. The island grows food in its gardens, and food shortages are rare. Papayas, pineapples, mangoes, bananas, and sweet potatoes are abundant for much of the year. Coconut milk and cream are used to flavor many dishes. Most foods are cooked with hot stones or by boiling and steaming; very little food is fried.
Sports
The most popular sport in Vanuatu is soccer, the Vanuatu Soccer Federation is a member of the OFC and FIFA manages the Vanuatu national soccer team, which is one of the highest-level soccer teams within the OFC. Qualified to 8 of the 9 OFC Nations Cup. He got 4th place four times, in 1973, 2000, 2002 and 2008. He participated in several qualifiers but never got a ticket to a world championship.
It should be noted that in 2017 they qualified for the U-20 World Cup, to be held in South Korea. It has been the only time they have qualified for a world-class competition in any of its categories.
At the club level, Vanuatu has an entire berth in the OFC Champions League, although Vanuatu teams have not achieved much in the top continental competition. The Vanuatu First Division was founded in 1994 and is made up of 8 teams, which play each other in 2 rounds. Tafea FC dominated the league for most of the editions, but in 2010 and 2011 the champion was Amicale FC. There is also the VFF Bred Cup, the cup that brings together all the teams in the country.
Other popular sports include rugby, baseball, squash, indoor soccer and surfing.
Filmography
God is american, feature documentary (2007, 52 min), by Richard Martin-Jordan, on John Frum's cult at Tanna.