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    The South Pacific Islands of Vanuatu
    The South Pacific Islands of Vanuatu
    The South Pacific Islands of Vanuatu
    Ebook105 pages30 minutes

    The South Pacific Islands of Vanuatu

    By Thomas Booth

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    About this ebook

    Vanuatu, a cluster of 13 large islands and 80 small ones in the southwest Pacific, 1,300 miles east of Australia, has had a kaleidoscopic past. Formerly known as the New Hebrides, it was administered as a British-French Condominium, referred to as "pandem
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHunter Publishing
    Release dateJul 5, 2012
    ISBN9780935161663
    The South Pacific Islands of Vanuatu

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      Book preview

      The South Pacific Islands of Vanuatu - Thomas Booth

      THE SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS OF VANUATU

      Thomas H. Booth

      Hunter Publishing, Inc.

      INTRODUCTION

      Vanuatu, a cluster of 13 large islands and about 80 small ones in the southwest Pacific, 1,300 miles east of Australia, has had a kaleidoscopic past. Formerly known as the New Hebrides, it was administered as a British-French Condominium, referred to as pandemonium and the events surrounding independence in 1980 had Gilbert and Sullivan qualities. Then there are the languages they speak: French, English, 105 indigenous tongues, and the wonderful common language, Bislama.

      The drama and color continue. The Prime Minister of Vanuatu is the head of government of the Republic of Vanuatu. The office of Prime Minister was created under the Constitution of Vanuatu upon the country's independence in 1980, with independence campaigner Walter Lini becoming the first office-holder. The position is sometimes seen as a continuation of the older office of Chief Minister, which existed before Vanuatu obtained its independence. The Prime Minister is required by the Constitution to be a member of Parliament, which also directly elects him or her into office. The Prime Minister directly appoints or dismisses members of the Council of Ministers (cabinet ministers). So far, eight people have served as Prime Minister of Vanuatu, sometimes on multiple occasions. There are still plots, counter-plots, and the last four Prime Ministers' elections to office were subsequently voided.  

      There are problems in Vanuatu. They sound malignant when read about in the press. But arrival in Port Vila, Vanuatu's capital and usual port of entry on the island of Efate, is accomplished quickly and easily. Port Vila, as it has for years, looks like a tropical version of a French Mediterranean resort. Its setting at the foot of green hills within a magnificent natural harbor makes it one of the most beautiful capitals in the Pacific. And when it comes to the amenities sophisticated travelers require, Port Vila has them all – fine restaurants, French, American, Chinese, Mexican, or Aussie style food, palatial resort hotels, smart shops, trendy bars, and a harbor filled with foreign yachts.

      Unfortunately, they do have storms, and on our last visit we saw the results. Three months after the fact, Vila still looked war-torn. There were houses in town with roofs missing, shops with all their windows out, warehouses along the docks buckled in. Several yachts were beached, and the interisland ship Konanda lay wounded at her dock.

      It takes time to recover from such an event, but nature is more resilient than man. On the day after the storm all the leaves were blown from the trees, banana trees were left bare, most of the fronds from coconut palms were carried away. But a week later new buds were out and nature was busily repairing herself.

      Man's efforts are somewhat slower, and many buildings we'd known before were in shambles and in need of repair. Rossi's Hotel, known as the Raffies of Port Vila, was tattered but still housing guests and turning out good food, though it is no longer in business. The Solaise, a moderately priced hotel, our favorite in town, was out of commission completely, and so were a number of other restaurants, hotels, and public buildings. But day by day as repairs were made and, when we left, Vila was busily entertaining visitors. The Fairstar had sailed into port with 1,500 Aussies, Japanese tourists were appearing, as were planeloads of enthusiastic Aussies and Kiwis. Yachts were filling the harbor and every one was having a good time. We were too.

      The Land & Her People

      The approximately 93 islands of Vanuatu, formerly called the New Hebrides, stretch in a north-south direction for 500 miles, and have a land mass of 6,500 square miles. Some of the small islands are coral atolls, the larger ones are volcanic in origin, and the terrain ranges from forest-covered mountains to grassy uplands to tiny reef-enclosed islets.

      As to their volcanic origin, the process continues, and these islands are referred to as being within a ring of fire. Literally they are, for five of the 500 active volcanoes of the world are here – Benbow on Ambryn, Yasur on Tanna, Lopevi and Gaua and a submarine volcano off Tongoa Island.

      Port Vila on Efate has a population of 15,000 and it's here most of the foreigners live and most of the holiday activities happen. Away from Port Vila conditions change rapidly and, other than two or three resorts at a distance from town,

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