What was Vanuatu originally called?

the New Hebrides
Formerly the jointly administered Anglo-French condominium of the New Hebrides, Vanuatu achieved independence in 1980. The name Vanuatu means “Our Land Forever” in many of the locally used Melanesian languages. The capital, largest city, and commercial centre is Port-Vila (Vila), on Éfaté.

What is another name for Vanuatu?

the Republic of Vanuatu
listen) VAH-noo-AH-too or /vænˈwɑːtuː/ van-WAH-too; Bislama and French pronunciation [vanuatu]), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (French: République de Vanuatu; Bislama: Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean.

When did New Hebrides become Vanuatu?

1980
Despite an unsuccessful attempt in mid-1980 by Jimmy Stevens, the Na-Griamel Party leader, to establish the independence of the island of Espiritu Santo from the rest of the group, the New Hebrides became independent within the Commonwealth under the name of the Republic of Vanuatu on July 30, 1980; the next month it …

What is the New Hebrides called now?

New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium (French: Condominium des Nouvelles-Hébrides, lit. “Condominium of the New Hebrides”) and named for the Hebrides Scottish archipelago, was the colonial name for the island group in the South Pacific Ocean that is now Vanuatu.

Is Vanuatu French?

Background: British and French settled the islands in the 19th century, they agreed in 1906 to administer the islands jointly, called the British-French Condominium, which last until independence in 1980. Vanuatu is recognized as one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world.

Where is Kiribati?

central Pacific Ocean
Kiribati is an island country in the central Pacific Ocean, made up of 33 islands. Only 20 of these are inhabited. Although the land area is small, the islands are scattered widely. Most of the islands are very low-lying atolls (ring-shaped coral reefs).

What are Vanuatu natives called?

ni-Vanuatu
The indigenous population, called ni-Vanuatu, is overwhelmingly Melanesian, though some of the outlying islands have Polynesian populations.

What was Vanuatu known as in olden days?

In 1774, Captain Cook named the islands the New Hebrides, a name that lasted until independence. During the 1860s, planters in Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, and Samoa, in need of labourers, began a slave trade called “blackbirding”.

Which is country was formerly known as Siam?

Siam was the name that was used to refer to the Southeast Asian country of Thailand.

Where did the country of Vanuatu get its name?

Vanuatu’s name is derived from the word vanua (“land” or “home”), which occurs in several Austronesian languages, and the word tu (“stand”).

Where does Vanuatu rank as an investment destination?

Vanuatu was ranked the 173rd safest investment destination in the world in the March 2011 Euromoney Country Risk rankings. In 2015, Vanuatu was ranked the 84th most economically free country by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal.

Where did the first Melanesians live in Vanuatu?

The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is 1,750 kilometres (1,090 mi) east of northern Australia, 540 kilometres (340 mi) northeast of New Caledonia, east of New Guinea, southeast of the Solomon Islands, and west of Fiji . Vanuatu was first inhabited by Melanesian people.