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Photo: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.How well do you know the stunning Pacific island nation of Vanuatu? Test your knowledge on its unique history, diverse culture, lush geography, and fascinating traditions.
Island Curious 0–4 · Island Hopper 5–8 · True Island Guide 9–10
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Prior to its independence, Vanuatu was known as the New Hebrides and was ruled under a unique joint Anglo-French condominium. This meant it had two parallel systems of administration, courts, and schools, creating a fascinating dual colonial heritage that still influences the nation today.
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Kava is made by mixing the ground roots of the kava plant with water. Scientists think the plant was first grown by farmers in northern Vanuatu about 3,000 years ago. It is still shared in the nakamal, the village meeting place, where people sit together and talk.
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
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The spectacular ritual of Nanggol, or land diving, is native to Pentecost Island. Local men leap from tall wooden towers with vines tied to their ankles to ensure a good yam harvest. This ancient tradition directly inspired the invention of modern commercial bungee jumping.
Photo: Paul Stein from New Jersey, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
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Port Vila is the bustling capital of Vanuatu, located on the island of Efate. While Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the archipelago, Efate serves as the economic and administrative hub of the country, boasting a beautiful natural harbor.
Photo: Переход Артур, english translation: Hk kng, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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Bislama is an English-based Melanesian pidgin and creole that acts as the lingua franca across Vanuatu's many diverse islands. While Tok Pisin is spoken in Papua New Guinea, Bislama is uniquely Ni-Vanuatu and helps bridge the country's huge linguistic diversity.
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Champagne Beach is celebrated for its powdery white sand and crystal-clear turquoise waters. The unique name comes from sub-surface volcanic gas vents that cause the shallow water near the shore to fizz at low tide, like the bubbles in a fizzy drink.
Photo: Jae Lee, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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The emblem on the flag is a curled boar's tusk, a sign of prosperity that people on the islands also wear as a pendant. Inside it are two crossed leaves of the namele tree, a sign of peace, and together their leaflets add up to 39.
Photo: kallerna, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Laplap is the beloved national dish of Vanuatu. It is prepared by grating root vegetables like manioc or taro into a paste, mixing it with coconut cream and sometimes meat, wrapping it in wild banana leaves, and baking it in an underground earth oven.
Photo: Lenzo Nimoho, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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The SS President Coolidge is one of the largest and most accessible military shipwreck dives in the world. It hit friendly mines in 1942 off the coast of Espiritu Santo. Divers can explore its intact holds, military trucks, and the famous 'Lady' porcelain statue.
Photo: Los Angeles Times, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
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Mount Yasur on Tanna Island is one of the world's most accessible active volcanoes. Visitors can hike right up to the crater rim to witness spectacular, roaring Strombolian eruptions. It has been erupting almost continuously for hundreds of years.
Photo: Rolf Cosar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5.
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