Vanuatu — Capital, Flag and Country Facts

Explore Vanuatu: capital Port Vila, population, flag, geography, languages, history and culture.

Vanuatu is in Oceania. Its capital is Port Vila.

Climate

Tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October; warm season with heavy rainfall from November to April

Mostly mountainous volcanic islands with narrow coastal plains; active volcanoes

Vanuatu is considered the happiest country in the world by the Happy Planet Index.

Land diving in Vanuatu inspired modern bungee jumping; men jump from tall towers with vines tied to their ankles.

Vanuatu is one of the most linguistically diverse countries per capita with over 100 languages for 320,000 people.

1606: Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós is the first European to visit

1774: Captain James Cook maps the islands and names them the New Hebrides

1906: Britain and France establish the Anglo-French Condominium over the islands

1980: Independence as Vanuatu under Walter Lini

2015: Cyclone Pam devastates the country, one of the strongest storms in the South Pacific