Place details
Place nameVanuatu
Other namesRepublic of Vanuatu, République de Vanuatu, Ripablik blong Vanuatu, VUT, VU, ISO548, NH00, Nouvelles-Hébrides, New Hebrides, Vanuatuan, Ni-Vanuatu
Latitude-16
Longitude167
SourceThesaurus of Geographic Names
Overview
Settled by Melanesians 14th century BCE; charted by Portuguese P de Queirós 1606, French Bougainville 1768, and British Cook 1774; settled by British missionaries 19th century; placed under joint British/French control to stop slave trade to Australia 1887; official languages are English, French and Bislama (a form of pidgin English).