Port Vila (/ˈviːlə/ VEE-lə; French: Port-Vila [pɔʁ vila]), or simply Vila (Bislama: [viˈla]), is the capital of Vanuatu and its largest city. It is on the island of Efate, in Shefa Province.
The population was 49,034 as of the 2020 census. This represented 16.3% of Vanuatu's total population in 2020.
Luganville is the second largest city in Vanuatu after the capital Port Vila; it is located on the island of Espiritu Santo and has a population of 18,062 as of the 2020 census. Those on Vanuatu's northern islands who regard Luganville as their big city, particularly indigenous populations, call it Santo; rural residents of Espiritu Santo call it Kanal (from the former French name "Canal du Segond"). Luganville served as a major base of operations for American troops during World War II.
Boulevard Higinson, the main street that runs through Luganville, contains mainly tourist boutiques and general stores. During WWII, the Americans used the Espiritu Santo as a military base; as a result of the occupation, Boulevard Higinson is unusually wide, as a base commander insisted that four tanks should be able to drive along the road simultaneously. At one end of Higinson is the port, one of two main ports for the island.
The Pacific Community (PC), formerly the South Pacific Commission (SPC), is an international development organisation governed by 27 members, including 22 Pacific island countries and territories around the Pacific Ocean. The organisation's headquarters are in Nouméa, New Caledonia, and it has regional offices in Suva, Pohnpei, and Port Vila, as well as field staff in other locations in the Pacific. Its working languages are English and French. It primarily provides technical and scientific advice, and acts as a conduit for funding of development projects from donor nations. Unlike the slightly smaller Pacific Islands Forum, PaciCom is not a trade bloc, and does not deal with military or security issues.
PaciCom's regional development issues include climate change, disaster risk management, fisheries, food security, education, gender equality, human rights, non-communicable diseases, agriculture, forestry and land use, water resources, and youth employment.
Bislama (English: /ˈbɪsləmɑː/ BISS-lə-mah; Bislama: [biˈslama]; also known by its earlier French name, bichelamar [biʃlamaʁ]) is an English-based creole language. It is the national language of Vanuatu, and one of the three official languages of the country, the other ones being English and French. Bislama is the first language of many of the "Urban ni-Vanuatu" (citizens who live in Port Vila and Luganville) and the second language of much of the rest of the country's residents. The lyrics of "Yumi, Yumi, Yumi", the country's national anthem, are composed in Bislama.
More than 95% of Bislama words are of English origin, whilst the remainder comprises a few dozen words from French as well as some specific vocabulary inherited from various languages of Vanuatu—although these are essentially limited to flora and fauna terminology. While the influence of these vernacular languages is low on the vocabulary side, it is very high in the morphosyntax. As such, Bislama can be described simply as a language with an English vocabulary and an Oceanic grammar and phonology.
Espiritu Santo (UK: /ɛˌspɪrɪtuː ˈsæntoʊ/, US: /- ˈsɑːntuː, - ˈsɑːntoʊ/; French: [ɛspiʁity sɑ̃to]) is the largest island in the nation and archipelago of Vanuatu (formerly the New Hebrides), with an area of 3,955.5 km (1,527.2 sq mi), although Efate, on which the capital city of Port Vila is located, has a larger population. As of 2020, the population of Santo was 37,328. Luganville is the only true town on the island.
Efate (French: Éfaté), originally named Sandwich Island and also known as Île Vate (French: [il vat]) or just Vate, is an island in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Shefa Province in Vanuatu, and the capital city, Port Vila, is located on the island.