Vanuatu:
Geography

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Other pages in this profile of Vanuatu:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct language, migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia preceding European exploration in the 18th century. This settlement pattern accounts for the complex linguistic diversity found on the archipelago to this day. The British and French, who settled the New Hebrides in the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in 1980, when the new name of Vanuatu was adopted.

Location	Definition Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Geographic coordinates	Definition 16 00 S, 167 00 E
Map references	Definition Oceania
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 12,200 sq km land: 12,200 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited
Area - comparative	Definition slightly larger than Connecticut
Land boundaries	Definition 0 km
Coastline	Definition 2,528 km
Maritime claims	Definition measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate	Definition tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October; moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected by cyclones from December to April
Terrain	Definition mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m
Natural resources	Definition manganese, hardwood forests, fish
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 6.97% other: 91.39% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition NA
Natural hazards	Definition tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanic eruption on Aoba (Ambae) island began 27 November 2005, volcanism also causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis
Environment - current issues	Definition most of the population does not have access to a reliable supply of potable water; deforestation
Environment - international agreements	Definition party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note	Definition a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes

Vanuatu: Geography

Vanuatu:
Geography