July 30th: Vanuatu Independence Day

The island nation of Vanuatu celebrates Independence Day today - so here are some facts about Vanuatu.

1. Vanuatu gained independence in 1980, from two countries. It had been jointly administered in a unique arrangement by France and the United Kingdom, called the British-French Condominium. The native population, the Melanesians, were not allowed to become citizens of either governing nation.
2. The previous name of Vanuatu was The New Hebrides, a name coined by Captain James Cook in 1774. The name Vanuatu, adopted on independence, means 'Land Eternal'.
3. Vanuatu is a Y-shaped archipelago consisting of about 82 islands of volcanic origin, 65 of which are inhabited. The largest island is Espiritu Santo, a name derived from the name given to the entire archipelago by Portuguese navigator Fernandes de Queirós, who arrived there in 1606. He named it Austrialia del Espiritu Santo. or "The Southern Land of the Holy Spirit", thinking that he had arrived in Australia.
4. The capital is Port Vila, on Efate - this island was named after Lord Sandwich.
5. The official languages are English, French and Bislama. Bislama is a form of pidgin language which combines English words with the grammatical structures of indigenous languages. Bislama evolved when many of the islanders were enslaved and set to work on plantations in Australia and Fiji, and allowed speakers of different regional languages to understand each other.
6. The predominant religion is Christianity but the region has evolved some quite unique religions and cults of its own. The ancient cultures worshipped the spirits of ancestors, or Natmasses, which dwelt in stones, and Keraperamun, a god associated with Mount Tukosmera. From the latter, and from US servicemen who visited during World War II, a mythical figure called "John Frum" evolved. This name may have been a corruption of "John From" as in "John From America". Indeed, he is often depicted as a US serviceman - sometimes black and sometimes white, reflecting the presence of men from both races in the US forces. A cult grew up around him as the people believed that he promised them modern goods, or cargo, if they rejected all aspects of European society including money and Christianity. When the Americans left at the end of the war, people built symbolic landing strips in the hope they would come back and bring more stuff. The cult still has its own political party, which opposed independence and still believes that John Frum, like Jesus, will one day return. On the Island of Tanna, there was a legend about a pale-skinned son of a mountain spirit who ventured across the seas to look for a powerful wife. When Queen Elizabeth II, an unarguably powerful woman, visited the island with her new husband, Prince Philip, some islanders decided that Prince Philip was this mountain god, and so there is a cult there that worships Prince Philip.
7. A tradition in Vanuatu is sand drawing, where artists draw symmetrical geometric patterns in sand, ash or clay, with one finger.
8. The gold Y shape in the Flag represents the shape of the archipelago, and specifically, the spread of the Christian gospel through the nation. The Green represents the richness of the islands, the red symbolises the blood of wild boars (a symbol of wealth) and men, and the Black the ni-Vanuatu people. The emblem is a boar's tusk with two crossed cycad branches inside. The branches have 39 leaves, representing the 39 members of Parliament.
9. The national dish is ‘lap – lap’, a type of vegetable porridge cooked in coconut milk. It can be either savoury or sweet.
10. Tourism is important to the economy of Vanuatu. It is a magnet for scuba divers because of its Coral reefs and also the wreck of the luxury cruise liner and converted troop carrier SS President Coolidge on Espiritu Santo island. Sunk during the Second World War, it is one of the largest shipwrecks in the world that is accessible for recreational diving. More recently, the reality TV shows Survivor and Celebrity Survivor, were filmed there.