Vanuatu Introduction - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Background

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. Politics and society continue to be divided along linguistic lines, although those divisions are lessening over time. Coalition governments tend to be weak, and since 2008, prime ministers have been ousted through no-confidence motions or temporary procedural issues 10 times. Prime Minister Charlot SALAWI has survived at least five no-confidence motions since taking office in 2016.

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Definitions and Notes

NOTE: The information regarding Vanuatu on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Vanuatu 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Vanuatu 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.