For centuries men on Pentecost Island in Vanuatu practiced nagol – land diving. The cyclone caused widespread wreckage, killed 16 people and left thousands homeless.ġ5. In 2015, Vanuatu was hit by Cyclone Pam, one of the most powerful tropical storms ever recorded in the South Pacific. Vanuatu is the country most at risk of experiencing natural disasters according to the 2020 World Risk Report, compiled by the United Nations.ġ4. Most anthropologists agree that Vanuatu’s last recorded case of cannibalism took place on the island of Malekulu in 1969.ġ3. Some of the world’s most recent cases of cannibalism were reported in Vanuatu. Followers believe John Frum will one day return and shower them with riches.ġ2. Devotees believed that goods owned by American and European visitors were actually meant for locals but had been intercepted by the newcomers. In the 1930s, the ‘John Frum cargo cult’ emerged and is still observed in some places today. – Source: The Independent Two odd facts about Vanuatu derive from its unusual religions (Thompson/CC 2.0)ġ1. Followers of the Prince Philip Movement believe the Duke is the son of their ancestral mountain god. Prince Phillip – the husband of British Queen Elizabeth II – is worshipped by villagers of Yaohnanen on Tanna Island in Vanuatu. The despicable practice ended around 1872 and led to several countries banning overseas-labour recruitment.ġ0. Blackbirding was the kidnapping of people for use as forced labour on plantations in Fiji and Australia. In the late 19th century, Vanuatu was among several Pacific islands to suffer from ‘blackbirding’. In 1980 the New Hebrides achieved independence and was renamed Vanuatu.ĩ. – Source: National Geographic Magazine Vol 173, Lonely PlanetĨ. Today it is regarded as one of the world’s most accessible wreck dives. In 1942, the ship struck a mine and sunk off the coast of Espiritu Santo. The ship was an American luxury ocean liner converted to a troopship. One of the most famous sites is the wreck of the SS President Coolidge. Over 500,000 Allied soldiers passed through the islands and left behind huge quantities of equipment.ħ. During the Second World War, Vanuatu played an important role in the liberation of Pacific islands occupied by Japan. The dual administration was often farcical and was nicknamed ‘the Pandemonium’ as multiple systems were created including two police forces, two health services, two education systems, two currencies and two prison systems.Ħ. In 1906 the Anglo-French Condominium of the New Hebrides was created. – Source: BBC News Vanuatu is made up of 83 islands (Shutterstock)ĥ. In 1774, British explorer Captain Cook charted the islands and named them the New Hebrides. Today the island is called Espiritu Santo.Ĥ. In 1606, Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernández de Quirós named an island Terra Australis del Espiritu Santo. The first Europeans to see Vanuatu believed they had discovered Australia. It is believed the first inhabitants of Vanuatu were the Melanesian people of the Lapita culture, arriving from around 1300BC.ģ. Vanuatu is a country in Oceania made up of 83 islands, of which around 65 are inhabited.Ģ. (Source: CIA World Fact Book) Interesting facts about Vanuatuġ. Major languages: Bislama, English, French Interesting facts about Vanuatu include inventing bungee jumping (Shutterstock) Fast facts
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