Vanuatu

Vanuatu is a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia, consisting of mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin with narrow coastal plains. The climate is tropical, moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October, with moderate rainfall from November to April and possible cyclones from December to April. Port-Vila serves as the capital, and Vanuatu has a population of approximately 318,007 people who speak Bislama, English, French, and over 100 indigenous languages.

Vanuatu has a lower-middle-income Pacific island economy that is extremely reliant on subsistence agriculture and tourism, and it has struggled with post-pandemic and Tropical Cyclone Harold recovery. Key industries include food and fish freezing, wood processing, and meat canning. The country’s natural resources include manganese, hardwood forests, and fish. Vanuatu faces sizeable inflation and is dependent on road infrastructure aid from Australia.