Geography
Vanuatu
Area
land
12,189 sq km
water
0 sq km
total
12,189 sq km
Climate
tropical climate; influenced by southeast trade winds from May through October; moderate precipitation from November to April; susceptible to cyclones from December to April
Terrain
predominantly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; limited coastal plains
Land use
other
9.8% (2023 est.)
forest
74.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
15.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 1.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 10.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 3.4% (2023 est.)
Location
Oceania, a collection of islands located in the South Pacific Ocean, situated roughly three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and Australia
Coastline
2,528 km
Elevation
lowest point
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point
Tabwemasana 1,877 m
Irrigated land
0 sq km (2022)
Map references
Oceania
Land boundaries
total
0 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone
24 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
continental shelf
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
tropical cyclones (January to April); volcanic activity; volcanism also induces minor seismic events; tsunamis
volcanism: notable volcanic activity marked by multiple eruptions in recent years; Yasur (361 m), recognized as one of the most active volcanoes globally, has shown continuous activity in recent centuries; other historically active volcanoes consist of Aoba, Ambrym, Epi, Gaua, Kuwae, Lopevi, Suretamatai, and Traitor's Head
Geography - note
a Y-shaped formation of four primary islands and 80 smaller islands; several islands feature active volcanoes, including several that are submerged
Natural resources
manganese, hardwood forests, seafood
Area - comparative
somewhat larger than Connecticut
Geographic coordinates
16 00 S, 167 00 E
Population distribution
three-quarters of the populace resides in rural regions; the urban population is concentrated mainly in two cities, Port-Vila and Lugenville; the three largest islands—Espiritu Santo, Malakula, and Efate—house over half of the population