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Capital of Vanuatu: Port Vila — Facts & 5-Question Quiz

The capital of Vanuatu is Port Vila. Vanuatu sits in Oceania, has a population of 326,740, and uses the VUV. Official languages include Bislama, English, French.

Quick facts

  • Capital: Port Vila
  • Continent: Oceania
  • Population: ~326,740
  • Area: 12,189 km²
  • Population density: 26.8 people per km²
  • Official languages: Bislama, English, French
  • Currency: VUV
  • ISO code: VU

How big is Vanuatu?

By population, Vanuatu ranks 175th in the world, holding roughly well under a hundredth of a percent of all people on Earth. By land area it ranks 158th.

Those two numbers rarely match, and the gap between them is the interesting part. Vanuatu has 26.8 people per square kilometre, which is about 2.2 times below the world average of 59.4. It is more spacious than its population alone would suggest.

Within Oceania, Vanuatu is the 6th most populous country of 14.

Countries of a similar size

The two countries closest to Vanuatu in population are Barbados (281,635) and Iceland (372,899).

By land area, its closest counterparts are Qatar (11,586 km²) and Gambia (11,295 km²).

Comparisons like these are worth more than raw figures when you are trying to remember them. A number on its own is hard to hold; a number next to a country you already have a feel for is much easier.

Language and currency

Bislama is listed as an official language of Vanuatu alone, which is unusual — most official languages are shared across borders.

Vanuatu uses the VUV, and it is the only country that does, which makes the currency name a reliable one-to-one clue.

How to remember Vanuatu

Port Vila is on the island of Efate. The Y on the flag is a little map of Vanuatu itself, because the islands form a Y shape in the ocean.

The flag of Vanuatu: red, green, black and yellow

🇻🇺 The flag is red and green horizontal stripes with a black triangle at the flagpole, framed by a black-edged yellow Y, with a curled boar's tusk around two crossed namele fern leaves in the triangle. Red stands for unity and the blood of men and boars, green for the richness of the islands and black for the ni-Vanuatu people. The yellow Y shows how the islands lie in the Pacific and the light of the Gospel. The boar's tusk stands for prosperity and the ferns for peace.

Region and neighbours

Vanuatu is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, a Y-shaped chain of about 83 volcanic islands in Melanesia. As an island country it has no land neighbours.

Three facts about Vanuatu

  1. Before independence in 1980, the islands were the New Hebrides, run jointly by Britain and France as an Anglo-French condominium.
  2. Vanuatu has three official languages: Bislama, English and French.
  3. There are several active volcanoes in Vanuatu, including Mount Yasur and Lopevi.

Sources: Wikipedia: Vanuatu, Wikipedia: Flag of Vanuatu, Wikipedia: Port Vila, CIA World Factbook.

Quiz yourself on Vanuatu

Vanuatu capital quiz

  1. What is the capital of Vanuatu 🇻🇺?

    • Yaren
    • Port Vila
    • Suva
    • Majuro
    Show answer

    Port Vila

  2. What is the capital of Samoa 🇼🇸?

    • Wellington
    • Port Moresby
    • Apia
    • Funafuti
    Show answer

    Apia

  3. What is the capital of Solomon Islands 🇸🇧?

    • Wellington
    • Tarawa
    • Honiara
    • Port Moresby
    Show answer

    Honiara

  4. What is the capital of Kiribati 🇰🇮?

    • Honiara
    • Port Moresby
    • Majuro
    • Tarawa
    Show answer

    Tarawa

  5. What is the capital of Fiji 🇫🇯?

    • Yaren
    • Palikir
    • Port Vila
    • Suva
    Show answer

    Suva

Vanuatu in Oceania

The largest countries by population sharing this continent are Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Fiji.

If you are learning capitals region by region — far more effective than working alphabetically — Oceania is the block Vanuatu belongs to, and its neighbours are the ones worth learning alongside it.

Try the Country to Capital Quiz, or the harder reverse direction. There is also a full country profile for Vanuatu.

Frequently asked questions

What is the capital of Vanuatu?

The capital of Vanuatu is Port Vila.

What is the population of Vanuatu?

About 326,740, making it the 175th most populous country in the world.

How big is Vanuatu?

12,189 square kilometres, ranking 158th by land area, at a density of 26.8 people per square kilometre.

What currency does Vanuatu use?

The VUV, which no other country uses.

What are the colours of the Vanuatu flag?

The flag of Vanuatu is red and green horizontal stripes with a black triangle at the flagpole, framed by a black-edged yellow Y, with a curled boar's tusk around two crossed namele fern leaves in the triangle. Red stands for unity and the blood of men and boars, green for the richness of the islands and black for the ni-Vanuatu people. The yellow Y shows how the islands lie in the Pacific and the light of the Gospel. The boar's tusk stands for prosperity and the ferns for peace.

Which countries border Vanuatu?

None. Vanuatu is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, a Y-shaped chain of about 83 volcanic islands in Melanesia, so it has no land borders with other countries.

How can I remember the capital of Vanuatu?

Port Vila is on the island of Efate. The Y on the flag is a little map of Vanuatu itself, because the islands form a Y shape in the ocean.

More capitals to learn

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