What country is Vanua?

Vanuatu refers to the Republic of Vanuatu.

The Republic of Vanuatu, referred to as Vanuatu for short, is located in the western South Pacific, belonging to Melanesian Islands, and consists of 83 islands. Santo Island, the largest island, has a tropical maritime climate with an average annual precipitation of 65,438+0,600 mm, and the average temperature in the capital Port Vila is 25.3℃. The land area is 1.2 1.9 thousand square kilometers, and the water area is 848 thousand square kilometers.

distinctive national feature

1, the birthplace of bungee jumping

Residents of Pentecostal Island in northern Vanuatu hold the "Nagor Land Diving" ceremony every April and May. People who take part in the "NAGOR Land Diving" risk their lives because there are no other safety measures except rattan tied to their ankles.

This ancient ceremony can be traced back to 1500 years ago and is considered as the predecessor of modern bungee jumping. New Zealanders developed primitive bungee jumping and established the first bungee jumping association in the world. 1988, New Zealanders publicly demonstrated skydiving for the first time and vigorously promoted the sport.

2. Countries most vulnerable to natural disasters

In terms of natural disasters, Vanuatu is rated as the most dangerous country in the world. In the World Risk Report released on 20 15, Vanuatu's risk index reached 36.43%. In 20 15, Vanuatu experienced earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and hurricanes in just a few weeks. Hurricane Pam destroyed 96% of the country's crops and caused 75,000 people to seek emergency shelter.

3. Used to be a cannibal

In Vanuatu, cannibals are part of tribal culture. However, this practice has become history, thanks to Christian civilization and the westernization of * * * by Britain and France 74 years ago.

Most anthropologists agree that the last recorded cannibalism in Vanuatu occurred on Malekula Island in 1986 (the second largest island in Vanuatu, belonging to Malamba Province). Vanuatu's tourism department did not shy away from this fact, but gladly accepted Ma Lukula's reputation and promoted it as an island of cannibalism and customs.

4. Pig tooth is a national treasure.

Pig teeth are considered as a symbol of Vanuatu's wealth and were once used as currency. Although the Vanuatu government has issued the official currency "Watu" to replace pig teeth, many Vanuatu people still use pig teeth privately. Pig's tooth is regarded as a national treasure in Vanuatu and an important element of Vanuatu's national flag and emblem.

5. Arrange and change relatives

The marriages of young people in Vanuatu are generally arranged by family elders, which is what we call "arranged". In some southern islands, the marriage mode is "sister exchange", which is called "changing relatives": after a man marries a woman from another family, in return, a woman must marry him.

6. Kava wine contains no alcohol.

A kind of "kava wine" is popular in Vanuatu, but "kava wine" is a drink, not a real wine, and contains no alcohol. It is made by grinding kava root into powder and adding water. Vanuatu people are full of respect for Kava, which is regarded as the most distinguished gift, and it is Vanuatu's "national gift" and "national wine".

7. Undersea Post Office

In order to attract tourists, Vanuatu has built the only undersea post office in the world. The post office is operated underwater by postal personnel trained in diving. The sender should wear a respirator and go down to a depth of three meters to deliver waterproof postcards. Then the post office staff will put a special seal on it and take photos.

8. Diving paradise

Like other Pacific island countries, Vanuatu is rich in marine tourism resources. Besides the beautiful beaches, it is also called "Diving Paradise". Vanuatu is visa-free for China citizens, but there are no direct flights, and it needs to transfer to Australia, Fiji or New Zealand and New Caledonia.