Dugong
This gentle, slow-moving sea mammal grazes on underwater sea grass in the warm lagoons around Vanuatu's islands, making it one of the Pacific's most quietly fascinating creatures.
Flag of Vanuatu
Field Report
Vanuatu is a nation of more than 80 tropical islands tucked into the South Pacific Ocean, roughly halfway between Australia and Hawaii. The islands are so spread out and have so many different people groups that over 100 completely different languages are spoken there, meaning neighbors on different islands sometimes cannot understand each other at all. Followers of Jesus live and serve in Vanuatu, but many island communities have still never clearly heard the message of the gospel.
From the Field Notebook
Dugong
This gentle, slow-moving sea mammal grazes on underwater sea grass in the warm lagoons around Vanuatu's islands, making it one of the Pacific's most quietly fascinating creatures.
Coconut Crab
The largest land invertebrate on Earth, this powerful crab can crack open a coconut with its claws and is found on several of Vanuatu's islands.
Santo Ground Frog
Found only on the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu, this rare frog is one of the few frogs native to the islands and is not found anywhere else on the planet.
Lap Lap
Vanuatu's national dish is made by grating root vegetables like taro or yam, wrapping the paste in banana leaves, and slow-cooking it in a traditional earth oven called a lovo.
Tuluk
A savory island dumpling made from grated taro wrapped around a filling of meat or coconut cream, then cooked in banana leaves over an open fire.
Coconut Crab Meat
Considered a prized delicacy across many of Vanuatu's islands, the rich, slightly sweet meat of the coconut crab is often roasted or cooked simply over coals for feasts and celebrations.
Vanuatu is made up of 83 islands scattered across the South Pacific Ocean, and only about 65 of them are inhabited by people.
More languages are spoken per person in Vanuatu than in almost any other country on Earth — over 100 distinct languages for a population of fewer than 350,000 people.
Vanuatu sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and has one of the world's most accessible active volcanoes, Mount Yasur on Tanna Island, where visitors can stand at the rim and watch lava explode just below their feet.
The people of Vanuatu were called New Hebrideans under colonial rule and only became the independent nation of Vanuatu in 1980, making it a relatively young country.
On the island of Pentecost, men and boys participate in an ancient tradition called land diving, jumping from tall wooden towers with only vines tied to their ankles — a practice that inspired the modern invention of bungee jumping.
Daily Life
71
Years life expectancy
88%
Can read and write
80%
Kids go to school
Missions Field Report
Most Vanuatu's people follow Christianity (91.1%). Evangelical Christians make up about 41.6% of the population.
What People Believe
Prayer Journal
Tick each one as you pray. God hears every word.