Efate Island
Efate Island is located in the Pacific Ocean, in the central part of the New Hebrides archipelago and is the industrial and tourist center of the island nation of Vanuatu. More than 65.7 thousand people live here – the indigenous population of Ni-Vanuatu, Europeans, Vietnamese and Chinese. They communicate in English, French and local languages. Two-thirds of the inhabitants inhabit the capital Port Vila and the rest inhabit coastal villages.
Highlights
The tropical island has an area of 899.5 km². It was formed by the collision of two lithospheric plates and its highest point, the summit of the dormant McDonald Volcano, rises 646 meters above sea level. Efate Island has rocky shores and is surrounded on various sides by coral reefs.
.The archipelago is located in a humid tropical climate zone. From May to November, southeastern breezes blow in this area. Thanks to them, the island of Efate has sunny days and relatively cool nights. Then, until April comes the rainy season, and due to frequent downpours the air becomes very humid. In Port Vila the humidity can reach up to 90%. The average temperature in the dry season reaches +20 ° C, and in the rainy season +30 ° C.
.Tourism on the island of Efate began to develop about a quarter of a century ago, and every year 60-70 thousand foreign tourists come here. They are attracted by the lush tropical vegetation, clean sandy beaches, thermal springs, beautiful waterfalls Mele and Siviri Cave, which was formed as a result of erosion of volcanic rocks. Here you can swim, dive, surf and snorkel all year round.
.History of the development of the island
The first people who settled on Efate Island were people who came here 2.5 thousand years ago from the distant Solomon Islands. As a result of archaeological excavations it was established that they possessed stone tools and knew how to make pottery. The culture of the first settlers was called “Mangaasi”. Later, due to the migration of people from other archipelagos of the Pacific Ocean, the island of Efate stopped making pottery and tools began to be made from shells of mollusks.
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The first European to visit the distant island was the famous navigator from England, James Cook. He landed on the shores of Efate in 1774. In honor of the patron of his expedition, John Montague, 4th Earl of Sandwich, Cook named the new land in the middle of the vast ocean Sandwich Island.
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Gradually, Europeans colonized the island, and by the early 19th century, traders of valuable sandalwood and whalers were flourishing. In 1887, Catholic missionaries began to preach here. During World War II, the U.S. military stood on Efate and was home to a military hospital.
.How to get there
The island of Efate lies in the center of the Pacific archipelago of the New Hebrides, between the island of Eromanga and the Shepherd Islands. Near the capital Port Vila is Bowerfield Airport, with flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Nouméa and other cities .
