Provinces of Vanuatu

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Updates: 

I have received information about the populations, areas, and capitals of the new provinces.

International standard ISO 3166-2 was published on December 15, 1998. It superseded ISO/DIS 3166-2 (draft international standard). For Vanuatu, the draft standard showed eleven provinces. However, in 1994 the country was reorganized. The final standard shows the six new provinces, with their new codes. Change 2 to FIPS PUB 10-4, dated March 1, 1999, also shows this reorganization.

Country overview: 

At the beginning of the 20th century, the New Hebrides were an Anglo-French protectorate. On 1906-02-27 an agreement was reached making them a condominium of Britain and France. Thus they remained, until they attained independence on 1980-07-30 and took the name of Vanuatu.

Other names of country: 

1. Bislama: Ripablik blong Vanuatu (formal)
2. Danish: Vanuatu
3. Dutch: Vanuatu, Republiek Vanuatu (formal)
4. English: Republic of Vanuatu (formal), New Hebrides (obsolete)
5. Finnish: Vanuatu
6. French: Vanuatu m, Nouvelles Hébrides fp (obsolete)
7. German: Vanuatu n
8. Icelandic: Vanúatú
9. Italian: Vanuatu
10. Norwegian: Vanuatu, Republikken Vanuatu (formal)
11. Portuguese: Vanuatu n (m in Brazil), República f de Vanuatu (formal)
12. Spanish: Vanuatu, República f de Vanuatu (formal)
13. Swedish: Vanuatu

Origin of name: 

native phrase for "our land"

Primary subdivisions: 

Vanuatu is divided into six provinces.

Territorial extent: 

Alternate names given in parentheses are usually older or rarer forms of the island name.

1. Ambrym includes Ambrym (Ambrim) island.
2. Aoba/Maéwo includes Aoba (Oba) and Maéwo (Aurora) islands.
3. Banks/Torres includes the Banks Islands (Santa María (Gaua), Vanua Lava, Mota Lava (Saddle), Uréparapa (Norbarbar), Vatu Rhandi, etc.) and the smaller Torres Islands (Hiu, Tégua, Toga, and Loh).
4. Éfaté includes Éfaté (Vate), Nguna, Moso (Verao), Lélépa, Émao (Mau), and other islands.
5. Épi includes Épi island.
6. Malakula includes Malakula (Malekula), Tomman (Ur), and the Maskelyne Islands.
7. Paama includes Paama and Lopévi islands.
8. Pentecôte includes Pentecôte (Pentecost) islands.
9. Santo/Malo includes Espíritu Santo (Marina), Malo, Aoré, Tutuba, Mavéa, Lathi (Sakao), and other islands.
10. Shepherd includes the Shepherd Islands: Tongoa, Émaé (Mai), Tongariki, Makura, Mataso, and others.
11. Taféa includes Erromango, Tanna, Anatom (Aneityum), Aniwa, and Futuna islands.

Change history: 

1. 1906-02-27: New Hebrides became a condominium, or joint colony, of England and France.
2. The 1951 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica World Atlas shows New Hebrides divided into fourteen islands. It's not clear whether these are considered administrative divisions.

The 1964 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica World Atlas says that there are four districts, without mentioning any names. Geographic Report No. 16, Office of the Geographer, Department of State, 1971-10-27, contains a map dated 1970-11, showing New Hebrides divided into four districts (List A). Accompanying text says that they were subdivided into 13 local councils as of 1966. The Rand McNally New International Atlas (1969 and 1980 editions) shows a set of four districts with different names (List B), but with the same territory, except for the placement of Épi Island. Épi is in Malékoula on List A but in Central No. 1 on List B. FIPS PUB 10, as early as 1973, lists four districts with the same names as List B. I postulate that the districts changed from List A to List B in ~1968, but that it took a few years before the Office of the Geographer changed the map.

1. (Note: Vila is now more often known as Port-Vila. The name of Lenakel has changed to Isangel.)
2. 1980-07-30: New Hebrides became independent and took the name Vanuatu.
3. ~1985: Districts of Vanuatu eliminated and replaced by eleven island councils. The new division is shown on the CIA map dated 1989-09; in a FIPS code update dated 1991-01-17; and in the 1990 edition of the Rand McNally International Atlas.

1994: Vanuatu reorganized from eleven island councils to six provinces. Each new province was formed by merging one or more island councils. The new province names are acronyms for the former councils that were merged to make them. For example, MALAMPA is the union of MALakula, AMbrym, and PAama.