Discover
The identity of the nation
Vanuatu is a small island nation in the South Pacific, made up of more than 80 islands of volcanic origin scattered across 1,300 kilometers. Despite having just over 340,000 inhabitants, it is one of the most linguistically diverse places on the planet: more than a hundred local languages exist side by side, often with each island or valley having its own tongue. This diversity stems from the geographic isolation between the islands and reflects the richness of the Melanesian cultures that flourished there for thousands of years before the arrival of any European.
The gospel reached Vanuatu as early as the 19th century, through Protestant missionaries who settled on the southern islands, and the response over the following generations was so strong that today more than nine in ten inhabitants identify as Christians. The Presbyterian, Anglican and Catholic churches, among others, became central to community life, and the country’s own Constitution declares Vanuatu founded “on the belief in God and Christian principles.” It was, however, a path that also left marks: on some islands, the Christian faith ended up mixing with, rather than transforming, ancient beliefs and fears.
This blend still shapes the spiritual daily life of many communities. Kastom (the set of traditions, rituals and social rules passed down by ancestors) continues to guide important decisions in villages across the country, often alongside, not in place of, the Christian faith professed on Sundays. On more isolated islands, such as Tanna, the so-called cargo cults also survive (movements awaiting the arrival of wealth and prosperity brought by a messianic figure), a sign that the proclamation of the gospel still needs to reach the heart, not just the religious calendar, of certain communities.
Vanuatu today faces the challenge of balancing tradition and change. Tourism, mainly from visitors from Australia and New Zealand, has brought resources and visibility, but also new materialistic values to the towns. Frequent cyclones and earthquakes, the country sits in a region of intense volcanic and seismic activity in the Pacific, constantly test the faith and resilience of the people. It is a unique missionary context: a nation majority Christian in name, that still needs deep discipleship, Scriptures understood in each of its many languages, and churches strengthened to respond, with hope, to the disasters that regularly strike the islands.
Few nations in the world have as high a proportion of professed Christians as Vanuatu. This represents a rare opportunity: a people already open to the name of Christ, but who need discipleship that deepens that faith beyond custom, helping each community live out the gospel fully, without abandoning what is good in their own Melanesian culture.
- Approx. 1300 BC Seafaring peoples of the Lapita culture, coming from other Melanesian islands, arrive and settle in the archipelago, giving rise to the first inhabitants.
- 1606 Spanish navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queiros is the first European to sight the islands.
- 1774 British captain James Cook maps the archipelago and names it the New Hebrides.
- 1839 The first missionaries who try to settle on the islands are killed by local residents on the island of Erromango.
- 1848 Presbyterian missionaries establish a lasting presence on the island of Aneityum, sparking mass conversion to Christianity in the south of the archipelago.
- 1906 Britain and France begin jointly administering the islands, forming a unique colonial condominium, with two governments and two parallel sets of laws.
- 1980 The archipelago gains independence, adopts the name Vanuatu (meaning something like "our land" in local languages) and makes Port Vila its capital.
- 2015 Cyclone Pam, one of the strongest ever recorded in the South Pacific, strikes the country and affects more than half of the population.
- Today Vanuatu continues rebuilding after recurring natural disasters, maintaining one of the highest proportions of professed Christians in the world.
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BislamaThe national language, a pidgin (a simplified contact language based on English) spoken as a second language by nearly the entire population, used daily, in commerce and in parliament.
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EnglishOfficial language used in education and administration, a legacy of the period when Britain administered the territory jointly with France.
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FrenchOfficial language taught in schools of French tradition and used in part of the public administration, a legacy of the French colonial presence.
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Local languagesMore than a hundred indigenous Melanesian languages are spoken in Vanuatu, one of the highest linguistic densities in the world, almost always with its own language per island or even per valley.
Vanuatu is a South Pacific archipelago made up of more than 80 islands of volcanic origin, including Efate, Espiritu Santo, Malekula and Tanna, stretching about 1,300 kilometers from north to south. The terrain is mountainous and covered by dense tropical forests, especially on the eastern side of the islands, which receives more rain. The country sits in a region of great volcanic and seismic activity in the Pacific, which makes earthquakes and active volcanoes part of daily life on several islands.
Major cities
- Port VilaCapital and largest city, on the island of Efate, the country's commercial, port and political center.
- LuganvilleSecond largest city, on the island of Espiritu Santo, known for diving and for having been a military base in World War II.
Climate and temperature
Laplap
Considered the national dish: grated cassava, taro or yam batter mixed with coconut milk and baked in banana leaves over hot volcanic stones.
Tuluk
Grated cassava dough wrapped around seasoned meat, usually chicken, pork or beef, then steamed or baked.
Simboro
Taro or local cabbage leaves wrapped around vegetables or grated coconut, slow cooked in coconut milk.
Coconut milk
An ingredient present in almost every traditional dish, used in savory preparations as well as desserts.
Seafood
Fresh fish, lobster and crab form the base of the diet in coastal communities and on the smaller islands.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Kastom
The set of traditions, dances, rituals and social rules passed down by ancestors, which continues to guide community life on nearly every island.
Water music
On the island of Gaua, in the Banks Islands to the north of Vanuatu, groups of women create rhythms by slapping the surface of sea or river water, a sound art recognized internationally.
Naghol land diving
On Pentecost Island, men leap from wooden towers tied by vines, a ritual linked to the yam harvest that inspired modern bungee jumping.
Mount Yasur volcano
On the island of Tanna, one of the most accessible volcanoes in the world is considered sacred by local communities and draws visitors from around the globe.
Sand drawings
Drawings made with a single continuous line on the ground or in the sand, used for centuries to tell stories and pass on knowledge between generations, recognized by Unesco as cultural heritage.
- Dressing informally outside resorts Swimwear, low necklines or bare midriffs outside beaches and hotels are seen as disrespectful, especially in villages and markets.
- Photographing people without asking permission Taking photos of residents, especially children, without prior permission is considered intrusive.
- Entering sacred areas without a guide Certain caves, waterfalls and trails are considered taboo by the local community and should only be visited with authorization.
- Drinking tap water outside the capital On many islands the water is not treated; prefer bottled or boiled water.
- Ignoring traditional chiefs Decisions about land and access to villages usually go through local chiefs; disrespecting them is seen as a serious breach of etiquette.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
In many villages, ancestral traditions still weigh more heavily than the Word of God in day-to-day decisions.
On islands such as Tanna, movements awaiting wealth brought by a messianic figure still divert the hope of the people from the gospel.
Fear of magic and curses continues to control decisions and relationships in various communities.
Worship of ancestral spirits blends, on many islands, with the Christian faith professed.
For many, Christianity is a family inheritance and church attendance, without personal, transforming surrender.
Historical disputes between denominations fragment communities that should be united.
Growing tourism has brought consumerism and new covetousness to towns, especially among the young.
Kava, a root drink with a calming effect, is overused by many men, affecting families and work.
Distance between islands makes it difficult to access biblical teaching and leadership training outside urban centers.
Recurring cyclones and earthquakes fuel, in some places, resignation rather than active hope in God.
In Vanuatu, the Christian faith is lived with broad freedom. The Constitution declares the nation founded on the belief in God, and the vast majority of the population identifies as Christian. The government and society, in general, respect religious freedom, and there is no systematic persecution of Christians.
The pressure that does exist is more social and cultural than institutional. On some islands, those who turn away from ancestral traditions (kastom) or change denomination may face rejection from the extended family or village, since community identity is deeply tied to local customs. On Tanna, followers of cargo cults, who await the arrival of wealth brought by a messianic figure, sometimes actively resist Christian preaching, seeing it as a threat to ancient customs.
There is also historical friction between Christian denominations, which compete for influence in some communities, and isolated cases of exclusion of non-Christian religious minorities in local decisions. On the whole, however, the greatest challenge for the church in Vanuatu is not outside persecution, but the risk of a faith that becomes mere tradition, without truly transforming the heart and customs of the people.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Vanuatu is home to 109 ethnic groups catalogued by the Joshua Project, totaling around 329,000 people surveyed. The vast majority, more than 96% of the groups and 98% of the population, is already considered significantly reached by the gospel, one of the highest rates in the world. Even so, a few small, isolated groups, such as the Bieria people, numbering about 200, remain only partially reached, a sign that even in a majority Christian nation the task of discipling every community continues.
- 0 Unreached 0%
- 2K Minimally reached 0,5%
- 4K Superficially reached 1,1%
- 1K Partially reached 0,4%
- 316K Significantly reached 98%
- 0 Unreached 0%
- 1 Minimally reached 0,9%
- 1 Superficially reached 0,9%
- 2 Partially reached 1,8%
- 105 Significantly reached 96,3%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
Average price in Port Vila, according to Numbeo.
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- The local currency is the vatu (VUV); cards are accepted mainly at hotels and larger businesses in the capital.
- Outside Port Vila and Luganville, it is common to find no ATMs; bring cash for the smaller islands.
- Transport between islands is usually by small planes or boats, with limited schedules subject to weather.
- Tap water is not always safe to drink outside the capital; prefer bottled or boiled water.
- The cyclone season runs from November to April; monitor weather alerts during this period.
- Dressing modestly outside beaches and hotels is a sign of respect for local culture.
- Always ask permission before entering villages, photographing people, or visiting sites considered sacred.
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.