Vanuatu: Flag and Facts
Vanuatu's flag has red and green bands, a black triangle on the left wrapped by a yellow Y shape, and a yellow boar's tusk circling two crossed fern fronds inside the triangle.
- Official name
- Republic of Vanuatu
- Capital
- Port Vila
- Region
- Melanesia
- Population
- 318,007 (2024)
- Languages
- Bislama, English, French
- Currency
- Vanuatu vatu
- Area
- 12,189 km² (4,706 sq mi)
- People
- Ni-Vanuatu
- Calling code
- +678
- Highest point
- Tabwemasana 1,877 m
- Independence
- 30 July 1980 (from France and the UK)
- National symbols
- boar's tusk with crossed fern fronds
- Borders
- No land borders
About Vanuatu
Austronesian speakers from the Solomon Islands arrived around 2000 B.C., and local chief systems took shape by about 1000. Around 1600, Chief Roi Mata brought several islands under his rule. A Portuguese explorer spotted the Banks Islands and Espiritu Santo in 1606. Europeans called the chain the New Hebrides, and in the 1860s planters from nearby colonies kidnapped almost half the adult men to work as laborers.
In 1906 France and Britain began ruling the islands together, each with its own laws, police and money, an awkward setup that lasted until independence on 30 July 1980. Most islands are volcanic and mountainous, with narrow coastal plains, and cyclones can strike from December to April. About 318,007 people live here, and around 53,000 are in Port Vila, the capital.
Did you know?
- The national anthem is called Yumi, Yumi, Yumi, meaning We, We, We.
- Tabwemasana is the highest point at 1,877 meters.
- Three official languages are listed: Bislama, English and French.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Vanuatu
What does the boar's tusk on Vanuatu's flag mean?
The tusk is a symbol of prosperity, and the ferns stand for peace.
What currency does Vanuatu use?
The vatu, shortened to Vt.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.