vanuatu

IPA/væn.uˈɑː.tuː/
KK[vænuˈɑtu]IPA/vænˈwɑː.tuː/

vanuatu — noun

1. Vanuatu is an island country with around 80 islands in the South Pacific Ocean.

1.nounB1
Definition

Vanuatu is an island country with around 80 islands in the South Pacific Ocean. Its capital city, Port-Vila, is on the island of Efate.

Example

Valentina visited Vanuatu last year and loved the beautiful beaches.

collocation: visited Vanuatu

The government of Vanuatu passed a law to protect the coral reefs around the islands.

the government of Vanuatu + singular verb

Common collocations
  • in Vanuatu
  • to Vanuatu
  • from Vanuatu
  • Vanuatu's economy
  • the people of Vanuatu
  • visit Vanuatu

Grammar Patterns

Vanuatu + verb (singular)

the islands of Vanuatu

in / to / from Vanuatu

Usage Note

Vanuatu is a proper noun and usually takes a singular verb: 'Vanuatu is known for…' not 'Vanuatu are known for…'.

Common Mistakes

Vanuata has beautiful islands.
Vanuatu has beautiful islands.
the name is spelled V-a-n-u-a-t-u, not Vanuata.
Vanuatu are a small country.
Vanuatu is a small country.
country names in English take singular verbs.

2. The southwestern Pacific contains this chain of more than 80 islands. It lies no

2.nounB1
Definition

The southwestern Pacific contains this chain of more than 80 islands. It lies northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji.

Example

Vanuatu lies about 2,000 kilometers northeast of Sydney, Australia.

geographic pattern: lies [distance] [direction] of [place]

The islands of Vanuatu were formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago.

the islands of Vanuatu as subject

Common collocations
  • the islands of Vanuatu
  • the coast of Vanuatu
  • the waters around Vanuatu
  • located near / northeast of / west of Vanuatu

Grammar Patterns

the islands of Vanuatu

Vanuatu lies / is located [preposition]

Usage Note

This sense focuses on the physical geography — the islands themselves, their location, and their natural features. For the country as a political or administrative unit, use sense 1.

Common Mistakes

Vanuatu are located west of Fiji.
Vanuatu is located west of Fiji.
Vanuatu takes a singular verb even when referring to the group of islands.

Word family

  • Ni-Vanuatu
    nounB2
  • Ni-Vanuatu
    adjectiveB2
  • Bislama
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands are all Pacific island nations, but they differ in location, culture, and language. Vanuatu is known for its volcanic landscapes and the unique Melanesian language Bislama, which is spoken alongside English and French. Fiji, located east of Vanuatu, is more developed for tourism and has a larger population. Samoa, further east, is a Polynesian nation with a strong traditional chiefly system. The Solomon Islands, northwest of Vanuatu, are larger in land area but less visited. Learners often group these countries together because they share a tropical Pacific setting — the key difference is that Vanuatu sits at the meeting point of Melanesian and Polynesian cultural influences.

FijiSamoaSolomon Islands

Common collocations

Nouns

  • the government of Vanuatu
  • the people of Vanuatu
  • the islands of Vanuatu
  • the capital of Vanuatu
  • the coast of Vanuatu

Phrases

  • visit Vanuatu
  • travel to Vanuatu
  • move to Vanuatu
  • Vanuatu's economy
  • Vanuatu is located…
  • the Republic of Vanuatu

Prepositions

  • in Vanuatu
  • to Vanuatu
  • from Vanuatu
  • around Vanuatu
  • near Vanuatu
  • of Vanuatu

Etymology

Austronesian languagesVanuatu local languagesEnglish

The name Vanuatu comes from words in several of the country's local languages: 'vanua' means 'land' and 'tu' means 'stand'. Together the name means 'our land' or 'the land that stands up'. The country chose this name when it became independent from France and the United Kingdom in 1980, replacing the colonial name New Hebrides.