Vanuatu

The Pacific island group of Vanuatu is part of Melanesia. The islands were settled some four thousand years ago. In 1906, France and Britain agreed on a condominium over the New Hebrides, as they were called then. In the 1960s, the people of Vanuatu began to press for self-governance and independence; the latter was achieved in 1980. Its first prime minister was an Anglican priest, who tried to give the new nation a politically progressive profile in the region. Economically, people of Van Vanuatu lives from subsistence farming and fishing. Tourism is an important source of income. There are no known mineral resources. Christianity came to Vanuatu in the 19th century. The largest church is the Presbyterian Church. The Anglican community is part of the Church of Melanesia, which has its headquarters in the Solomon Islands and is a WCC member church. These two churches, together with the Catholic Church, have formed the Vanuatu Christian Council. Two other large churches are the Assemblies of God (Pentecostal) and the Seventh-day Adventists, which are associated with the Christian Council. Some smaller Evangelical and Charismatic groups are also present, and growing.