Espiritu Santo
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Nickname: Santo | |
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Geography | |
Location | Sanma Province, Vanuatu |
Coordinates | 15°25′S 166°54′E / 15.417°S 166.900°E |
Archipelago | New Hebrides |
Area | 3,955.5 km2 (1,527.2 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 1,879 m (6165 ft) |
Highest point | Mount Tabwemasana |
Administration | |
Province | Sanma |
Largest settlement | Luganville (pop. 10,738) |
Demographics | |
Population | 39,606 (2009) |
Ethnic groups | Ni-Vanuatu |
Espiritu Santo[a] (UK: /ɛˌspɪrɪtuː ˈsæntoʊ/,[1] US: /- ˈsɑːntuː, - ˈsɑːntoʊ/;[2][3][4] French: [ɛspiʁity sɑ̃to]) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of 3,955.5 km2 (1,527.2 sq mi) and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census.[5]
Geography
The island belongs to the
Vanuatu's highest peak is the 1,879 metre (6,165 foot) Mount Tabwemasana in west-central Espiritu Santo.
History
A
The local chief tried to chase the Spanish explorers back to their ships, which led to an exchange of arrows and musket-fire, in which the chief was killed.[8] The ships remained for a month at their anchorage "Puerto de la Vera Cruz", with armed sailors making incursions inland for provisions.[9] Queirós announced his intention to found a city, Nova Jerusalem, and appointed municipal officers. In early June, with provisions running low, they left the bay to explore the neighbouring coastline. Queirós' lead ship became separated, and, whether through adverse weather or mutiny, was unable to make anchor in the bay.
The almirante (second-in-command, and captain of the second ship),
After the departure of Queirós and Torres, the Espiritu Santo was not visited again by Europeans until 160 years later, by
During the time of the British–French Condominium, Hog Harbour, on the northeast coast, was the site of the British district administration, while Segond, near Luganville, was the French district administration.[14]
World War II
During
The
In highly fictionalized form, this was the locale of
Post-World War II
Between May and August 1980 the island was the site of a
Culture
Over 30 different local languages are spoken on Espiritu Santo, a subgroup of the North Vanuatu languages.
Espiritu Santo, with many wrecks and reefs to be explored, is a very popular tourist destination for divers. Champagne Beach draws tourists with its white sand and clear waters. The "Western Side" of the island contains many caves which can be explored, and cruise ships often stop in at Luganville.
The local people make their living by supporting the tourist trade, by cash-crop farming, mostly copra, but also some cocoa beans and kava, as well as peanuts, or by subsistence farming and fishing.[citation needed]
Most of the people are Christians. The largest church groups on the island are the
For almost all of Espiritu Santo's people, custom plays a large part in their lives, regardless of their religion. The chief system continues strongly in most areas.[citation needed]
The people of Santo face some health problems, especially malaria and tuberculosis. Although there is a hospital, most local people consult either their own witch doctor or medical clinics set up by western missionaries. Kava is the popular drug of the island, although alcohol is becoming more prevalent. With the rising number of adults using alcohol, there is a rising crime rate, especially involving violence toward women, and tribal warfare.[citation needed]
Sports
In September 1998, Espiritu Santo hosted the Melanesia Cup soccer tournament.
Economy and infrastructure
Many people on Espiritu Santo still rely on subsistence farming for their food. The villages on the island are mostly self-sufficient with their own vegetable gardens, chickens, and pigs. Taros and yams are commonly grown in these gardens, and these are mainstays of the local diet.
Espiritu Santo is home to a number of cattle farms (including the famous Belmol Cattle Project, originally established by French settlers), and the island exports much of its beef to Japan, Australia, and other Pacific countries.
Besides beef, tinned fish, and rice bought in town, Espiritu Santo has many foods that locals take for granted, and that tourists enjoy as delicacies. Among these are sweet pineapples, mangoes, island cabbage, flying foxes, and coconut crab, as well as local nuts such as natapoa and the sweet fleshy-fruit called naos in Bislama, or great hog plum in English (a type of Spondias dulcis). There is a market in Luganville where local food such as yams, sweet potatoes, manioc, taro, cabbage, and other freshly grown island staples are sold. Some local handicrafts are also sold there. Several small supermarkets such as LCM, Unity Shell, and Au bon Marche sell groceries and many packaged goods.
Biodiversity
The island of Espiritu Santo is home to all of Vanuatu's
The Loru Rainforest Protected Area is situated in the lowland rainforests of Espiritu Santo. Established in 1993 by Chief Caleb Ser, the 220-hectare reserve supports a rich variety of Vanuatu's bird, bat, and plant life, as well as a diverse range of marine species in the two-kilometre stretch of fringing reef.[16]
The tree Metrosideros tabwemasanaensis is endemic to high mountain forests on Mount Tabwemasana.[17]
See also
Notes
- ^ From the Spanish Espíritu Santo [esˈpiɾitu ˈsanto], "Holy Spirit", usually called just Santo.
References
- ^ "Espiritu Santo". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ "Espíritu Santo". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ "Espiritu Santo". Lexico US English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2022-09-02.
- ^ "Espiritu Santo". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ 2009 Census Summary release final Archived December 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine - Government of Vanuatu
- ISBN 978-1-74175-054-6
- ^ Burney, James (1803). A chronological history of the discoveries in the South Sea or Pacific Ocean; illustrated with charts. pp. 299-300.
- ^ Burney (1803), pp. 300–301. Burney is critical of the Spaniards' approach to diplomacy, though he notes the incident probably "saved the people of the country from the dominion of European masters".
- ^ Burney (1803) pp. 302–304.
- ^ Burney (1803), p. 305
- ^ Diego del Prado: "Luis Baes de Torres went in the boat, well equipped, along the coast of the bay to the north and the launch along the other coast, hugging the land because if the vessel had made shipwreck they would find plenty of pieces of planks along the coast" (manuscript, English translation).
- ^ Burney (1803) p. 311.
- ^ Burney (1803), p. 299
- ^ "Luganville". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
- ^ "Diving Santos". Vanuatu Online. Retrieved 2007-10-23.[permanent dead link]
- ^ [email protected]. "Tourist Information - Vanuatu Protected Areas Initiative / Loru Rainforest and Environment Centre". www.positiveearth.org. Archived from the original on 2012-11-02. Retrieved 2009-11-27.
- ^ Pillon, Yohan (2018). A new species of Metrosideros (Myrtaceae) from Vanuatu and notes on the genus. Phytotaxa Vol. 347 No. 2: 13 April 2018: 197–200. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.347.2.10
External links
- Media related to Espiritu Santo at Wikimedia Commons
- Espirtu Santo tourism website (archived 5 March 2010)