Vanuatu explained to kids

Vanuatu is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is about 1,750 kilometres (1,090 mi) east of northern Australia, 540 kilometres (340 mi) northeast of New Caledonia, east of New Zealand, and west of Fiji. The country's name is derived from the word vanua ("land" or "home"), which is a composite of the two words ta ("to stand") and nu ("alone"), meaning "the land [or home] of our ancestors". The British explorer Captain James Cook was the first European to arrive in the country, when he landed on the island of Tanna in 1774. The Republic of Vanuatu was established in 1980, when the country gained its independence from France and Britain. Vanuatu is a Y-shaped archipelago consisting of about 82 relatively small, geologically newer islands of volcanic origin (65 of them inhabited), with about 11,000 kilometres (6,800 mi) of coastline. Most of the islands are covered with tropical rainforests and the economy is mostly based on agriculture, tourism and fishing. The capital city and largest port is Port Vila, on the island of Efate. Other important towns include Luganville on the island of Espiritu Santo, and Saratamata on the island of Malakula. Vanuatu is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie and the Pacific Islands Forum.