Abstract
The Republic of Vanuatu, located in the south west Pacific, comprises a total land area of 12,195 sq km, made up of 83 islands, 70 of which are inhabited (Figure 59.1). Vanuatu was a former colony of Britain and France, jointly run under a Condominium government and known during that period as the New Hebrides or Nouvelles Hébrides, until it gained its independence in 1980. The indigenous population (known as ni-Vanuatu) of about 220,000 today remains remarkably culturally and linguistically diverse (Bonnemaison et al. 1996; Siméoni 2009). Most of the population practise a subsistence lifestyle and live in kin-based groups on their ancestral lands, practising a range of traditional or kastom beliefs. As a small, developing nation, Vanuatu has limited financial resources and consequently government priorities are focused on supporting and developing basic infrastructure.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Routledge handbook of archeological human remains and legislation: an international guide to laws and practice in the excavation and treatment of archaeological human remains |
| Editors | Nicholas Marquez-Grant and Linda Fibiger. |
| Place of Publication | Oxon, UK |
| Publisher | Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group |
| Pages | 657-670 |
| Volume | 1 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780415588577 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 |