north-south direction of some 850 kilometres. It is located in the south-uestPacific Ocean, approximately 800 kilometres from Fiji in the eastr gO0 kilonetresfron the Solomon Islands to the north-uest, and {00 and 1,750 kilometres from New Caledonia and Australia, respectively, in the south-rdest. The land area of sooe L2,200 square ltilometres is unevenly distributedl the eight Iargest islands -including Espiritu Santo (about 4r000 sg km) and Malekula (over 2,000 sq km) account for about 85 per cent of the total land area. 284. Until July 1980 when it became an independent countryr the Republlc of vanuatu was governerl as the Condominiun of the Neu tlebrides by France and the United Kinqdom of Great Britain and t'lorthern Ireland. For 7rl years this involved three administrative and tr,D legal systems 285. Since in<lependence, the @vernnent has been faced with the fornidable tasks ofintegrating the previously separate administrations, fostering a senlre of nationalunity and an effective local government systen through the It adrninistrativecentres, obtaining and retaining the finance and skill,s needed for developoent and overcominq the constraints ioposed by the wide dispersement of the islands and thenature of the terrain. 285. The population of Vanuatu (known as Ni-Vanuatu) is estimated to be 127,800.It is conposed prerlominantly of people of Melanesian stock. The Constitutionrleclares the national language of the Republic to be Bislama, a form of pidgin spoken throughout the islanrlsl the official languages are Bislama, French andEnqli'sh. In arldition, some 40 languages are stitl spoken by the settlenent communities.A/40 144r English Page I04 B. Economic situation t*
**Analysis**
The text provides general information about Vanuatu, a country located in the Pacific Ocean. The text discusses the country's geography, population, language, and administrative history. It does not specifically focus on economic development, agriculture, forestry, or fishing, but it does mention the country's economic challenges and the need for finance and skills for development. The text also mentions the country's international relations and language diversity, which could be related to culture or education.

**Category**
Education, Culture