Efate
Geography | |
---|---|
Location | Pacific Ocean |
Coordinates | 17°40′S 168°25′E / 17.667°S 168.417°E |
Archipelago | Vanuatu |
Area | 899.5 km2 (347.3 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 647 m (2123 ft) |
Highest point | Mount McDonald |
Administration | |
Vanuatu | |
Province | Shefa Province |
Largest settlement | Port Vila (pop. 44,040) |
Demographics | |
Population | 65,829 (2009) |
Pop. density | 55.6/km2 (144/sq mi) |
Efate is an island that belongs to the country of Vanuatu in the Pacific Ocean. It belongs to Vanuatu's Shefa Province. The island is also called Île Vate. Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu, is in Efate.
Geography
[change | change source]Efate has the most people out of every other island in Vanuatu (about 66000 people live here). The island is 899.5 square kilometers, which makes it Vanuatu's third largest island. Most people on this island live in Port Vila, which is Vanuatu's capital. The highest place on this island is Mount McDonald. The mountain is 647 meters tall (or 2123 feet).
History
[change | change source]In 1774, Captain James Cook discovered the island and named it Sandwich Island.
During World War II, the island was an important United States military base. On March 13, 2015, Cyclone Pam strongly damaged Port Vila.