Mavea, or locally Mav̈ea (), is an inhabited island in
Sanma Province
Sanma is a province located in the Northern part of the nation of Vanuatu, occupying the nation's largest island, Espiritu Santo, which is located approximately 2,500 km northeast of Sydney, Australia.
The name Sanma is derived from the init ...
of
Vanuatu
Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...
in the Pacific Ocean. The island lies off the eastern coast of
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census.
Geography
The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region o ...
. The estimated terrain elevation above the sea level is some 63 metres.
Population and language
As of 2015, the official local population was 232 people in 47 households.
Some 30 local people speak the endangered
Mavea language. There are at least another 30 Mavea speakers who have left the island permanently to live throughout Vanuatu, mainly on Espiritu Santo Island (in the villages of Deproma and Matevulu),
Aore Island
Aore Island is an island in Sanma Province, Vanuatu. It is located opposite Luganville on Espiritu Santo and has an area of 58 km2. The estimated terrain elevation above sea level is some 89 meters.
Aore's climate is humid tropical. The a ...
, and in
Port Vila
Port Vila (french: Port-Vila), or simply Vila (; french: Vila; bi, Vila ), is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. It is located on the island of Efate.
Its population in the last census (2009) was 44,040, an increase of 35% on the pr ...
, the capital city of Vanuatu. All Mavea speakers are bilingual in
Bislama
Bislama (; ; also known by its earlier French name, ) is an English-based creole language and one of the official languages of Vanuatu. It is the first language of many of the "Urban ni-Vanuatu" (citizens who live in Port Vila and Luganville) ...
, one of the official languages of Vanuatu.
References
Islands of Vanuatu
Sanma Province
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