🇻🇺 Vanuatu

Vanuatu is a Pacific archipelago of 320,000 people spread across 83 islands with a GDP of about $1 billion. The country is consistently ranked as the world's most at-risk country for natural disasters — it faces cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. Mount Yasur on Tanna Island is one of the world's most accessible active volcanoes — you can stand on the rim and watch eruptions. Vanuatu has a unique cultural tradition of land diving (naghol) on Pentecost Island — men jump from tall wooden towers with vines tied to their ankles, the original bungee jumping. The country gained independence from joint British-French rule (the "Condominium") in 1980.

Agriculture (copra, cocoa, kava, beef), tourism, and offshore financial services are the main sectors. The CBI program provides additional revenue. Australia and New Zealand are the main trade partners and aid donors. Cyclone Pam in 2015 caused damage equivalent to 64% of GDP. The country uses the vatu. Kava exports have grown significantly — Vanuatu kava is considered among the world's finest.

Vanuatu's land diving tradition on Pentecost Island inspired modern bungee jumping — A.J. Hackett reportedly got the idea after seeing footage of the practice. The country has one of the highest linguistic densities in the world — about 138 languages for 320,000 people. Vanuatu's cargo cults, which worship Western goods and military equipment as spiritual objects, are among the most studied anthropological phenomena.

Vanuatu's natural disaster exposure is extreme, and climate change is making it worse. The kava export niche and tourism provide income, but the country needs massive investment in resilience infrastructure.