Ambae

Ambae

Aoba
False color (elevation) and computed shadow map of Ambae Location within Vanuatu
Map of Ambae
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	15°24′0″S167°50′0″E
Archipelago	New Hebrides
Area	398 km2(154 sq mi)
Highest elevation	1,496 m (4908 ft)
Highest point	Aobahi
Administration
Vanuatu
Province	Penama
Demographics
Population	0 (2018)
Ethnic groups	Ni-Vanuatu

Aobahi
Geography
Location	Vanuatu
Topo map	400 km2(154 sq mi)
Geology
Mountain type	Shield volcano
Last eruption	June to July 2011

Ambae,also known asAoba,Omba,Oba,orOpaand formerlyLepers’ Island,is an island in theSouth Pacificisland nationofVanuatu,located near15°30′S167°30′E,approximately 310 kilometres (165 nautical miles) north-northwest of Vanuatu's capital city,Port Vila.It is also Vanuatu's largest active volcano.

Name

The various names of Ambae come from the indigenousOceanic languagesspoken withinVanuatu.The forms witha-reflect a locative marker added to the proper name of the island, spelledObaorOmba,both reflecting a pronunciation of[oᵐba]in the local dialects spoken there. InMota,once the lingua franca of theMelanesian Mission,it is calledOpa[opa].All of these terms come from a Proto-North-Central Vanuatu form*oᵐba.

History

First recorded sighting by Europeans was by the Spanish expedition ofPedro Fernández de Quirósin the spring of 1606.

The misty sight of Ambae from neighboringEspiritu Santo,which served as a majorWorld War IIairbase, inspired the mythicalBali Ha'iinJames Michener'sTales of the South Pacific.

Geography

Rough, black basalt stones compose its shoreline and surface in many places, though the soils (where present) are rich. The island appears to be covered in nearly unbroken vegetation; inhabited areas feature large gardens and managed forests above, with coconut andcacao plantationsusually closer to shore. There are no reliable sources of surface water (rivers, streams, or lakes), save thecrater lakeswhich are inaccessible. Water for all human uses comes from cement-lined wells or water tanks filled with rainwater.

There are no permanent rivers on the island, but the population rarely suffers from water shortages.

The climate is both humid tropical with slight seasonal variations. The average annual temperature on the coast is 30 °C, on the caldera - 23 °C. The average annual rainfall varies from 2500 to 3500 mm of rain. The rainy season lasts from November to April.

Important Bird Area

The upper slopes of the island have been recognised as anImportant Bird Area(IBA) byBirdLife Internationalbecause they support populations ofTanna fruit doves,red-bellied fruit doves,palm lorikeets,cardinal myzomelas,Vanuatu honeyeaters,fan-tailed gerygones,Polynesian trillers,long-tailed trillers,streaked fantails,Melanesian flycatchers,buff-bellied monarchs,southern shrikebills,Vanuatu white-eyesandrusty-winged starlings.

Volcano

Main article:Manaro Voui

Ambae is the emergent portion of Vanuatu's largest (most voluminous)volcano,Manaro Voui,which rises 1,496 meters above sea level, or about 3,900 meters above the sea floor.A steam and ash eruption began on November 27, 2005, leading to a Level 2 volcano alert and preparations for evacuations.On December 8,2005, the eruption became stronger, displacing more than 3,000 of Ambae Island's inhabitants to elsewhere on the islandand requiring the evacuation of two hospitals.

On September 28, 2017, after a week of increasing volcanic activity to Level 4 (Level 5 being a major eruption), the government of Vanuatu ordered a complete evacuation of the island, home to about 11,000 residents.Ash from the eruption has covered the island, killing crops and polluting the air and water. In April 2018 the remaining approximately 10,000 residents were ordered to evacuate permanently.

Demographics

The population isMelanesian,though (anecdotally) ancientPolynesianadmixtures have given Man-Ambae lighter complexions and Polynesian languages. Religiously Ambae is exclusivelyChristian,split into many denominations. These can be characterized in three stages: the original colonial-missionary churches (Anglican,Catholic), the second-stage, often American-origin evangelical denominations (Apostolic, Church of Christ, Assemblies of God), and the newer, less orthodox, fusion/'unity' sects. This last category includes many grass-roots groups originating within Vanuatu. Missionary activity from outside (as in all Vanuatu) continues, especially fromMormons,who have a growing following on West & North Ambae.

Population

Ambae has a population of less than 11,000,divided into 3–4 discernible language groups (North/East Ambae languagecentered on theLombahaarea,West Ambae languagecentered onNduindui,andSouth Ambae languagecentered onRedcliffe). The island has no considerable towns, though thePenamaprovincial center is located atSaratamataon East Ambae.

Economy and agriculture

Ambae children with pet Lorikeet

The local economy is largely non-monetary, withcash cropincome (fromcopra,cacao,and driedkava) being used primarily for school fees and sundry items like soap, salt, kerosene, etc. Most regular employment is in the public sector, as teachers. Remittances from employed relatives in the towns of Santo or Vila also contribute cash to the local economy.

Ambae is serviced by fewer than 100 telephone lines, mostly on the east side. It has two post offices andNational Bank of Vanuatubranches, at Saratamata and Nduindui, regular interisland ship traffic, and severalVanairflights a week.Of the small-to-medium outer islands of Vanuatu (i.e., not Efate, Santo, Tanna or Malekula), Ambae must be considered one of the more "developed."

Traditional subsistence agriculture satisfies food needs, while most villagers engage in small-scale cash crop production as well. Often grown in large upland gardens (with good rainfall and safe from roving pigs), the primary crops aretaro,banana,yam,andmanioc.Kumala (sweet potatoes– a good tuber thereof is callediggeremanggeggeuni), vegetables, fruits and nuts help to provide an excellent diet, though protein is occasionally lacking. Without substantial reefs, seafood is less significant a protein source compared with other islands of Vanuatu and in any case is inaccessible to the large populations living at high inland elevations.

Transportation

The island is served by three airstrips with services byAir Vanuatu:Walaha Airportin the southwest,Redcliffe Airportin the south andLongana Airportin the northeast.

Notable people

• Nadia Kanegai- social entrepreneur and politician.
• Merilyn Tahi- women's rights activist and co-founder of Vanuatu Women's Centre.

External links

• Media related toAmbae Islandat Wikimedia Commons
• Anglican liturgies in West Ambaespoken on Aoba