Aore | |
|---|---|
  Aore Location in Vanuatu | |
| Coordinates:15°34′20″S167°11′51″E / 15.57222°S 167.19750°E /-15.57222; 167.19750 | |
| Country |  Vanuatu |
| Province | Sanma Province |
| Area | |
• Total | 57.6 km2 (22.2 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 122 m (400 ft) |
| Population (2009) | |
• Total | 556 |
| • Density | 9.65/km2 (25.0/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+11 (VUT) |
Aore is an island inSanma Province,Vanuatu.[1] It is located oppositeLuganville onEspiritu Santo and has an area of 58 square kilometres (22 sq mi). The estimated terrain elevation above sea level is some 89 metres (292 ft).[2][3][4]
Aore's climate is humid tropical. The average annual rainfall is about 3,000 millimetres (120 in). The island is subject to frequentcyclones andearthquakes. Large colonies ofbats occupy the island's manycaves.
TheAore language is spoken on the island.
Tourism andplantations are Aore's main providers of employment and economic revenue. There are numerous resorts on the island catering to tourists,weddings, andbaptisms. Aore is a base forwreck andreefdiving; wrecks accessible to divers include those ofSS President Coolidge,USS Tucker, andMV Henri Bonneaud.Recreational fishing is a year-round activity.[citation needed]
The island also supports small-scale cocoa, vanilla, and pepper plantations, contributing to its agricultural economy.[5]
TheSeventh-day Adventist Church has been active on Aore since the early 20th century, and operates a co-educational boarding secondary school,Aore Adventist Academy, located on the mid-south coast of the island.Youth With A Mission (YWAM) has a base on the southwest side of Aore.
