Tamambo | |
|---|---|
 Map of the island | |
  Malo | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 15°41′S167°10′E / 15.683°S 167.167°E /-15.683; 167.167 |
| Archipelago | New Hebrides |
| Area | 180 km2 (69 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 326 m (1070 ft) |
| Administration | |
Vanuatu | |
| Province | Sanma |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 4,273 (2009) |
| Ethnic groups | Ni-Vanuatu |
Malo (formerly known asSt. Bartholomew) is an island inVanuatu 3 km (1.9 mi) off the southern coast of Vanuatu's largest island,Espiritu Santo, inSanma Province.[1][2] It has a circumference of 55 km (34 mi) and an area of 180 km2 (69 sq mi). It is 17 kilometres or 11 miles long, and 13 kilometres or 8.1 miles across at its widest point. The highest point on the island is Mount Malo (326 metres or 1,070 feet).
The climate isperhumid tropical. The average annual rainfall is roughly 3,000 millimetres or 120 inches. The island is frequently subjected to cyclones and earthquakes.
Like most of the islands ofVanuatu, Malo is of volcanic origin. The highest point on the island is Malo Peak, which rises to 326 m (1,070 ft) abovesea level.[3]
The main products of the island arecopra andcocoa. Both crops are grown on plantations.[2]
A 5,650 hectares or 13,960 acres tract, encompassing the western end of the island, has been recognised as anImportant Bird Area (IBA) byBirdLife International, because it supports populations ofVanuatu megapodes,Vanuatu kingfishers,palm lorikeets,fan-tailed gerygones, andVanuatu white-eyes.[4]
The pseudohermaphroditicNarave pig is found on the island. The people of Malo Island consider the pig to be sacred.[5][6][7]
In 1979, the island had a population of 2,312. The 1999 census found a population of 3,532. By the 2009 census, the total population had grown to 4,273, an increase of 21% since 1999.[8] Avunatari (Abnetare), the main center on the northwest coast, had 600 people in 1999.[citation needed]
There are two main cultural groups on the island of Malo: the group of Auta in the west, and the group of Tinjivo in the east. Both these groups speak a variant of theTamambo language (which is also calledMalo).
The earliest archaeological evidence of human habitation in Vanuatu is from a site on Malo that was settled circa 1400 BC. Artifacts from this early settlement are characteristic of theLapita culture.[2][9]
The earliest evidence of human occupation in Vanuatu comes from a site on the island of Malo, first settled in about 1400 BC by people of the Lapita culture.
