-
3500 BCE
settlers arrive in Vanuatu
-
1300 BCE
pottery fragments found dating back to 1300 bc
-
pedro Fernandez de quiros discovers island of Espiritu Santo
pedro Fernandez de quiros -
Europeans come back
Captain cook came back and named the islands the New Hebrides. -
sandal wood discovered on on of the islands.
this led to an increase in immigrants from the UK -
more than one-half the adult male population worked
sugar cane planters in Australia and Fiji needed labourers and more than one-half the adult male population of several of the islands worked to plant. -
France and British settlers moved to the islands to plant.
France became interested in the island archipelago. Both French and British settlers came, looking for land on which to establish cotton plantations. When international cotton prices collapsed, they switched to coffee, cocoa, bananas, and, coconuts. -
In 1906, France and the United Kingdom agreed to administer the islands jointly. This was not successful.
In 1906, France and the United Kingdom agreed to administer the islands jointly. This was not successful. -
Issue of land ownership due to conflict
The central issue of land ownership was a major source of conflict. The ancient customs of the Ni-Vanuatu meant that land was held in trust for future generations by the current custodians; Europeans viewed it more as a commodity and owned about 30% of the land area in the 1960s. -
name was taken away until independance of Britain
-
the Republic of Vanuatu was created
For the next 20 years, the disagreements continued. After a short conflict between the British and the Ni-Vanuatu the Republic of Vanuatu was created on 30 July 1980. Since independence, only kastom* owners and the government can own land; foreigners and other islanders who are not kastom owners can lease land only for the productive life of a coconut palm - 75 years