Main Entry:

Van·u·atu

Pronunciation:

\ˌvan-ˌwä-ˈtü, ˌvän- also -ˈwä-(ˌ)tü\

Variant(s):

or formerly New Heb·ri·des \ˈhe-brə-ˌdēz\

Function:

geographical name

islands SW Pacific NE of New Caledonia & W of Fiji; formerly under joint British & French administration; a republic since 1980 ∗ Port-Vila (on Efate) area 5700 square miles (14,820 square kilometers), population 186,678