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Luganville

Coordinates: 15°32′S 167°10′E / 15.533°S 167.167°E / -15.533; 167.167
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Luganville
Kanal
Santo
Town
Luganville main street Boulevard Higinson
Luganville main street Boulevard Higinson
Location on Espiritu Santo
Location on Espiritu Santo
Luganville is located in Vanuatu
Luganville
Luganville
Location in Vanuatu
Coordinates: 15°32′S 167°10′E / 15.533°S 167.167°E / -15.533; 167.167
Country Vanuatu
ProvinceSanma Province
IslandEspiritu Santo
Government
 • MayorPetter Patty (2019—present)[1][2]
Area
 • Total
8.32 km2 (3.21 sq mi)
Elevation
8 m (26 ft)
Population
 (2020 census)[3]
 • Total
18,062
 • Density2,200/km2 (5,600/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+11 (VUT)

Luganville is the second largest city in Vanuatu after the capital Port Vila; it is located on the island of Espiritu Santo and has a population of 18,062 as of the 2020 census.[3] Those on Vanuatu's northern islands who regard Luganville as their big city, particularly indigenous populations, call it Santo; rural residents of Espiritu Santo call it Kanal (from French "second canal").[4] Luganville served as a major base of operations for American troops during World War II.[5]

Boulevard Higinson, the main street that runs through Luganville, contains mainly tourist boutiques and general stores.[6] During WWII, the Americans used the Espiritu Santo as a military base; as a result of the occupation, Boulevard Higinson is unusually wide, as a base commander insisted that four tanks should be able to drive along the road simultaneously.[7] At one end of Higinson is the port, one of two main ports for the island.[5]

History

World War II

During World War II, the American military erected two bases on two islands of what is now Vanuatu (a British-French colony known then as New Hebrides), one of which being Espiritu Santo.[8] A village of small, spaced-out communities was established into one city: Luganville.[9] Base Button iws the largest U.S. base in the South Pacific, covering 38 miles, and was used mainly for maintenance and supply storage.[8][10][5] Luganville was a major part of preparing American units for the Guadalcanal campaign.[11] Four airfields were built; Palikulo Bay Airfield, Turtle Bay Airfield, and Luganville Airfield no longer exist, but the Bomber 3 was turned into Santo-Pekoa International Airport.[5][10][11] Other facilities built were five military hospitals, Luganville Seaplane Base, Pontoon Wharf, a floating drydeck, and thousands of Quonset huts.[5][11]

The flags of Vanuatu and Luganville flying outside the French colonial city hall.

Independence

By the second half of the 20th century, Luganville was largely French-speaking and initially resisted the attempts to gain independence leading up to its declaration on July 30, 1980.[12] French troops initially attempted to quash the flag-raising in Luganville, but returned to France in August instead.[13] Some unrest arose between political parties vying for power, but has since been largely peaceful.[14][15]

Population

The current population of Luganville is quite diverse. It comprises a vast majority of indigenous Ni-Vanuatu, and it also has a small population of Chinese and European descendants (English and French). Some of the locals, although residing in Luganville, come from other parts of Santo or different islands within Vanuatu.

Economy and services

Luganville has changed with the expansion of businesses and shops in the town. However, critics have claimed that Luganville has great potential and should have developed its economy further since Vanuatu gained its independence from Great Britain and France in 1980.

Luganville has the second largest hospital in Vanuatu called Northern District Hospital, built before independence by the French administration. The hospital provides services to residents in Luganville and people in rural parts of Santo. Additionally, the hospital serves people in other northern islands of Vanuatu, such as Banks. Still, the hospital is often underfunded by the central Government. It often relies on aid from overseas countries, most notably France, Australia, New Zealand, and China.

There are five (5) banks in Luganville, namely National Bank of Vanuatu,[16] ANZ,[17] Westpac[18][needs update], Wanfuteng Bank and BRED Bank.[19]

Luganville has a main marketplace in town - and several small markets around town - which are popular with inexpensive local foods, fruits, vegetables, and drinks. Luganville has a police station located in the centre of town. There are a small number of legal firms and real estate agencies in town.

Broadband internet became available to Luganville in late 2006.

Part of the city is formed by squatted informal settlements such as La Milice, Mango, Pepsi, Rowok, Sarakata and St Michel. Mango was first settled by Vietnamese migrants who constructed shelters out of scrap metal left behind by the United States Army. The Vietnamese were repatriated in the 1960s and it was then occupied by Ni-Vanuatu migrants.[20]

Transportation

Luganville is one of Vanuatu's busiest ports, especially as a transshipment point for copra and cacao. Canal du Segond, the body of water separating the main island and Luganville from Aore Island, provides the town with an excellent sheltered harbour.

The transportation in Luganville has changed dramatically and improved immensely. There are considerable numbers of taxis, buses, and public transport trucks providing service in and around town. The town is served by Santo-Pekoa International Airport.

Climate

Luganville features a tropical rainforest climate (Af) under the Köppen climate classification. The town features relatively constant temperatures year-round, with average temperature hovering around 26 °C or 79 °F. Average precipitation is roughly 2,900 millimetres or 110 inches annually.

Climate data for Luganville
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 29
(85) 		29
(85) 		29
(84) 		28
(83) 		27
(81) 		27
(80) 		26
(79) 		26
(79) 		27
(80) 		27
(81) 		28
(83) 		29
(84) 		28
(82)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 24
(75) 		24
(75) 		24
(75) 		24
(75) 		23
(74) 		23
(73) 		22
(72) 		22
(71) 		22
(72) 		23
(73) 		23
(74) 		23
(74) 		23
(74)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 330
(12.8) 		340
(13.2) 		340
(13.4) 		310
(12.2) 		210
(8.3) 		200
(7.7) 		160
(6.4) 		130
(5.1) 		160
(6.3) 		190
(7.6) 		220
(8.5) 		270
(10.6) 		2,860
(112.1)
Source: Weatherbase[21]


Twin towns – sister cities

Luganville is twinned with:

Notes

  1. ^ Ayong, Steve (2021-06-10). "Renovation of historic Luganville town hall almost complete". VBTC. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  2. ^ Ligo, Godwin (2019-10-07). "New Mayor Outlines Priorities". Daily Post. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  3. ^ a b "Vanuatu 2020 National Population and Housing Census Preliminary Results has been released on Wednesday 30th June 2021". Vanuatu National Statistics Office. 2021-06-30. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  4. ^ "Luganville". Famous Wonders. n.d. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  5. ^ a b c d e Stone, Peter (1997). The Lady and the President: The Life and Loss of the S.S. President Coolidge. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  6. ^ "Shopping: Vanuatu". Arrival Guides. n.d. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  7. ^ "LUGANVILLE (ESPIRITO SANTO)". Norweigan Cruise Lines. n.d. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  8. ^ a b Johnson, Tambrie (2021-03-31). "The South Pacific's Premier World War II Museum". HistoryNet. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  9. ^ "Espiritu Santo & WWII". Santo Travel. n.d. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  10. ^ a b Kosmidis, Pierre (n.d.). "The South Pacific's WW2 forgotten base". Word War 2 Wrecks. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  11. ^ a b c "Santo Bases". South Pacific WW2 Museum. n.d. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  12. ^ Stanley, David (1989). South Pacific Handbook. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  13. ^ "Vanuatu - a brief history". RNZ. n.d. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  14. ^ MacClancy, J.V. (1984). "Vanuatu since Independence: 1980-83". The Journal of Pacific History. 19 (2): 100–112. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  15. ^ Westoby, Peter; Brown, M. Anne (2007). "Peaceful Community Development in Vanuatu: A Reflection on the Vanuatu Kastom Governance Partnership". Journal of Peacebuilding and Development. 3 (3): 77–81. doi:10.1080/15423166.2007.390449351269. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  16. ^ National Bank of Vanuatu - http://www.nbv.vu
  17. ^ ANZ - http://www.locate.anz.com/anz/international
  18. ^ Westpac - http://www.westpac.vu
  19. ^ BRED Bank - http://www.bred.vu
  20. ^ Hill, David; Chung, Margaret (2020). "Urban informal settlements in Vanuatu: Challenge for equitable development" (PDF). Report prepared for Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Pacific Operation Centre. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  21. ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Luganville, Vanuatu". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
  22. ^ "Government of Republic of Vanuatu chooses KK as its main office in Malaysia". New Sabah Times. 5 May 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  23. ^ "Sister city agreement reaping rewards". Vanuatu Daily Post. 6 May 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  24. ^ "Luganville and Honiara establish sister city relations". Vanuatu Daily Post. 21 March 2013. Archived from the original on 14 July 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  25. ^ "Port Vila strengthens sister agreement with Luganville". Vanuatu Daily Post. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
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