Vanuatu is an independent republic consisting of 83 islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, located about 3,500 miles southwest of Hawaii and about 1,500 miles northeast of Australia. From the late 19th century until independence in 1980, Vanuatu was governed jointly by France and Britain. The capital and largest city is Port-Vila, located on the island of Efate. The country is characterized by isolated rural communities scattered among a chain of beautiful, but often rugged and lightly populated, tropical islands extending about 500 miles from north to south. Vanuatu has a population of about 190,000.

The majority of Vanuatu's population lives in isolated rural areas, though the urban centers of Port Vila and Luganville are increasing in size rapidly. About 16 percent of the population resides in Port Vila and 5.8 percent in Luganville. Port Vila, in sharp contrast to the rest of the country, is a small but cosmopolitan capital city with a local economy that caters to tourists and foreign residents.

Vanuatu is at a pivotal point in its young history: making the delicate transition from a largely self-sufficient agriculture-based economy to a more market-oriented one. While traditional values and customs continue to influence society, the pull of the new economy and the lifestyles that come with it have changed the community-based social"safety net." The challenge to the people of Vanuatu is how to create a balance between the traditional community support system and the rising expectations that they will have jobs, education, healthcare and a multitude of public services.