   port vila  is the capital and largest city of vanuatu. its population in the last census (2009) was 44,040,vanuatu national statistics office 2009, the 2009 vanuatu national population and housing census, government of vanuatu, port vila. an increase of 50% on the previous census result (29,356 in 1999). in 2009, the population of port vila formed 18.8% of the country's population. situated on the south coast of the island of efate, in shefa province, port vila is the economic and commercial centre of vanuatu. the current mayor is ulrich sumptoh, of the union of moderate parties, elected in january 2014; his deputy is leimara malachi, of the vanua'aku pati."new mayor for vanuatu's port vila", radio new zealand international, 27 january 2014 == history == the area occupied by port vila has been inhabited by melanesian people for thousands of years. in autumn of 2004, an archaeological expedition known as teouma discovered a burial site of 25 tombs containing three dozen skeletons of members of the lapita culture. pieces of ceramics found at the site were dated to the 13th century bc. in may of 1606, the first europeans arrived at the island, led by pedro fernÃ¡ndez de quirÃ³s and luis vÃ¡ez de torres. in the 19th century when the islands were known as the new hebrides, the british possessed economic control of the zone, though by the end of 1880, the economic balance began to favor the french; this transition can be seen in its nickel mines of new caledonia and plantations. french citizen ferdinand chevillard began buying and clearing land
Capitals_in_Oceania Populated_places_in_Vanuatu Port_Vila Port_cities_in_Oceania