Ratua, Vanuatu

Ratua
Ratua
Island
	Ratua Location in Vanuatu
	Coordinates: 15°36′44″S 167°10′52″E / 15.61222°S 167.18111°E
Country	Vanuatu
Province	Sanma Province
Area
• Total	0.59 km2 (0.23 sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+11 (VUT)
Website	Official website

Ratua, situated in the Vanuatu archipelago, is a 146-acre (59 ha) island located south of Espiritu Santo, between Aore and Malo islands.

History[edit]

In the early 1900s, during the Anglo-French condominium colony, when the Vanuatu archipelago was originally named New Hebrides until its independence in 1980, the island of Ratua was an uninhabited French coconut plantation where copra was produced.

Geography[edit]

The island is a rich sanctuary of flora and fauna, from active volcanoes, waterfalls, caves, reefs inhabited by sea tortoises and bright coral reefs, it is still covered by a plethora of flamboyant coconut and fruit trees.

Resort[edit]

In 2005, the island of Ratua became the property of a French nature lover who established a private resort which encapsulates the patrimonial association of nature preservation. The resort has adopted an "eco-friendly" philosophy, offering dynamic natural resources as well as employing local inhabitants of the island in order to grow and sustain their economy.

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