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 17,719 as of the 2020 census. Luganville served as a major base of operations for American troops during World War II. 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. At one end of Higinson is the port, one of two main ports for the island.
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. A village of small, spaced-out communities was established into one city: Luganville. Base Button is the largest U.S. base in the South Pacific, covering 38 miles, and was used mainly for maintenance and supply storage. 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.
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. French troops initially attempted to quash the flag-raising in Luganville, but returned to France in August instead. Some unrest arose between political parties vying for power, but has since been largely peaceful. Those of non-Melanesian descent are a minority and are European, other Pacific Islander, and Asian peoples.
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.
Languages
Luganville is a highly multilingual city, with Bislama, English and French all being widely spoken in the city. In the 2020 census, 87.8% of the city's population reported being literate in English and 52.6% in French – well higher than the national average, and higher than in Port Vila.
Economy and infrastructure
Luganville's economy suffered after Vanuatu declared independence in 1980. Its other main industries are agriculture, cattle, and offshore financial services. The market along Boulevard Higinson is popular for its inexpensive food. Luganville is home to Vanuatu Health Training Institute, one of the two medical training schools on the island, but there are not enough graduates to prevent a shortage of medical professionals. Though medical expenses make up 50% of the government's budget, the hospital still relies heavily on donations.
There are six main banking organizations in Luganville: Reserve Bank of Vanuatu, Wanfuteng Bank, the National Bank of Vanuatu, Bank South Pacific, BRED Bank, and ANZ Bank.
Broadband internet was not available in Luganville until late 2006.
Transportation
Luganville is one of Vanuatu's busiest ports, especially as a transshipment point for copra, coconut oil, and cacao. The town is served by Santo-Pekoa International Airport, the second largest airport in Vanuatu. The city is also serviced by a number of taxis, buses, and public transport trucks.
Twin towns – sister cities
Luganville is twinned with:
- - Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- - Mont-Dore, New Caledonia
- - Honiara, Solomon Islands
- - Port Vila, Vanuatu
- - Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
- - Wanshan Archipelago, Guangdong, China
- - Bundaberg, Australia