Epi (island)
Encyclopedia
Epi is the name of an island in Vanuatu
, at the north end of the Shepherd Islands
. It is in Shefa Province
. It is 43 kilometres (26.7 mi) long northwest-southeast, and 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) wide, with an area of 444 square kilometres (171.4 sq mi). Its shoreline measures 130 km. In 1986 it had a population of 3,035.
The island is of volcanic origin, and its highest point, Mount Pomare, which reaches a height of 833 m above sea level
, is a quaternary
volcano. It lies 13 km from the more prominent Lopévi
volcano. To the east is the largely underwater East Epi volcano.
On the northwest edge of the island is the sandy beach Lamen Bay, and the nearby small island of Lamen (pop. 500). The bay has some coral reef
s which are the habitat of the dugong
. On the west coast is Cape Forland. In the southeast is Valesdir. In the northeast is Drummond Bay, with the Nikaura Marine Protected Area, established in 2000 by the community of Nikaura. To the south is the small uninhabited islet of Namuka. There are also black (volcanic) sand beaches, and three small freshwater lakes.
of Vanuatu. The king and supreme ruler of the island is Epi Denissen.
Epi High School, at Lamen Bay, is being renovated by a joint effort from Kiwanis
, Air Vanuatu
, and AusAID. http://www.news.vu/en/living/community/050201-kiwanis-ausaid-and-air-vanuatu-help.shtml
There is a Presbyterian hospital at Vaémali (Falmali), on the north end of the island.
. The island's GDP is $457 per capita.
Formerly there were a number of large plantations for coconut
s and copra
, principally along the fertile coasts. Today most of these have been broken into small holdings, except for the large plantation at Valesdir, which continues to produce copra, beef
, and kava. Other crops include peanuts
(grown in the interior hills) and kava
.
Fishing
is important as well. The government has recently been promoting training in fishing to improve its efficiency and safety. http://www.spc.int/coastfish/Sections/training/sig/sig21/sig21_p14_1.htm
Tourism has become more important, especially in the Lamen Bay area. There is accommodation available in a few other places including Valesdir and Nikaura.
Since 2007 with the introduction of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme in New Zealand
, in which New Zealand horticultural businesses can source seasonal labour from several Pacific Islands
including Vanuatu, a small number of New Zealand businesses have sourced their RSE labour from Epi, primarily from the Lamen Bay area. Each year between 50 and 80 workers are recruited. These workers spend up to seven months of the year in New Zealand working as seasonal labourers in the horticultural industry; returning at the end of the period with their savings. A worker on the scheme could be anticipated to save approximately 450 000 Vatu over the seven month work period . This has provided a substantial cash injection to the local economy and improved the living conditions of many of the residents and their families.
, and one in the southwest at Valesdir. Both are serviced a few times a week by Air Vanuatu
. The island can also be reached by ship.
The island has basic unsealed roads but few vehicles.
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
, at the north end of the Shepherd Islands
Shepherd Islands
The Shepherd Islands are a group of islands lying between the larger islands of Epi and Éfaté, in the Shefa province of Vanuatu. The aggregate land area is 88 km². At the 2009 census the population numbered 3634....
. It is in Shefa Province
Shefa Province
Shefa is a province of Vanuatu, including the islands of Epi and Efate and the Shepherd Islands. The name Shefa is derived from the initial letters of Shepherd and Efate. It has a population of 45,280 people and an area of 1,455 km²...
. It is 43 kilometres (26.7 mi) long northwest-southeast, and 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) wide, with an area of 444 square kilometres (171.4 sq mi). Its shoreline measures 130 km. In 1986 it had a population of 3,035.
Geology and Geography
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, is a quaternary
Quaternary
The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
volcano. It lies 13 km from the more prominent Lopévi
Lopevi
Lopevi is an uninhabited island in Malampa Province, Vanuatu. It lies to the southeast of Ambrym and east of Paama. It consists of the 7-km-wide cone of the active stratovolcano by the same name. It reaches a peak of 1413 m above sea level, the tallest point in central Vanuatu. It has erupted...
volcano. To the east is the largely underwater East Epi volcano.
On the northwest edge of the island is the sandy beach Lamen Bay, and the nearby small island of Lamen (pop. 500). The bay has some coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
s which are the habitat of the dugong
Dugong
The dugong is a large marine mammal which, together with the manatees, is one of four living species of the order Sirenia. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow , was hunted to extinction in the 18th century...
. On the west coast is Cape Forland. In the southeast is Valesdir. In the northeast is Drummond Bay, with the Nikaura Marine Protected Area, established in 2000 by the community of Nikaura. To the south is the small uninhabited islet of Namuka. There are also black (volcanic) sand beaches, and three small freshwater lakes.
Culture
Epi has a wide variety of languages for its size, including: Bieria in the south, Maii in the southwest, Baki in the west, Bierebo in the northwest, Lamenu at the northwest tip (and also the island of Lamen), and Lewo in the east. These languages are all spoken by a few to several hundred speakers each, and are considered to all form a branch of the Austronesian languagesAustronesian languages
The Austronesian languages are a language family widely dispersed throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a few members spoken on continental Asia that are spoken by about 386 million people. It is on par with Indo-European, Niger-Congo, Afroasiatic and Uralic as one of the...
of Vanuatu. The king and supreme ruler of the island is Epi Denissen.
Epi High School, at Lamen Bay, is being renovated by a joint effort from Kiwanis
Kiwanis
Kiwanis International is an international, coeducational service club founded in 1915. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Current membership is 240,000 members in 7,700 clubs in 80 nations...
, Air Vanuatu
Air Vanuatu
Air Vanuatu is an airline with its head office in the Air Vanuatu House, Port Vila, Vanuatu. It is Vanuatu's national flag carrier, operating to Australia, New Zealand and points in the South Pacific...
, and AusAID. http://www.news.vu/en/living/community/050201-kiwanis-ausaid-and-air-vanuatu-help.shtml
There is a Presbyterian hospital at Vaémali (Falmali), on the north end of the island.
Economy
The principal economic activity is subsistence agricultureSubsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed their families. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to eat and clothe themselves during the year. Planting decisions are made with an eye...
. The island's GDP is $457 per capita.
Formerly there were a number of large plantations for coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
s and copra
Copra
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock.-Production:...
, principally along the fertile coasts. Today most of these have been broken into small holdings, except for the large plantation at Valesdir, which continues to produce copra, beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
, and kava. Other crops include peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
(grown in the interior hills) and kava
Kava
Kava or kava-kava is a crop of the western Pacific....
.
Fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
is important as well. The government has recently been promoting training in fishing to improve its efficiency and safety. http://www.spc.int/coastfish/Sections/training/sig/sig21/sig21_p14_1.htm
Tourism has become more important, especially in the Lamen Bay area. There is accommodation available in a few other places including Valesdir and Nikaura.
Since 2007 with the introduction of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, in which New Zealand horticultural businesses can source seasonal labour from several Pacific Islands
Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
including Vanuatu, a small number of New Zealand businesses have sourced their RSE labour from Epi, primarily from the Lamen Bay area. Each year between 50 and 80 workers are recruited. These workers spend up to seven months of the year in New Zealand working as seasonal labourers in the horticultural industry; returning at the end of the period with their savings. A worker on the scheme could be anticipated to save approximately 450 000 Vatu over the seven month work period . This has provided a substantial cash injection to the local economy and improved the living conditions of many of the residents and their families.
Transport
There are two airports on the island, one in the northwest, Lamen Bay AirportLamen Bay Airport
Lamen Bay Airport is an airport in Lamen Bay on Epi, Vanuatu.-Airlines and destinations:*Air Vanuatu...
, and one in the southwest at Valesdir. Both are serviced a few times a week by Air Vanuatu
Air Vanuatu
Air Vanuatu is an airline with its head office in the Air Vanuatu House, Port Vila, Vanuatu. It is Vanuatu's national flag carrier, operating to Australia, New Zealand and points in the South Pacific...
. The island can also be reached by ship.
The island has basic unsealed roads but few vehicles.
External links
- Languages of Epi, including bibliography
- Custom stories from Epi
- UN Earthwatch site
- The dugong of Lamen Bay on Epi
- Tourist site, including island map and pictures
- Video of landing in Lamen Bay (LNB) on an Air Vanuatu Twin Otter