This article is about the island in Vanuatu. For the island in the Solomon Islands, see
Malo (Solomon Islands).
Malo (formerly known as St. Bartholomew) is an island in Vanuatu 3 km (1.9 mi) off the southern coast of Vanuatu's largest island, Espiritu Santo, in Sanma Province.[1][2] It has a circumference of 55 km (34 mi) and an area of 180 km2 (69 sq mi). It is 17 kilometres or 11 miles long, and 13 kilometres or 8.1 miles across at its widest point. The highest point on the island is Mount Malo (326 metres or 1,070 feet).
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The climate is perhumid tropical. The average annual rainfall is roughly 3,000 millimetres or 120 inches. The island is frequently subjected to cyclones and earthquakes.
Like most of the islands of Vanuatu, Malo is of volcanic origin. The highest point on the island is Malo Peak, which rises to 326 m (1,070 ft) above sea level.[3]
The main products of the island are copra and cocoa. Both crops are grown on plantations.[2]
In 1979, the island had a population of 2,312. The 1999 census found a population of 3,532. By the 2009 census, the total population had grown to 4,273, an increase of 21% since 1999.[8] Avunatari (Abnetare), the main center on the northwest coast, had 600 people in 1999.[citation needed]
There are two main cultural groups on the island of Malo, the cultural group of Auta that inhabits the western part of the island and the cultural group of Tinjivo that inhabits the eastern portion of the island. Both these groups speak a variant of the Tamambo language. Malo is also the name of the Austronesian language spoken on the island.[citation needed]
The earliest archaeological evidence of human habitation in Vanuatu is from a site on Malo that was settled circa 1400 BC. Artifacts from this early settlement are characteristic of the Lapita culture.[2][9]
Siméoni, Patricia (2009). Atlas du Vanouatou. Port-Vila: Éditions Géo-consultre. p. 31. ISBN 978-2-9533362-0-7. "West Malo". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
Michelle Bennett; Jocelyn Harewood (September 2003). Vanuatu. Lonely Planet. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-74059-239-0. Retrieved 2012-08-11. The earliest evidence of human occupation in Vanuatu comes from a site on the island of Malo, first settled in about 1400 BC by people of the Lapita culture.