Malo (formerly known as St. Bartholomew) is an island in Vanuatu 3 km off the southern coast of Vanuatu's largest island, Espiritu Santo, in Sanma Province. It has a circumference of 55 km and an area of 180 km². It is 17 km long, and 13 km across at its widest point. The highest point on the island is Mount Malo (326 m). The climate is perhumid tropical. The average annual rainfall is roughly 3000 mm. The island is frequently subjected to cyclones and earthquakes.

Geography

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 above sea level. The main products of the island are copra and cocoa. Both crops are grown on plantations.

Natural history

A 5,650 ha tract, encompassing the western end of the island, has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International, because it supports populations of Vanuatu megapodes, Vanuatu kingfishers, palm lorikeets, fan-tailed gerygones, and Vanuatu white-eyes. The pseudohermaphroditic Narave pig is found on the island. The people of Malo Island consider the pig to be sacred.

Demographics

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. Avunatari (Abnetare), the main center on the northwest coast, had 600 people in 1999. 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. 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.