Merig is a small island located 20 km east of Gaua, in the Banks Islands of northern Vanuatu. The island is about 800 m wide, and has a circumference of 2.2 km.

Name

The name Merig comes from the Mota language. It comes from a Proto-Torres-Banks form *mʷera riɣi "the small boy" via haplology to *mʷeriɣi. It contrasts with Merelava, from *mʷera-i laβa "the big boy". The native term in Mwerlap is N̄wërig, from the same etymon.

History

The first recorded sighting of Merig Island by Europeans was by the Spanish expedition of Pedro Fernández de Quirós on 25 April 1606. It was then named Île Sainte Claire.

Population

As of 2009, Merig was only inhabited by three households, consisting of 12 individuals. Merig was not listed in Vanuatu's 2020 census. The inhabitants of Merig speak Mwerlap, the language of the neighbouring island Merelava.