VCAP Penama Province Area Profile

Penama Province, Vanuatu is comprised of the three islands of Pentecost, Ambae and Maewo. It has a total population of 30,819 people based on the latest Census by the Vanuatu Statistics Office and a total land mass surface area of 1,193 km². The provincial capital is located on the island of Ambae at Seratamata.Pentecost Island is the largest and most populated island in Penama Province with an area of 490 km² and a total population of 16,843 people according to the 2009 Census with an annual population growth rate of 1.8%. The island stretches north to south a distance of around 60 kilometres with an average width of less than 10 kilometres. There are four Area Councils on Pentecost: (from North to South) North Pentecost, Central Pentecost 1 (CP1), Central Pentecost 2 (CP2) and South Pentecost, which collectively contain over 50 villages with populations exceeding 100 people. The VSO recorded over 250 communities in total living in Pentecost, with populations ranging from a single household up to 307 villagers.Underneath the four Area Councils on Pentecost, there are 23 Ward Councils, which are collections of “nakamals” or chiefly associations. There are 190 “nakamals” on Pentecost as reported by the Penama Provincial Government Council.