History
 ANGLO-FRENCH
CONDOMINIUM
This rivalry between the English and the French resulted in
the establishment of the Anglo-French Condominium of the New
Hebrides which was created in London on 20th October 1906
and signed in 1922.
Thus having the British queen and the French president as
joint heads of state, there were a lot of “manbush” who
believed for a long time that they were married and that the
country was ruled by this couple.
WWII AND THE AMERICANS
The Americans who established bases on Efate and Santo
during WWII built a great many roads and airfields, some of
which are still in use.
In December 1942, a former American luxury passenger liner,
the SS President Coolidge, which was converted to a troop
ship when the war started, hit a mine at the entrance of the
Segond Canal in Santo and sank.
Politics were growing and expanding in the New Hebrides and
the Condominium authorities finally accepted to allow the
first set of general elections to take place in 1975 when a
Representative Assembly was appointed. The second assembly
was formed in 1977 and the third in 1979 which saw the
Vanuaaku Pati take 26 seats, marking the beginning of the
end. Walter Lini became Prime Minister and in 1980 Georges
Sokomanu was elected as the very first President of the
Republic.
Thus a new nation came into being : Vanuatu.
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