Port Vila
Port Vila (; ), or simply Vila (; ), is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. It is located on the island of Efate. The population was 49,034 as of the 2020 census. In 2020, the population of Port Vila formed 16.3% of the country's population. On the south coast of the island of Efate, in Shefa Province, Port Vila is the economic and commercial centre of Vanuatu. The mayor is Erick Puyo Festa, of the Vanua'aku Pati, elected in January 2018; his deputy is Jenny Regenvanu, of the Graun mo Jastis Pati. On 13 March 2015, Port Vila suffered extensive damage from Cyclone Pam. Name Locally the town is most commonly referred to simply as "Vila", whether in French or Bislama or in English (not like English "villa"). The name of the area is Efil in the native South Efate language and Ifira in neighbouring Mele-Fila language. Vila is a variant of these names. Ifira is a small island in Vila harbour where many of the area's traditional landowners reside. History The area occupied by Port Vila has been inhabited by Melanesian people for thousands of years. In Autumn of 2004, an archaeological expedition known as Teouma discovered