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Pentecost is one of the 83 islands that make up the Oceania nation of Vanuatu.
It lies due north of capital Port Vila. Pentecost is known as Pentecôte in French language and Pentekos in Bislama. The island was known in its native languages by names such as Vanu Aroaroa, although these names are not in common use today. Pentecost has also been referred to as Raga or Araga, a tribal name that originated in the north but is now widely applied to the whole island. In old sources, it is occasionally referred to as Whitsuntide Island.
The climate on Pentecost is humid tropical. The average annual rainfall is about 3,500 mm of rain. There are two seasons in the year: the rainy season, which lasts from November to April, and the dry season, which lasts from May to October. The island is subject to frequent cyclones and earthquakes.
The first Western sighting of Pentecost was by the Spanish expedition of Pedro Fernandez de Quiros in April 1606.Brand, Donald D. The Pacific Basin: A History of its Geographical Explorations New York: The American Geographical Society (New York, 1967) p.137. Pentecost was again sighted on the day of Pentecost, 22 May 1768, by Louis Antoine de Bougainville. It was also sighted by Captain James Cook, during his voyage through the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) in 1774. It was influenced by successive Christianity missionary but traditional customs there remain strong.
Pentecost is most famous for being the spiritual birthplace of the extreme sport of bungee jumping, originating in an ages old ritual called the Gol (Bislama nanggol), or land diving. Between April and June every year, men in the southern part of the island jump from tall towers (around ) with tied to their feet, in a ritual believed to ensure a good yam harvest. The ritual is also now used to show acceptance into manhood. Land diving was first given international exposure when David Attenborough and a BBC film crew brought back footage of the ritual during the 1950s, which aired as part of The People of Paradise documentary series. Visitors to Pentecost who witnessed the ceremony include Pope John Paul II (1986) and Elizabeth II (1974).
The north Pentecost village of Laone was the home of Walter Lini, who led Vanuatu to independence in 1980. Today, the 'father of the nation' is commemorated by a statue at the nearby Lini Memorial College.
The Turaga nation, which rejects the Western economic system and instead promotes an alternative based on the " kastom economy", began on Pentecost and is based at Lavatmanggemu in the north-east of the island.
The practice of grade-taking (the elevation of social status through the slaughter of valuable pigs) has been studied by Anthropology.
The east coast is wild and inaccessible, with large uninhabited areas, although people are moving into previously uninhabited areas as the island's population increases. Major villages on the eastern side of the island include Ranwas, Bunlap and Baie Barrier (Ranon) in the south-east, and Renbura and Vanrasini further north.
Vegetables are often grated into a paste, wrapped in large leaves, baking in an earthen oven and covered with coconut cream to create 'laplap', a savoury pudding.
Pigs are highly important in Pentecost society, not only as food but as a traditional currency, which may be given as payment during marriage ceremonies or as compensation for transgressions. with long, curved are particularly prized. Weaving, red- are also used as a traditional form of currency.
Traditionally, copra (dried coconut meat) was Pentecost's main export, but this has now been overtaken by kava, a narcotic root used to prepare a traditional drink. Kava is grown and drunk on many islands in the Oceania, but Pentecost is particularly well known for it, and much of the kava drunk in Vanuatu's towns and abroad originates on Pentecost.
Cattle were once exported from Pentecost to the meat-processing factory at Luganville on neighbouring Santo island. However, most are now slaughtered locally instead, to feed Pentecost's growing population.
Houses are traditionally constructed from local wood and bamboo, and thatching with leaves of natanggura (a variety of palm tree). However, wealthier islanders now build their houses instead using imported cement and corrugated metal.
Cargo ships travelling between Port Vila and Luganville supply the island's west coast, although few ships visit the east coast, where sea conditions are rough and the population is sparse.
A rutted dirt road runs from the north to the southwest of the island, and another road connects Salap in the southwest to Ranwas in the southeast. However, many villages are accessible only by steep mountain footpaths.
Pentecost receives regular visits from yachts, who anchor at the villages of Loltong, Waterfall and Panngi. Panngi also has a jetty capable of receiving cruise ships, which make occasional visits during the land-diving season.
In addition, most people on Pentecost speak Bislama, the form of pidgin English language that is Vanuatu's national language, and the island's native languages are becoming increasingly mixed with Bislama words and expressions. Educated islanders also know English or French, which are taught in schools.
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