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New Hebrides
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- See also: Hebrides (disambiguation)
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the island. The two countries eventually signed an agreement making the islands an Anglo-French condominium, which lasted from 1906 until 1980, when the New Hebrides gained their independence as Vanuatu.
The independent nation occupying the New Hebrides
The Condominium divided the New Hebrides into two separate communities — one Anglophone and one Francophone. This divide continues even after independence, with schools either teaching in one language or the other, and between different political parties.
Under the Condominium the New Hebrides operated under two separate legal systems. The French citizens of the island were governed by French law, and British subjects by English law. Inhabitants of the New Hebrides could opt for one or the other legal system if they so chose, as could citizens of other countries. Both countries were represented by a Resident Commissioner, analogous to a colonial governor. This arrangement was criticised as cumbersome, described by one former British Resident Commissioner as 'the Pandemonium'.
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