Vanuatu was a French colony, that's why it maintains some privileged relationships with France...

Firms

Several French societies take care of the big facilities contributing to the development of the country: water supply, electricity (Lyonaise des Eaux), telephone (France Télécom).

The official presence

In the sector of education, France brings an important support. Vanuatu is thus able to offer a teaching based on the French model. But the Ni-vanuatu can opt also for an English-speaking type of teaching (Australia is with France one of the main benefactors of Vanuatu) .Generally, the French-speaking teaching is better for the student because most of the time they can master the French and the English in addition of the Bislama, the local language. Very often, youngsters also know the language of their village or their island.
For the higher studies, students have the possibility by the slant of a specific formation to get ready for the entrance to the Faculty of Noumea, in New Caledonia.

But of course, the official action of France doesn't limit itself to only the domain of education...

The French Alliance

Present on Port-Vila (the capital), the French Alliance can easily promote the French language while offering various and varied activities such as theater, literary contests, thematic evenings related to France. The Alliance also proposes an access to its library, that doesn't quit to enlarge thanks to the numerous grants of expatriates. To note, that since December, the totality of "At the research of the lost time" is there available. Thank you Ric. The library is in fact a mediatheque since many CD and video tapes in French and, most of the time, from French origin is available.
Besides, an antenna of the Alliance exists since recently, on the island of Santo for the biggest pleasure of its inhabitants.

Organisms of research

Important organisms of research also got settled to Vanuatu. For instance, we can note the presence of centers of the ORSTOM to Port-Vila, and of the CIRAD to Santo.
The ORSTOM justifies its presence again by the survey of Volcanos in activity of Tanna and of Ambrym essentially. Vanuatu is regularly quaked by small seismic jolts.