/guid/9202a8c04000641f800000000079e0ee rename

Port Olry is a Francophone town (population 1300) on Espiritu Santo island in the Sanma Province of...

Port Olry is a Francophone town (population 1300) on Espiritu Santo island in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu. Known for its verdant green hills, superb white sand beaches, and snorkeling, the village offers access via an underwater sandbar to two local nature reserve islands at low tide. There is a large Catholic mission in town, making Catholicism the village's dominant religion. The local economy depends on the town's men fishing and the women gardening. Products include octopus, beef, copra, cocoa, and mangrou. Based on a male-centric system, many women are kept out of typical daily business deals and rely on their husbands. In 1998, Tropical Cyclone Zuman smacked into Vanuatu. On Espiritu Santo Island, over 100 buildings were destroyed or damaged, as well as 60-70% of the major crops of the region. Additionally, the town of Port Orly itself was hit hard, with 95% of buildings and gardens reporting some sort of damage. As part of the relief effort, the town was given 50 tarpaulins to counter the effects of the cyclone.