Vanuatu culture retains a strong diversity through local regional variations and through foreign influence. Vanuatu may be divided into three major cultural regions. In the north, wealth is established by how much one can give away.
The overall literacy rate is low (64% of the population), but literacy is relatively widespread among persons under 35 years of age. Primary education is available for almost all children except in a few remote tribal areas.
Vanuatu kava is more potent than kava drunk in other South Pacific countries. It's a legal ‘opiate’ that comes from grating, grinding or chewing the root of the plant.