Communication between the locals is generally done using Bislama. Many people in the larger cities of Port-Vila and Luganville speak this language natively, but elsewhere it is a secondary language used for communication. This language was created when many people from Vanuatu traveled to Australia or other countries and created this creole language that incorporates English, French, and numerous languages of the South Pacific, most specifically Melanesian languages. Today this is the most widely used language in Vanuatu and it is similar to Tok Pisin (in Papua New Guinea) and "Pijin" (in Vanuatu) as all three are creoles based on English and Melanesian languages. Bislama differs from these other two languages in a number of ways, primarily in the heavier use of French and the fact that most of the Melanesian vocabulary is limited to local plants and animals.
Most of the over hundred local languages are Melanesian languages, but there are an odd languages in the islands that are not Melanesian including Emae, Mele-Fila, and Futuna-Aniwa. It is unlikely any of these local languages, other than Bislama, have more than 10,000 speakers.
Religion
Just over 80% of the people in Vanuatu are Christian with the Presbyterian Church being home to about a third of the population while the Anglican Church and Catholic Church are each home to about 13% of the population. About 6% of the people follow indigenous beliefs, including the "John Frum Cargo Cult."