Editing Vanuatu rain forests (section)

==Geography==
The islands were created by the subduction of the northward-moving [[Australian Plate]] beneath the [[Pacific Plate]]. The surface geology of Vanuatu consists mostly of Pliocene-Pleistocene volcanic rocks and uplifted coral limestone. The Santa Cruz Islands have areas of both uplifted limestone and volcanic ash over limestone. The oldest rocks in Vanuatu are 38 million years old. The Santa Cruz islands are younger, with the oldest rocks less than 5 million years old.<ref name = wwf/>

Most of the islands are low-lying. The largest island is [[Espiritu Santo]] (3,955.5 km<sup>2</sup>). The highest peak is [[Mount Tabwemasana]] on Espiritu Santo (1,879 m). 

[[Nendö]], also known as Santa Cruz, is the largest of the Santa Cruz Islands with an area of 519 km<sup>2</sup>. [[Vanikoro]] is 190 km<sup>2</sup>, and [[Utupua]] is 69 km<sup>2</sup>. The highest peak in the Santa Cruz islands (924 m) is on [[Vanikoro]]. Nendö reaches over 500 meters elevation, and Utupua 350 m. They are made mostly of [[basalt|basaltic]] volcanic rocks of [[Pliocene]] origin, less than 5 million years old. The southeastern lowlands of Nendö are composed of uplifted Pleistocene reef limestone.<ref name = Fosberg>Mueller-Dombois, Dieter, and Francis Raymond Fosberg (1998). ''Vegetation of the tropical Pacific islands'', pp. 84-161. Springer. ISBN 9780387983134, 0387983139</ref>

Smaller islands in the group include [[Tinakula]] (8 km<sup>2</sup> and 800 meters elevation), a conical active [[stratovolcano]] 30 km north of Nendö, and the [[Reef Islands]] northeast of Nendö, composed of uplifted Pleistocene reef limestone and rising only 5 meters above sea level. The [[Duff Islands]] are a small chain with four main islands about 130 km northeast of Nendö, with a combined area of 14 km<sup>2</sup> and which rise up to 300 m elevation. [[Tikopia]] (5 km<sup>2</sup>), [[Anuta]] (1 km<sup>2</sup>), and [[Fataka]] (5 km<sup>2</sup>) are small isolated islands east and southeast of Vanikoro.<ref name = Fosberg/>