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The history of the ni-Vanuatu has been recorded by passing stories, myths and legends for many centuries, which has caused some inaccuracies as events have been exaggerated or diminished according to personal interpretations.
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The islands were covered with sandalwood forests which were a rare commodity in many European countries and highly coveted. Initially, the locals were happy to trade or barter for items, but they soon realised that there were being cheated and it concerned them that the forests, which took many years to cultivate, were being depleted.
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However, World War II brought the Americans to the islands and a ni-Vanuatu defence force was formed to assist the Americans in the war effort. The impact of the war managed to withhold the rising animosity of the locals against the French and the British, but by the 1970s the local people began to demand for their right to political and economical independence, which was finally accomplished in 1980.
