Pedro Fernandes de Queirós discovers Vanuatu

Background. Pedro Fernandes de Queirós was a Portuguese navigator in Spanish service, born in Évora in 1563. He led the 1605–1606 expedition that crossed the Pacific in search of Terra Australis, departing Callao in December 1605 with three ships and 160 men.

Discovery and Naming. The expedition reached the islands later called the New Hebrides, now Vanuatu, in May 1606. Queirós arrived at the largest island, naming it La Austrialia del Espíritu Santo, believing he had found the southern continent. He claimed the archipelago for Spain as part of the Spanish East Indies.

Geographic Context. Vanuatu is an archipelagic country in Melanesia, located in the South Pacific Ocean. The islands are of volcanic origin and situated east of northern Australia and northeast of New Caledonia. The first Europeans to visit were members of Queirós's expedition.