Epi (or Épi, Api; formerly known as Tasiko or Volcano Island) is an island in Shefa Province, Vanuatu, at the north end of the Shepherd Islands. The island is long northwest–southeast, and wide, with an area of . Its shoreline measures 130 km. In 1986 it had a population of 3,035 but in 2009 it had increased to 5,200. Geology and Geography The island is of volcanic origin, and its highest point, Mount Pomare, which reaches a height of 833 m above sea level, is a quaternary volcano. It lies 13 km from the more prominent Lopévi volcano. To the east is the largely underwater East Epi volcano. The neighboring islets are Tefala, Namuka, and Lamen. On the northwest edge of the island is the sandy beach Lamen Bay, and the nearby small island of Lamen (pop. 500). The bay has some coral reefs which are the habitat of the dugong. On the west coast is Cape Forland. In the southeast is Valesdir. In the northeast is Drummond Bay, with the Nikaura Marine Protected Area, established in 2000 by the community of Nikaura. There are also black (volcanic) sand beaches, and three small freshwater lakes. History Epi suffered depopulation during the nineteenth century on a scale that was more massive than in many other parts of Vanuatu. There is evidence that the island was considerably more diverse linguistically than it is today. The population of the interior was relocated to coastal villages after mission contact. Culture Epi has a wide variety of languages for its size, including: Bieria in the south, Maii in the southwest, Baki in the west, Bierebo in the northwest, Lamenu at the northwest tip (and also the island of Lamen), and Lewo in the east. These languages are all spoken by a few to several hundred speakers each, and form a branch of the Austronesian languages of Vanuatu. Epi High School, at Lamen Bay, is being renovated by a joint effort from Kiwanis, Air Vanuatu, and AusAID. There is a Presbyterian hospital at Vaémali (Falmali), on the north end of the island. Economy The principal economic activity is subsistence agriculture. The island's GDP is $457 per capita. Formerly there were a number of large plantations for coconuts and copra, principally along the fertile coasts. Today most of these have been broken into small holdings, except for the large plantation at Valesdir, which continues to produce copra,