Ra is a small coral islet of 0.5 km² (0.193051079296268 sq mi), located in the Banks

Banks Islands

The Banks Islands are a group of islands in northern Vanuatu.Together with the Torres Islands to the northwest, they make up the northernmost province of Torba. The group lies about north of Maewo, and includes Gaua and Vanua Lava, two of the 13 largest islands in Vanuatu...

 group of northern Vanuatu

Vanuatu

Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...

. The same name also refers to the single village which is situated within this islet.

The islet of Ra is situated off the larger island of Mota Lava

Mota Lava

Mota Lava or Motalava is the fourth largest island in the Banks Islands of Vanuatu, after Gaua, Vanua Lava and Ureparapara, with an area of . It is the largest and highest of the eastern chain of islands...

. Access to Ra is done in two ways: at low tide, by wading across the narrow strait from the mainland; at high tide, by outrigger canoe.

Name

The islet is known in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

, and Bislama, as Ra ra. This name reflects a shortened version of the form Rao (rao), which is the way the islet is called in the neighbouring language Mota

Mota language

-External links:* in Mota* from Project Canterbury*...

.

In the islanders' own language Mwotlap

Mwotlap

-External links: *...

, the islet of Ra is called Aya (aˈja).

The spelling Rah, which is sometimes found in foreigners' accounts, is wrong.