Where is melanesia and polynesia

It was these settlers who brought one of the earliest forms of agriculture. The first Europeans began arriving in the 17th century, with colonization beginning in the late 18th century. By the late s, all of Melanesia was controlled by European powers. The peoples of the region began pushing for independence from their European colonizers after World War II. The Maluku Islands and the western part of New Guinea eventually became part of the new, independent state of Indonesia.

The people of the Torres Strait Islands became full Australian citizens in , while New Caledonia remains under French rule, though it has gained greater autonomy over the years. History records that the widely-spread communities in the region of Melanesia had trade relations with each other and were even politically integrated as far back as 3, to 3, years ago. Trade activity involving shell ornaments and obsidian was particularly prevalent.

The ancient Austronesian people that first settled in Melanesia had sophisticated technology that allowed them to be capable seafarers. To this day, fishing remains at the center of economic life in much of the region. The traditional Melanesian diet also consists of root crops, leaves, coconuts, and fruit.

The effects of globalization, however, have caused Melanesians to change the way they eat. Their diets now include more red meat and processed foods. As in the contemporary world, social standing in traditional Melanesian society depended on how much wealth a person, family, or group could amass.

Hence, polygynous marriages two or more wives sharing a husband were common since they could produce more labor, and therefore, could accumulate more wealth. In fact, polygynous marriages of people with high status served as a tool for creating political alliances. Traditional societies in New Guinea were organized on a patrilineal basis, whereas societies on the smaller Melanesian islands were generally matrilineal. Political leadership in traditional Melanesian society generally went to those with entrepreneurial success and those who had gained prestige through war.

At the time of European contact, however, many Melanesians were ruled by hereditary chiefs, while some achieved leadership through a combination of heredity and ability. In general, local Melanesian leaders were people who had a monopoly over trade, or who achieved dominance on the battlefield. Historically, gender relations in Melanesia, especially New Guinea, have been defined by the belief in the potency and sacredness of reproductive fluids, such as semen and menstrual fluids, which were also considered dangerous.

Therefore, any activity or ritual involving members of the opposite sex was considered risky. Women were responsible for producing food and also had a respected role in aspects of domestic politics. Status in some groups and rituals was sometimes passed on maternally. Women were also important in certain rituals as healers, elders, and ancestors.

In contrast, men in parts of New Guinea were to engage in other activities, which included ritualized homosexuality as a means for them to supposedly control the supernatural, as represented by bodily fluids and substances that the Melanesians considered powerful.

Many persons of mixed ancestry have been absorbed back into the native communities. Some of the latter suffer from social discrimination. Some are outstanding leaders in the island life, their dual heritage making it possible for them to act as links between the alien and the native groups. Many are college trained, especially in Hawaii, and take an important role in government and business.

So far, such mixture shows most fully around the ports and in Hawaii and New Zealand, where contact has been most intensive. Away in the future, however, the bulk of the island population will be of this fused type, though with the native strain still uppermost. GI Roundtable Series. Corey Prize Raymond J. Cunningham Prize John H. Klein Prize Waldo G. Marraro Prize George L.

Mosse Prize John E. Palmegiano Prize James A. Schmitt Grant J. Beveridge Award Recipients Albert J. Corey Prize Recipients Raymond J. Cunningham Prize Recipients John H.

Fagg Prize Recipients John K. Franklin Jameson Award Recipients J. Marraro Prize Recipients George L. Palmegiano Prize Recipients James A. What Should Be Done? How Do the Natives Make a Living? Polynesia The Polynesian islands form a great triangle in the central and eastern Pacific. Melanesia The Melanesian islands lie northward of Australia but below the equator. Micronesia The Micronesian islands, lying north of the equator from the Gilberts to the Marianas and Palaus, are of special interest to Americans at this time.

Vigorous Peoples The ancestors of all these islanders came from Southeast Asia by way of the Malaysian islands. White Settlers White people coming to the South Seas have been of many nationalities, but nearly all of a few frontier types: government officials, mission workers, traders, planters, miners, and—passing through—tourists.

Peoples from Asia Much more rooted in the island life are groups of Asian background, though these are mainly in the few larger territories and around the ports and industrial areas. New Island Stocks Considerable mixing has taken place between the native islanders and the incoming peoples, who rarely brought womenfolk with them in earlier days.

The largest was known as the Bravo test, which included the detonation of a nuclear device over Bikini Atoll that was one thousand times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II. There are concerns about radioactive fallout that may still affect the people who inhabit nearby atolls. The Marshall Islands were granted independence in with an agreement with the United States to provide aid and protection in exchange for the use of US military bases on the islands.

The largest region of the Pacific is Polynesia, a land of many island groups with large distances between them. New Zealand is now studied as a part of the Austral realm, but the Maori living there are originally from Polynesia. Polynesia has a mixture of island types ranging from the high mountains of Hawaii, which are more than 13, feet, to low-lying coral atolls that are only a few feet above sea level. Islands that have enough elevation to condense moisture from the clouds receive adequate precipitation, but many islands with low elevations have a shortage of fresh water, making habitation or human development difficult.

Polynesian culture stems from island resources. Fishing, farming, and an understanding of the seas created a way of life that gave Polynesia its identity. Polynesians created innovative maps that provided a means of sailing across large expanses of open seas to connect with distant islands. Their lifestyle revolved around natural resources and the creative use of natural materials.

Polynesian art, music, and language reflect a diversity of cultural trends derived from a common heritage. The warm climate and beautiful islands contrast with violent destructive storms and a lack of fresh water or resources, which can make life difficult. The region of Polynesia has island groups that are high islands with mountainous interiors. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Polynesia only had four independent island groups: Kiribati , Samoa , Tonga , and Tuvalu.

The rest of the many islands and island groups in Polynesia are claimed by or under the control or jurisdiction of other countries: mainly the United States, France, Great Britain, or New Zealand. Hawaii was a sovereign and independent kingdom from to , when the monarchy was overthrown and the islands became a republic that was annexed as a US territory. Hawaii became the fiftieth US state in According to the US Census, Hawaii had a population of 1. More than one-third of the people are of Asian descent, and at least 10 percent are native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders.

The United States has a number of additional possessions in Polynesia that include various small islands, atolls, or uninhabited reefs. The Hawaiian Islands include more islands than the few usually listed in tourist brochures. Approximately islands and atolls are in the Hawaiian chain, which extends about 1, miles. Hawaii is one of the most remote island groups in the Pacific.

The islands of the Hawaiian archipelago are a product of volcanic activity from an undersea magma source called a hotspot, which remains stationary as the tectonic plate over it continues to shift creating new volcanoes.

Kilauea, an active volcano on Hawaii, the largest island in the Hawaiian chain, is considered by geologists to be one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Everest if measured from its base on the ocean floor.

Hawaii, like most islands of the Pacific realm, has a tropical type A climate, but snow can be found on the tops of its highest mountains during the winter months. The island of Kauai receives more than inches of rain per year and is one of the wettest places on Earth. The rain shadow effect created by Mt. All the rain falls on the windward side of the mountain, creating a rain shadow on the leeward side of the mountain, which is a semidesert.

Kiribati includes three sets of islands located in both Micronesia and Polynesia. The main component of Kiribati is the Gilbert Island chain in Micronesia, where the capital city and most of the population are located. Both island chains were US possessions before being annexed with the Gilbert Islands to become Kiribati.

The Line Islands were used for testing of British hydrogen bombs starting in Three atmospheric nuclear tests were conducted by the British on Malden Island, and six were conducted on Christmas Island. There is concern about how radiation affected people present during the tests and thereafter. The Phoenix Islands have few inhabitants. In , Kiribati declared the entire island group a protected environmental area, which made it the largest protected marine habitat in the world.

The United States controlled the eastern islands, which are referred to as American Samoa. Before World War I, Germany gained control of the larger, more extensive western islands only to lose them to New Zealand after the war. Western Samoa was under the New Zealand government until , when it gained independence. The name was officially changed from Western Samoa to Samoa in The Samoan Islands are volcanic, and the most active volcano last erupted in In Samoa, three-quarters of the nearly two hundred thousand people live on the larger of the two main islands.

Colonialism has had a major impact on the culture, especially in the case of religion. Christianity became widespread once it was introduced and is now the religion of about 99 percent of the population.

American music and societal trends are also a major influence on the islands because of migration between Hawaii and the US mainland. Many Samoans have moved to the United States and established communities.

Cultural traditions have been preserved and are often integrated into modern society. Samoa has some of the oldest history and traditions of Polynesia. American Samoa became a key military post for the United States. South of Samoa is an archipelago that is home to the Kingdom of Tonga. Only about 36 of the islands are inhabited by a total population of about one hundred twenty thousand people.

Tonga is ruled by a monarchy that never lost its governance powers throughout the colonial era. Tonga is the only monarchy in the Pacific. The two main methods of gaining wealth are by remittances from citizens working abroad and tourism. The island nation of Tuvalu comprises four reef islands and five atolls for a total land area of about ten square miles.

In , it had a population of about twelve thousand people. These statistics indicate that Tuvalu is one of the four smallest countries in the world.

Nauru is only about eight square miles in area. Only the Vatican and Monaco are smaller. The low elevation of the islands of Tuvalu make them susceptible to damage from rising sea levels.

The highest point is only fifteen feet in elevation. Any increase in ocean levels as a result of climate change could threaten the existence of this country. The South Pacific is home to many islands and island groups that are not independent countries. The biggest and most significant group in the southern region is French Polynesia. France colonized a large number of islands in the South Pacific and has continued to hold them in its control or possession as external departments or colonies.

In western Polynesia, the French maintain control over the islands of Wallis and Futuna. There are around islands in French Polynesia, and many are too small or lack resources to be inhabited. The only ways to get to the islands are by aircraft or by ship.

Transportation costs can be high for imported goods or for tourism development. Tahiti , located in the Society Islands , is the central hub of French Polynesia. Papeete is the capital and main city with a population of almost thirty thousand. Most of the people live along the coastal areas; the interior is almost uninhabited.

The Society Islands include the island of Bora Bora , which is considered by many to be a tropical paradise and one of the most exotic tourist destinations in the world. Bora Bora is a world-class tourist destination catering to the international traveler. The volcanic Marquesas Islands to the northeast are the second-most remote islands in the world after the Hawaiian Islands.

The weather pattern in the Pacific does not bring enormous amounts of precipitation to the Marquesas, a reality that restricts human expansion in the archipelago. The higher elevations in the mountains—the highest is 4, feet—draw some precipitation from the rain shadow effect, giving rise to lush rain forests on portions of the islands.