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The Pacific Ocean contains an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 islands; the exact number has not been precisely determined. These islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania (although Oceania usually also includes Australia and New Zealand), and are traditionally grouped into three: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Inhabitants are sometimes referred to as Pacific Islanders.
Melanesia means black islands. These include New Guinea (the largest Pacific island, which is divided into the nation of Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Irian Jaya), New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands Micronesia means small islands. These include the Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, and the Federated States of Micronesia. Polynesia means many islands. These include New Zealand, the Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, the Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, and Easter Island. There are also many other islands located within the boundaries of the Pacific Ocean, but these are not considered part of Oceania. These islands include the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador; the Aleutian Islands in Alaska; the Russian islands of Sakhalin and Kuril Islands; Taiwan; the Philippines; the South China Sea Islands; most of the islands of Indonesia; and the island nation of Japan, which includes the Ryukyu Islands. However, it should be noted that the inhabitants of these islands are not considered to be Pacific Islanders and are usually identified with their nearest continent. Geography * Approximately 25,000 islands are distributed throughout the Pacific Ocean. * The region is divided into three areas: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. * The region’s islands are also classified in two groups: high islands and low islands. * Volcanoes form high islands. * High islands support more people and have a more fertile soil. * Low islands are reefs or atolls. * Low islands are built on coral reefs. * Low islands are relatively small. * Melanesia is the most populated island region. * Most of Melanesia’s large islands are high islands. * Most of the islands of Micronesia lie north of the equator. * Polynesia is the largest island region in the Pacific Ocean. * The Pacific Island region has few natural resources. * The Pacific islands are near Australia visit the link for a list of ISLANDS |
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