Pacific Island Nations

Complete reference for the islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. RL7

"The world's most powerful nation, and more than a dozen of the world's smallest, have been interacting for 200 years. Beginning with whaling in the 1700's, it has continued through many trades, investment, eduction, churches, media, diplomacy and strategic issues. As significant as the movement of Americans to the Pacific is that of 150,000 Pacific Islanders to the USA. This important book documents the growing interaction with the USA to the pinnacle of involvement in World War II. The importance of USA to the Pacific Islands remained high until the end of the 1980's but has declined since then on almost every dimension. While USA will remain significant for the Pacific Islands, its relative profile will continue to decline." -- Back cover.

The Pacific Islands are thousands of islands, and represent numerous diverse cultures and languages. Find out what life is like in various Pacific Island nations. Discover the ethnic diversity, and how people live, work and play. What is the difference between Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia? Learn about the governments, history, culture and landscapes of countries like: - Fiji - Vanuatu - Nauru - Tonga - New Caledonia And find out more about Australia’s relationship with its Pacific Island neighbours. ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN NEIGHBOURS SERIES This exciting series explores the landscapes, culture and people of Australia’s closest neighbours. Inside each book you’ll find current information, maps, statistics, fun facts, timelines and photographs. Every book is a valuable resource designed to support Australian students and teachers, and meet Australian National Curriculum requirements.

Brings together experts from around the world to consider specific issues pertaining to regional integration and governance within small states. The authors collectively address the challenges posed to small states by the quickened pace of globalisation. The lessons learnt from the experiences of small states are then used to draw policy lessons for the Pacific island countries.

" ... This book is an introduction to the contemporary Pacific Islands, intended primarily for interested individuals in government, business, and academia, as well as for students. It provides a succinct account of trends, issues, and recent developments affecting the islands in the political, economic, and international relations fields. The book is organized functionally, but also contains sketches of the individual island nations and groups ..."--Back cover.

This accessible volume provides a brief introduction to the institutions, policy concerns, and international roles of the Pacific islands. Evelyn Colbert expertly paints an overall picture of the region using broad brush strokes, complementing the mostly specialized literature available about the South Pacific.