What countries were colonized in the Pacific Ocean?
System Requirements Historical Background: Colonization of Pacific Islands Micronesia Micronesia includes the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau (Belau), the U. S. Territory of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands.
Where is the population of the Pacific Islands concentrated?
The population is concentrated in Papua New Guinea, New Zealand (which has a majority of people of European descent), Hawaii, Fiji, and Solomon Islands. Most Pacific Islands are densely populated, and habitation tends to be concentrated along the coasts. Traditionally dressed dancers in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
What is the history of the Pacific Islands?
(January 2018) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) History of the Pacific Islands covers the history of the islands in the Pacific Ocean. Easter Island is one of the youngest inhabited territories on earth, and for most of the history of Easter Island it was the most isolated inhabited territory on Earth.
Which country colonized Pohnpei first?
Germany was the official colonizer for one year before Spain formally occupied Pohnpei in 1866. Germany “bought” the island from Spain in 1899 after the conclusion of the Spanish American War. Japan annexed the island in 1914 and Pohnpei became a US territory after the defeat of the Japanese empire during World War II.
Who first settled the Pacific islands?
While the first settlers of the Pacific Islands are thought to have crossed over land from northern Australia to New Guinea at least 40,000 years ago, evidence for human movement east of the Solomon Islands originates with groups of master seafarers in southern China approximately 5,000 years ago.
What Pacific islands did Britain colonize?
Britain's Western Pacific Territories included Fiji (1877-1970); Tonga (1900-1952); British Solomon Islands (1893-1971); and more.
Which Pacific islands did Japan colonize?
The pattern of colonial rule in Oceania was altered by the outbreak of World War I in 1914. An Australian force occupied German New Guinea, and a New Zealand force took German (Western) Samoa; Japan took the Carolines, the Marshalls, Palau, and the Marianas.
Where did Pacific Islanders originate from?
The researchers also concluded that the genetic data showed that the Polynesians and Micronesians were most closely related to Taiwan Aborigines and East Asians. They said this supported the view that these migrating seafarers originated in Taiwan and coastal China at least 3,500 years ago.
Who crossed the Pacific Ocean first?
of Magellan-ElcanoThe Spanish expedition of Magellan-Elcano was the first to cross the Pacific in 1521 and the one to give the ocean its name. After discovering and crossing the Strait of Magellan in November 1520, the expedition sailed northwest across the Pacific for over three months and reached the Philippines in March 1521.
Who colonised Fiji?
BritishOn October 10, 1874, after negotiations had led to an offer of unconditional cession, Fiji became a British crown colony.
Who colonized Japan first?
PortugalJapan's first encounter with Western colonialism was with Portugal in the mid-sixteenth century. The Portuguese brought Catholicism and the new technology of gun and gunpowder into Japan. The latter changed the way samurai rulers fought wars, and accelerated the process of national unification.
Which country first colonized Japan?
Since Taiwan was Japan's first overseas colony, the central and colonial governments turned their efforts into making the island a "model colony".
Who did Japan first colonize?
TaiwanIn 1894-95 Japan fought a war against China over the control of Korea and gained Taiwan, Japan's first colony. (Sino-Japanese War) Japan defeats China, long the preeminent power in East Asia, in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-5 over influence in the Korean peninsula.
What race is a Pacific Islander?
“Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander” includes Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Guamanian or Chamorro, Fijian, Tongan, or Marshallese peoples and encompasses the people within the United States jurisdictions of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.
Are Polynesians from Africa?
So, while the Polynesian mtDNA haplotypes belonging to the B4a1a1 lineages can ultimately be traced back to Southeast Asia, Polynesian origins lie in both Asia and Near Oceania.
Are Filipinos Polynesian?
Indigenous Filipinos and most of Costal South East Asia hail from austronesians, the same group where polynesians come from. Culturally, there is a resemblance (of polynesians with indigenous filipinos) but Autronesians diversified so much when they migrated around the world.
Does Britain own any islands in the Pacific?
The Pitcairn Islands (Pitkern: Pitkern Ailen), officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, are a group of four islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The islands comprise a British Overseas Territory (formerly a British colony), the last remaining in the Pacific.
Was Tahiti a British colony?
The European Arrival Following the arrival of French missionaries, Tahiti was proclaimed a French protectorate in the 1840s, signed by the Tahitian Queen Pomare IV. The Pomare dynasty ruled over Tahiti until the 1880. The last king of Tahiti, Pomare V, accepted annexation in 1880, when Tahiti became a French colony.
Did the British help in the Pacific?
In the last year of the Pacific War the British Empire's forces were involved in three major campaigns － those of the Fourteenth Army in Burma, of the Australians in New Guinea and Borneo, and of the British Pacific Fleet in the approach to Japan.
Which islands were British islands?
British Isles, group of islands off the northwestern coast of Europe. The group consists of two main islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and numerous smaller islands and island groups, including the Hebrides, the Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands, the Isles of Scilly, and the Isle of Man.
When did the Micronesians first come to the island?
Historically, Micronesians descended from seafarers who populated the island atolls between 2000 BC and 500 BC. Since the first contact with Westerners, starting with the Portuguese and Spanish explorers, the islands have been colonized by various European and Asian countries.
When did Samoa become part of the United States?
At the turn of the 20th century, the Samoan islands were split into two sections. The eastern islands became territories of the United States in 1904 and today are known as American Samoa. The western islands became known as Western Samoa (now the Independent State of Samoa), passing from Germany to New Zealand in 1914.
What is the Samoan region?
The Polynesia triangular region stretches from Fiji and Tonga to the west, Easter Island to the east, Hawaii to the North and New Zealand to the south. Samoans are the largest population of Polynesians in the US after Native Hawaiians. The Samoan islands were populated more than 2,000 years ago and subsequent migrations settled the rest of Polynesia further to the east. Contact with Europeans began in the early 1700s but did not intensify until the arrival of English missionaries and traders in the 1830s. At the turn of the 20th century, the Samoan islands were split into two sections. The eastern islands became territories of the United States in 1904 and today are known as American Samoa. The western islands became known as Western Samoa (now the Independent State of Samoa), passing from Germany to New Zealand in 1914. The New Zealand government administered Western Samoa under the auspices of the League of Nations and then as a UN trusteeship until independence in 1962. Western Samoa was the first Pacific Island country to gain its independence (US Department of State, Accessed September 2, 2007).
What is the name of the island in Micronesia?
Micronesia. Micronesia includes the Republic of the Marshall Islands , the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau (Belau), the U. S. Territory of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands.
When was Palau discovered?
A similar political history occurred for the Republic of Palau. Palau was “discovered” in 1710 by Spain. It too was sold to the Germans, annexed by Japan and later became part of the US-managed Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands after World War II.
When did Tonga become independent?
By 1845, all of the Tongan islands had been united by ancestors of the current dynasty. Under British protection by 1900 , Tonga retained its independence and autonomy and became fully independent in 1970 (US Department of State, Accessed September 2, 2007).
Who claimed sovereignty over Micronesia?
Spain later “claimed sovereignty” over most of Micronesia. Germany was the official colonizer for one year before Spain formally occupied Pohnpei in 1866. Germany “bought” the island from Spain in 1899 after the conclusion of the Spanish American War.
Which Pacific island nation gained independence in 1962?
In 1962, Western Samoa became the first Pacific Island nation to gain political independence.
When did the Cook Islands first arrive?
In Cook Islands Māori pre-history, Chieftains from present day French Polynesia and their tribes, along with navigators, took their ships in search of unknown or newly found lands, first arriving in the southern island groups around 800 AD or earlier.
What is the history of Guam?
Guam 's history of colonialism is the longest among the Pacific islands and Chamorros are considered one of the oldest mixed race in the Pacific. In 1668 the Spanish formally incorporated the islands to the Spanish East Indies and founded a colony on Guam as a resting place for the west-bound Manila galleons.
How long has Niue Island been around?
The history of the Niue Island can be traced back to a 1,000 years when the Polynesian settles came here. Traces of Pukapulan dialect are still there in the native language which is based on the Samoan and Tongan language. The Polynesian settlers were raters isolated as there was very little inter island trade and the existence of the limestone island was in itself very difficult due to lack of rivers and cultivable soil.
How long have the islands of Kiribati been inhabited?
In the history of Kiribati, the islands which now form the Republic of Kiribati have been inhabited for at least seven hundred years , and possibly much longer. The initial Micronesian population, which remains the overwhelming majority today, was visited by Polynesian and Melanesian invaders before the first European sailors "discovered" the islands in the 16th century. For much of the subsequent period, the main island chain, the Gilbert Islands, was ruled as part of the British Empire. The country gained its independence in 1979 and has since been known as Kiribati.
How did the Fijian people come to be?
The history of Fiji dates back to ancient times. There are many theories as to how the Fijian race came into existence. Around 1500 BC Fiji was settled by Austronesian seafarers. Around 900–600 BC Moturiki Island was settled. By 500 BC, Melanesian seafarers had reached Fiji and intermarried with the Austronesian inhabitants, giving rise to the modern Fijian people. In 1643 AD, Abel Tasman sighted Vanua Levu Island and northern Taveuni. According to native oral legends Fijians were also descendants of a nomadic tribe from Tanganika ( Tanzania ).
What is the youngest island in the world?
Main article: History of Easter Island. Easter Island is one of the youngest inhabited territories on earth, and for most of the history of Easter Island it was the most isolated inhabited territory on Earth.
Which Pacific islands were independent in 1980?
The Cook Islands and Niue chose free association with New Zealand, which granted them local self-government and New Zealand citizenship and provided subsidies. However, most of the other Pacific Islands had achieved independence by 1980. The newly independent territories represented a sizable addition to the ranks of microstates.
What were the last habitable islands in the Pacific?
Polynesians reached such remote Pacific islands as the Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand, and Easter Island —Earth’s last habitable areas for settlement—within the past 2,000 years. Over that period they left unambiguous evidence that their activity caused many species of birds to become extinct.…
What was the political reaction in the Pacific Islands?
The speed of political development in the Pacific Islands was partly a matter of external pressure in the United Nations, but the colonial governments, with the exception of the French, were already moving toward self-government or independence. There were no mass nationalist movements, as in Africa and Asia, to whose demands colonial governments responded. The reaction to European rule usually took the form of nativistic movements or cargo cults in which rituals attempted to secure “cargo” diverted by Europeans. Occasionally, as with the Mau (“Strongly Held View”) movement in Western Samoa in the 1920s and ’30s, there was more overtly political action. In Fiji and Papua New Guinea, political parties formed. In the French territories of French Polynesia and New Caledonia, European-style political parties have demanded greater local autonomy, while a minority has sought independence. Violent confrontations did break out in the 1980s between separatists and French supporters, followed by protests in the 1990s against French nuclear weapons testing in the region. As a result, accords were signed in 1988 and 1998 regarding a timetable for self-determination. In Papua New Guinea a long-simmering domestic secessionist movement on Bougainville Island reached a crisis in the late 1980s; following years of violent conflict, Bougainville, together with nearby islands, was granted the status of an autonomous region in the early 21st century. However, mass nationalist movements were largely absent from the Pacific Islands, in part because colonial governments had given priority to regional interests but mainly because of the nature of the island societies, in which kinship ties and a preference for consensus as “correct” behaviour led to “the Melanesian way” or “the Pacific way” as a style of politics.
Why was China important to the Pacific?
The Chinese initiative was significant in diplomatic terms because a number of the Pacific Island nations were among the states that still officially recognized Taiwan. China also was seemingly intent on extending the reach of its much expanded navy and in the market for securing naval bases. This activity by China spurred Australia and New Zealand to take renewed interest in their Pacific neighbours.
What are the problems of the Pacific Islands?
Arguably the biggest issue for the people of the Pacific Islands in the 21st century was the existential threat posed by climate change. As global warming gradually increased ocean temperatures and brought about rising sea levels, portions of some small island states, such as Tuvalu and Kiribati, literally began disappearing. Other disruptive developments wrought by climate change included the erosion of coastal land and infrastructure, more frequent and severe cyclones, and increased rainfall and flooding in some areas and drought in others . Moreover, destructive consequences for the ecosystems on which many Pacific Islanders depended for their livelihood and sustenance included the bleaching and killing of coral reefs, the loss of agricultural land as a result of the intrusion of salt water into groundwater, and ocean acidification, which jeopardizes the survival of shell-building species.
Which islands are continental?
The islands of the western region—including the Aleutians, the Kurils, the Ryukyus, Taiwan, the Malay Archipelago (including New Guinea), and New Zealand— are continental in character. Geologically, they consist partly of sedimentary rocks, and their structures are similar to those of the coastal…
Was the Pacific decolonized?
Independence movements. For strategic and economic reasons, despite UN support for self-determination after 1945, the Pacific has not been completely decolonized. France granted French citizenship in its Pacific territories in 1946; however, it jailed nationalist leaders in Tahiti and New Caledonia during unrest in the 1950s.
What are the Pacific Islands?
Pacific Islands, island geographic region of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises three ethnogeographic groupings— Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia —but conventionally excludes the neighbouring island continent of Australia, the Asia-related Indonesian, Philippine, and Japanese archipelagoes, and the Ryukyu, Bonin, Volcano, ...
What are the islands in the eastern Pacific?
In the eastern Pacific, largely enclosed within a huge triangle formed by the Hawaiian Islands to the north, New Zealand to the southwest, and Easter Island (Rapa Nui) far to the east, are the many (“poly”) islands of Polynesia. Other components of this widely scattered collection, again generally from west to east, are Tuvalu, Wallis and Futuna, Tokelau, Samoa (the former Western Samoa), American Samoa, Tonga, Niue, the Cook Islands, and French Polynesia (including the Society, Tuamotu, and Marquesas islands).
What are some examples of raised coral islands?
The northern half of Guam, for example, is a coralline limestone plateau with a general elevation of about 500 feet (150 metres), while the mountains in the southern half of the island, formed by volcanic activity, reach a maximum elevation of over 1,300 feet (400 metres). Nauru and Banaba ( in Kiribati) are raised coral islands that stand at elevations of about 210 and 285 feet (65 and 90 metres), respectively. They have deeper soil and a more adequate water supply than atoll islets, as well as surface deposits of phosphate rock (derived from guano) that have been mined commercially.
What is the parent material of the oceanic type of island?
The parent lava material of the oceanic type of island is basalt. Oceanic islands are differentiated as high volcanic-based islands, such as Hawaii, or low coral islands and atolls, such as the Marshalls. Most Pacific islands are coral formations, although all of these rest on volcanic or other cores.
What type of lava is found on oceanic islands?
The parent lava material of the oceanic type of island is basalt . Oceanic islands are differentiated as high volcanic-based islands, such as Hawaii, or low coral islands and atolls, such as the Marshalls. Most Pacific islands are coral formations, although all of these rest on volcanic or other cores. In the shallow waters of the tropics, both continental and oceanic islands attract coral growth in the form of fringing reefs, partially submerged platforms of consolidated limestone, with coral organisms at the ocean edge feeding on materials carried in by waves and currents. Many islands have been gradually submerged through a combination of sinking, caused by geologic action, and flooding, caused by the melting of ice caps. As islands were flooded, coral growth continued outward, producing barrier reefs farther from the shorelines and separated from them by lagoons.
How much of the Pacific Islands are Melanesians?
Melanesians make up more than three-fourths of the total indigenous population of the Pacific Islands. Polynesians account for more than one-sixth of the total, and Micronesians constitute about one-twentieth. People of European origin account for as much as one-third of the Pacific Islands’ population if New Zealand is included in the total and less than one-tenth if it is not; outside New Zealand the largest concentration of people of European origin is in Hawaii.
What are the islands that are formed by volcanic eruptions?
Learn through an animation about the formation of the volcanic island chains like Hawaii and Samoa. A computer visualization of the process by which volcanic island chains are formed. Great plumes of super-hot rock, flowing upward from Earth's mantle, have created Hawaii, Samoa, and similar islands.
What is the name of the island in the Society Islands?
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.
What are the three main areas of the South Pacific?
Learning Objectives. Outline the three main areas of the South Pacific: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Distinguish between low islands and high islands. Determine which islands remain under the auspices of France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, or the United States.
What are the islands of Kiribati?
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. The other two minor island chains are the Phoenix Islands and the Line Islands in Polynesia. 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 1957. 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 2008, Kiribati declared the entire island group a protected environmental area, which made it the largest protected marine habitat in the world. Kiribati is the only country with land in all four hemispheres: north and south of the equator and on both sides of the 180° meridian.
What was Samoa divided into?
After the colonial era, Samoa was divided into Western Samoa and Eastern Samoa. 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 1962, when it gained independence. The name was officially changed from Western Samoa to Samoa in 1997.
What are the Samoan Islands?
The Samoan Islands are volcanic, and the most active volcano last erupted in 1906. 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. For many years, the United States has held an extensive naval station in the bay of Pago Pago on American Samoa. During World War II, there were more US military personnel on the islands than Samoans. American Samoa became a key military post for the United States. American Samoa remains a US possession; however, Samoans are not US citizens unless one of their parents is a US citizen.
What is the largest island in Micronesia?
The largest island in Micronesia is Guam. It is only 210 square miles in area and reaches an elevation of 1,335 feet at its highest point. Coral reefs surround Guam ’s volcanic center. Guam is not an independent country but a US possession. The island was a strategic location during World War II, and the United States has major military installations located on the island.
What is the capital of French Polynesia?
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. Tahiti is a major tourist destination with a mild climate that stays at 75 °F to 85 °F year-round and receives adequate rainfall to sustain tropical forests. 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.
What did missionaries do to the Pacific Island?
Missionaries thus altered political structures, introduced both European goods and the desire for them, and acted as intermediaries between Pacific Island societies and other Europeans —as political advisers, as agents, and as interpreters.
Who took Christianity to Samoa?
Indigenous converts were sent to other islands to spread the word. In 1823 John Williams of the LMS took Polynesian missionaries to Rarotonga and other islands, and he took Christianity to Samoa in 1830.
Where did the missionaries go?
Christian missionaries traveled to Oceania with the deliberate intention of changing its societies. In 1797 the London Missionary Society (LMS) sent a party to Tahiti. After some vicissitudes the missionaries converted a prominent chief, Pomare II, who controlled the area of Matavai Bay, where European ships had called since Wallis’s landing. The LMS failed in its first attempts in Tonga and the Marquesas, although it was more successful in Huahine (in the Society Islands), the Tuamotus, the Cook Islands, and, later, Samoa. English and American missionaries then tried to win over additional Polynesian chiefs so that the masses would follow. Indigenous converts were sent to other islands to spread the word. In 1823 John Williams of the LMS took Polynesian missionaries to Rarotonga and other islands, and he took Christianity to Samoa in 1830. The Methodists began arriving in Tonga in 1822 and Fiji in 1835. Roman Catholic missionaries began working in New Caledonia in the 1840s, and, at about the same time, the Church of England began to penetrate into Oceania from New Zealand. Meanwhile, Polynesian societies were facing varying degrees of lawlessness and disorder at the hands of European beachcombers and traders. British missionaries responded to the situation by creating missionary kingdoms, whereas the French established direct political control.
How did the missionary kingdoms address the problems of European lawlessness in the islands?
The missionary kingdoms addressed problems of European lawlessness in the islands by attempting to enforce a scriptural code of law. Although missionaries could not prevent the sale of arms, they could at least ensure that these passed into the hands of friendly chiefs.
When did the missionaries arrive in Fiji?
In Fiji the missionaries who landed in 1835, accompanied by an envoy from George of Tonga, made no headway with the rising chief Cakobau, who was not converted until 1854, when his fortunes were at a low ebb and he needed Tongan support.
What problems did Europeans face in Fiji?
Problems became more serious after permanent European settlers arrived. In Fiji, for example, following Cakobau’s first offer to cede the islands to Great Britain in 1858, Europeans began to establish plantations of coconuts and then, during the American Civil War, of cotton and afterward of sugarcane. Developments in Samoa were similar. But planters needed land on a much larger scale than did traders, and they needed labour in much greater quantities to work the plantations. Land sales caused friction because “ownership” was not an Oceanian concept, and land titles were thus disputed or resented. Labour recruiting often caused the breakup of traditional societies if too many males left their communities and the creation of immigrant labour communities if they did not. By 1870 there were 2,000 such permanent European residents in Fiji.
What did the French do to protect the Society Islands?
Dissidents and heretics looked to these Europeans for leadership, and they turned to their own national governments for protection. The French took control of the Society Islands and nearby archipelagoes beginning in 1842. They also established missionary control of Wallis and Futuna.
Which countries colonized the Pacific Ocean?
More commonly, it is used to refer to the islands of the Pacific Ocean that were previously colonized by the British, French, Spaniards, Portuguese, Dutch, or Japanese, or by the United States. Examples include the Pitcairn Islands, Taiwan, and Borneo.
What are the Pacific Islands?
This is a list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, collectively called the Pacific Islands. Three major groups of islands in the Pacific Ocean are Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Depending on the context, Pacific Islands may refer to countries and islands with common Austronesian origins, islands once or currently colonized, or Oceania. The indigenous inhabitants of the Pacific Islands are referred to as Pacific Islanders. This list is organized by archipelago or political unit. In order to keep this list of moderate size, links are given to more complete lists for countries with large numbers of small or uninhabited islands.
What are the islands in the Pacific Ocean?
More commonly, it is used to refer to the islands of the Pacific Ocean that were previously colonized by the British, French, Spaniards, Portuguese, Dutch, or Japanese, or by the United States. Examples include the Pitcairn Islands, Taiwan, and Borneo.
What are the main islands of Japan?
List of islands of Japan, including: The five main islands: Hokkaido - the northernmost and second largest main island. Honshu - the largest and most populous island; home of the capital Tokyo. Kyushu - the third largest main island and closest to the Asian continent.
What are the indigenous people of the Pacific Islands called?
The indigenous inhabitants of the Pacific Islands are referred to as Pacific Islanders. This list is organized by archipelago or political unit. In order to keep this list of moderate size, links are given to more complete lists for countries with large numbers of small or uninhabited islands.
How many islands are there in Tokelau?
Tokelau (mostly autonomous), three coral atolls with about 25 islands combined, including: Olohega (Swains Island), administered by the United States as part of American Samoa, but claimed by Tokelau due to geography, history and language.
