Chapter 23

Oceania: The Pacific Islands

Overview

• • • • • • First Europeans reported paradise- warm weather, sandy beaches, and tropical fruits ▫ Some islanders still live off of main export—Copra– dried coconut meat Have to deal with typhoons, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes Islanders have gone through acculturation—exposure to values and lifestyle of another group of people and adopting those ways Overall very open to evangelism After WWII, islands became territories to help stabilize, now most, but not all, are independent again Can be divided into 3 groups ▫ Melanesia ▫ Micronesia ▫ Polynesia

I. Melanesia

• • • • • • • • Near Indonesia and Australia Named “black islands” by French explorer who saw dark land rising from the green sea Continental islands– separated from Australia by Pacific Ocean Native peoples practiced head hunting and cannibalism Taro- a potato like root is a favorite food

Last of all Pacific Islands to be visited by Europeans

Difficult to travel to – tricky currents, shallow waters Includes: Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands,

Fiji, Vanuatu

Papua New Guinea

• Two countries lie on the island of New Guinea—part of Indonesia and the eastern half is Papua New Guinea • • • • • • • Named after Papuan people- in Malay means “fuzzy haired people” Rugged mountain system, swamps and thick jungles cover the land British came in 1874 after Captain Moresby found a harbor on the southern coast, settlers were actually missionaries wanting to reach the people ▫ Capital: Port Moresby

More people live in PNG than any other Pacific Island combined

▫ two major categories of tribal people  Lowlanders- coast  Highlanders- interior ▫ 3 languages- English, Tok Pisin, and Hiri Motu Grand Valley in the interior kept a population of 1 million hidden until 1930 when Australian gold prospectors finally managed to reach the highlands Travel is done mainly by boat or plane, no roads connecting the capital with the rest of the island Economy: Cacao, copra, coffee and copper

Solomon Islands

• • • • • • •

Capital: Honiara

Spanish explorer Mendana expected to find riches, named after King Solomon in the Bible Great Britain took control in 1893 to protect the islanders from being forced into slavery English – official language—90 tribal languages Guadalcanal- largest island, second most populous 90% forest, less than 1% arable land Battlefield sites visited by tourists- WWII US offensive

Vanuatu

• • • •

Capital: Port-Vila

Chain of 12 volcanic islands Subsistence economy- copra, cacao, coffee and fishing Used to be called New Hebrides- named by Captain Cook (Hebrides Islands are off of Scotland) ▫ gained independence in 1980 and changed name

Fiji

• • • • • More than 800 scattered islands ¾ of population live on Viti Levu (Big Island) ▫ Capital: Suva, largest city Before European settlers arrived, warring tribes of cannibals inhabited the islands ▫ Cannibalism ended when chief Cakobau became a Christian Great Britain protected for a while, but now independent Known as the “crossroads of the South

Pacific”

New Caledonia

• • • Captain Cook discovered the islands and thought they looked like Scotland… Caledonia is Latin for Scotland French sent prisoners to New Caledonia from 1853 to 1894 when they found nickel deposits beneath the mountains ▫ Still a French overseas territory Now one of the world’s leading producers of nickel ▫ Second biggest industry is tourism, popular place for French cruises

II. Micronesia

• • • • • Means “small islands” Covers an area close the size of the US, land mass of about Rhode Island 3 Groups ▫ Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands Most are atolls—rings of coral on the submerged edges of a volcano ▫ Coral islands are called low islands ▫ Not good soil, dependant upon fishing or tourism After WWII most were given to the US in the Trust

Territory of the Pacific

▫ Now are self-governed in “free association” with US ▫ Control internal and foreign affairs, but US defends them ▫ Islands help out foreign military forces

Caroline Islands

• • 930 islands total Divided into 2 groups ▫ Federated States of Micronesia  Kosrae: 97% Christian, volcanic island, known for citrus fruits     ▫ Belau/Palau  Poverty stricken, made up 200 islands  Pohnpei: forbidding terrain and heavy rainfall, city of Palikir is the capital of the Fed. States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands (formerly Truk) and Yap Islands : site of Japanese bases in WWII, best wreck-diving in the world- more than 100 ships and planes sunk when US bombarded Free association with US Very dependent on imports Capital: Koror

Mariana Islands

• • • • • • • • Stretch 350 miles 14 islands, but 4 main, inhabited islands

Residents of the Marianas are US citizens

Cooler and drier climate that neighbor islands—grasslands to tropical forests

Guam

▫ Largest island, most populous in Micronesia ▫ Most of inhabitants are Japanese ▫ territory of the US

Tinian

▫ Second most populous island, but least developed ▫ Major US air base—base from which planes dropped the atomic bombs

Saipan Rota

Marshall Islands

• • • • • 34 atolls and islands that split into 2 parallel chains Capital: Majuro Named for John Marshall- British sea captain who explored the area in 1788 Bikini and Eniwetok atolls were used for nuclear testing… residents still waiting to be able to return home Kwajalein- largest atoll in the world, encloses a 839 sq. mile lagoon ▫ Home to Reagan Test Site—command and mission control center for intercontinental ballistic missiles

Other Micronesian Islands

•

Nauru

▫ 3

rd smallest country in the world

(Vatican City and Monaco are smaller) ▫ Capital: Yaren ▫ 13,000 citizens, highest population

density in the Pacific

▫ No fresh water except rainwater, soil is extremely poor, but is prosperous and financially successful ▫ 4/5 of island sits on deposit of high

quality phosphate

▫ Residents live solely off of the royalties from the government from the sale of phosphate—soon will be depleted

Other Micronesian Islands

•

Kiribati

▫ Formerly called the Gilbert Islands ▫ Capital: Bairiki ▫ Straddles both the Equator and the

International Date Line

▫ Overcrowded, poor islands of people from Polynesia and Micronesia ▫ Many are migrating to other Pacific islands

III. Polynesia

• Means “many islands” • • • • Islands are separated by thousands of miles, but common culture and languages unite them Volcanic islands called High

Islands

Hereditary chiefs ruled and spread Christianity rapidly as the chiefs converted 4 island groups are independent, others remain closely tied to other countries ▫ Tuvalu ▫ Samoa Islands ▫ Tonga ▫ French Polynesia

Tuvalu

• • • • • • Means “cluster of eight”—actually consists of 9 low-lying atolls (one is uninhabited)

Capital: Funafuti 4

th

smallest nation in the world

One of most undeveloped countries in the world Soil is poor and islands have no mineral resources Relies on aid from Australia, Great Britain, and Japan

Samoa Islands

• • • • Island chain has 2 parts ▫ Unincorporated territory of the US (east of that line)  American Samoa- not citizens of US, but Nationals—can enter US freely  In much better economic shape than the country of Samoa—US built up local tuna canning industry ▫ Independent country (west of 171*W) 

Capital: Apia

Mostly volcanic islands with fertile soil for bananas, taro, and cacao Christianity changed the war like society—John Williams first missionary to the area Some families still live in fales—framed houses with roofs and open sides pg. 578

Tonga

• • • • • •

Capital: Nuku'alofa

Oldest and last remaining kingdom in the Pacific Most powerful chief took control over all the islands in 1845 and declared himself King George Tupou I Constitutional Monarchy- gov. system Methodist missionaries spread the gospel ▫ Affected the government too—all trade, games and work is prohibited on Sunday Suffer from overcrowding—Tongatapu Island is home to 2/3 of the population

French Polynesia

• • • • Includes 5 major island groups—most important: Society Islands- largest islands in the territory Strong cultural and economic ties to France In 1958 residents voted to remain part of France rather than become independent ▫ Vote in French presidential elections ▫ Elect representatives to the French Parliament Majority of people live on island of Tahiti ▫ Surrounded by coral reef creating a lagoon ▫ Made up of 2 large volcanic mountains ▫ Capital: Papeete ▫ Tourism is major industry, traffic jams on the island are common

Other Polynesian Islands

• • • • Belong to New Zealand ▫ Niue and Cook Islands Belong to the US ▫ Hawaiian Islands  Originally called the Sandwich Islands by discoverers ▫ Midway Islands Belongs to Great Britain ▫ Pitcairn Islands pg. 579 ▫ Most famous mutiny in naval history ▫ HMS Bounty sent to Tahiti ▫ Captain Bligh and 18 loyals sailors were sent adrift ▫ Mutineers hid out on Pitcairn Island Belongs to Chile ▫ Easter Island pg. 580 ▫ Discovered on Easter 1772 ▫ 2600 miles off the coast of Chile ▫ Rows of mysterious heads= moai