"Part 1 of the book...deals with the geography of the region and with the biological, linguistic, and archaeological evidence concerning the origins of the Oceanians and their movements into and within the region. Part 2 describes the tools and techniques by which the recent (but not yet markedly Westernized) Oceanians satisfied their basic, pan-human needs, as qualified by their many different, culturally defined, perceptions of those needs...Finally, Part 3 focuses on the varieties of social structures within which those 'technical' activities took place." -from the Prologue

"Oceania is vast and includes thousands of islands. It is home to the large island continent of Australia, as well as the third smallest island in the world. It is also home to many tribal groups. Many people travel to Oceania for great scuba diving, but there is so much more to know about this vast part of the world"--

The most comprehensive study of regional politics in Oceania produced to date. Drawing on a range of interdisciplinary sources and providing a systematic account of major issues facing the region, this book will appeal to anyone engaged in any aspect of regional studies in Oceania and beyond.

General study of Pacific - covers historical and geographical aspects, the demographic aspects and social structures, living conditions, religion, traditions, cultural factors, education, governmental systems, political leadership, the economic structure, banking, trade, transportation, tourism, economic resources, etc. Bibliography pp. 463 to 465, map and references.

This book is inspired by the University of the South Pacific, the leading institution of higher education in the Pacific Islands region. Founded in 1968, USP has expanded the intellectual horizons of generations of students from its 12 member countries—Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu—and been responsible for the formation of a regional elite of educated Pacific Islanders who can be found in key positions in government and commerce across the region. At the same time, this book celebrates the collaboration of USP with The Australian National University in research, doctoral training, teaching and joint activities. Twelve of our 19 contributors gained their doctorates at ANU, most of them before or after being students and/or teaching staff at USP, and the remaining five embody the cross-fertilisation in teaching, research and consultancy of the two institutions. The contributions to this collection, with a few exceptions, are republications of key articles on the Pacific Islands by scholars with extensive experience and knowledge of the region.