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The Pacific Ocean has an estimated 20,000 to 30,000
islands. No one knows the exact number. These islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, and are traditionally grouped into three: (1) Melanesia, (2) Micronesia, and (3) Polynesia.
Melanesia means black islands. These include the largest Pacific
island, New Guinea, which is divided into the nation of Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands.
Micronesia means small islands. These include the Marianas, Guam, Palau, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, and the Federated States of Micronesia.
Polynesia means many islands. These include New Zealand, the Hawaiian
Islands, the Midway Atoll, 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 Galapagos Islands of Ecuador; the Aleutian Islands
in Alaska; the Russian islands of Sakhalin and Kuril Islands; the
island nation of Japan, which includes the Ryukyu Islands; Taiwan; the Philippines; the South China Sea Islands; and most of the islands of Indonesia.
List of Islands
- American Samoa (United States)
- Aunu'u
- Ofu
- Olosega
- Rose
Island
- Swains Island
- Ta'u
- Tutuila
- French Polynesia (France)
- Austral Islands
- Society Islands
- Iles du Vent (Windward
Islands)
- Moorea
- Tahiti
- Tetiaora
- Maiao
- Mehetia
- Iles Sous le Vent
(Leeward Islands)
- Bora-Bora
- Huahiné
- Maupiti
- Taha'a & Raïatea
- Tupai
- Mopelia
- Scilly
- Bellinghausen
- Marquises
- Fatu Hiva
- Hiva Oa
- Nuku Hiva
- Tahuata
- Ua Huka
- Ua Pou
- Hatutu
- Tuamotus
- Rangiroa
- Fakarava
- Moruroa
- Fangataufa
- Gambier Islands
- Kermadec Islands (New
Zealand)
- Macauley Island
- Raoul Island
- Vanuatu (New Hebrides)
- Ambrym
- Anatom
- Aoba
- Éfaté
- Erromango
- Espiritu Santo
- Hunter (claimed by
France and Vanuatu)
- Îles Banks
- Îles Torres
- Maéwo
- Matthew (claimed
by France and Vanuatu)
- Malakula
- Pentecóte
- Tanna
- Western Samoa (see Samoa)
See also
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