New Zealand and the Pacific Islands

Atolls

Coral reefs surrounding a lagoon. They form most of the Marshall Islands and islands of Kiribati. They begin as a fringing reef in the warm, shallow waters surrounding a volcanic island. When the volcanic cone falls below ocean surface, the coral builds up. After millions of years, the volcano disappears and leaves behind a ring of coral. Waves crash over the coral and break the top layer into sad, which piles atop the coral and forms a soil suitable for life.

Polynesians

Developed long ago when they were isolated in the Tonga and Samoa islands. From here, they explored and settled a huge region of the Pacific, mostly to the north and east. Fiji has large numbers of Melanesians and Polynesians. Half of its residents are descended from East Indians brought in the late 1900's to work on sugar plantations.

Economy

Europeans were responsible for developing the economy which is still agricultural. Gentle plains slow down from the mountains on both islands. These plains have rich soils, and the marine west coast climate is good for farming. Dairy cattle graze on parts of North Island, and sheep throughout.

Economic activities

Farming or fishing. Products are coconut products, pineapples, bananas, skipjacks, and yellowfin tuna. Most people live at subsistence level. Some high islands in Melanesia and Polynesia can support cash crops like rubber, coffee, and sugar cane. Minerals are extracted on a few islands. A large gold mind operates in Fiji, and New Caledonia has a nickel mine. In 1995, Marshall Island officials rejected a proposal for storage of nuclear wastes on Bikini Atoll. This atoll was made radioactive by repeated US nuclear tests from 1940-1950's.

Aotearoa

First people to arrive in New Zealand called the land Aotearoa. The origin of these people, the Maori, are unknown. Some say they are Polynesian who came by canoe around AD 900. Others say they came from the Malaysian Peninsula or Peru.

Tourism

Growing industry on Pacific Islands. Tourists are drawn in by the beach and scenic beauty. Fiji actively promotes tourism. Its airport is a stopping point for airplanes between NA and Australia. In Tonga-an archipelago of 169 volcanic and coral islands- toruism is the primary source of hard currency on the 45 inhabited islands. Samoa however fears visitors will change the indigenous culture.

WWII

In this war, the Japanese and US fought many battles on the islands. Afterward, many islands became trust territories. The US oversees Guam and American Samoa.

Prior to European settlement in 1769

Maori didn't consider themselves a nation. They comprised many groups, each had their own ordered society with intricate rules and customs. They traded goods and shared common culture, but were fiercely territorial. Competition for choice cropland and fishing grounds led to inner wars. As time went by though, peaceful relations were established. In 1840, the Maoris signed a treaty with the Brits. In exchange for certain land rights they accepted Brit rule.

As European settlers moved in...

Maori saw themselves as a nation. Today they make up less than 10 percent of the population, and have their own political party called the Mana Motuhake. They're currently attempting to reclaim lands that they once owned to preserve culture. In 1996, the gov determined that a large area of North Island was taken from the Maori without recognition of their rights. The Maori are a vital force in New Zealand culture but are a minority. Most of the people are of European descent. The result of this mix is a national identity that is rooted in both Polynesian and British past.

Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.

Melanesia was inhabited first around 40,000 years ago by SE Asian people. Micronesia was settled between 3000 and 2000 BC by voyagers from Philippines, Indonesia, and some islands north of New Guinea.

Independence

Most islands were granted in the 1960's and 70's. This renewed interest in native cultures among the people. Many new governments were based on traditional forms of leadership. Tonga chose to stay as a kingdom. Samoa adopted a parliamentary system, but 47 out of 49 members must be chiefs. Vanuatu is a democracy. Fiji has popular elections but military coups occurred 3 times between 1987-2001. These nations struggle with economic development because they rely on agriculture and tourism. In some, tensions between ethnic groups persist. Natural disasters are common too.

Christchurch

South Island and the second largest city. The national capital, Wellington, overlooks Cook Strait, which separates the islands. Wellington's location on the strait symbolically unite the nation.

New Zealand

The backbone of New Zealand is a string of volcanic mountains formed by the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates. These mountains form two islands called the South and North Islands. North Island is narrow and hilly. Spread across the center is a plateau and active geothermal region. Volcanoes and geysers, hot springs fuel tourism. South Island has high snow-capped mountains covered by forest. They have rich coastal plains too

Urbanization

The majority of people live in large cities along the coast. 3/4 live on North Island. Auckland is the largest city and in North Island. Auckland's airport and ocean port are the country's busiest. Auckland has also developed a manufacturing center, and nearby farms make it an agricultural trade center.

Pacific Islands

These islands lie along the boundary of the Australian and Pacific plates and capped with volcanoes. On some, volcanic cones rise several thousand feet above the ocean surface.

Livestock

They're well suited to local conditions, and products are shipped over to foreign markets. It isn't practical to export milk from New Zealand, but butter and cheese by boat and yield high enough prices to make the cost for air transportation. Wool and frozen lamb and mutton reach buyers in Asia, Europe, and NA. Kiwifruit is also a NZ product.