Pacific Islands

Geographic region consisting of the islands of the Pacific Ocean

The islands in the Pacific Ocean are categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term Pacific Islands may refer to one of several concepts: (1) those Pacific islands whose people have Austronesian origins, (2) the Pacific islands once or currently colonized after 1500 CE, (3) the geographical region of Oceania, or (4) any island located in the Pacific Ocean. Inhabitants of the Pacific islands are known as Pacific Islanders.

Also known as...Islands of the Pacific, Pacific Ocean Islands, and Insular Oceania
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