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Our Pacific Region

A diverse region

Within the Pacific region, the geography, populations, cultures, economies and politics of the 22 Island countries and territories are extremely diverse. The Pacific Islands are separated into the three sub-regions:

• Melanesia (west),
• Polynesia (southeast) and
• Micronesia (north), based on their ethnic, linguistic and cultural differences.

The physical sizes, economic prospects, available natural resources and political developments in these sub-regions suggest that the groupings are useful (although Fiji is considered part of Melanesia, but culturally it resembles Polynesian countries).

However, some general trends emerge in a 'snapshot' of the Pacific Islands that can help us understand the benefits SPC provides, and the obstacles it faces in their delivery.

The role of the ocean

Spread over 30 million square kilometres, more than 98 per cent of which consists of ocean, the Pacific region is vast. Of its 7500 islands, only about 500 are inhabited. This isolation complicates administration, communication, marketing and export of agricultural and fishing products and the provision of basic services in health, education and training. The ocean, however, has played a positive role as a natural barrier against the spread of human and plant diseases and pests, even though this is changing fast with modern communication and transport. The size of the ocean, coupled with the spread of small islands proves to be of large economic value for fisheries development, particularly because of the EEZs and the sale of fishing rights to DWFNs (Distant-Water Fishing Nations) for the large Pacific tuna resource.

High islands and small atolls

The islands themselves feature great geographical diversity. Papua New Guinea accounts for 83 per cent of the land area, while Nauru, Pitcairn, Tokelau and Tuvalu are each smaller than 30 square kilometres. Some countries and territories, such as Nauru and Niue, are compact and consist of only one island; others, such as French Polynesia and the Federated States of Micronesia, include more than a hundred islands, which are spread out over enormous distances.

In terms of physical geography and natural resources, the Melanesian countries tend to be large, mountainous and volcanic (with rich soils, exploitable mineral deposits and plentiful marine resources), while the Polynesian and Micronesian nations are smaller: Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Tokelau and Tuvalu consist of low-lying atolls, only one or two metres above sea level. The smaller volcanic islands such as the Cook Islands, parts of the Federated States of Micronesia, Tonga and Samoa, have some fertile land, but both living and non-living natural resources are mainly confined to the ocean.

This geography plays a major role in the development problems of the islands. High islands have good soil for agriculture and running water, while the low islands don't.

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Varied populations

Just as varied as the geography of the Pacific Islands are the populations and demographic trends in the region, even excluding the extremes of Papua New Guinea (5 million people) and Pitcairn (47 people). The population of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) has been growing annually at 5.5 per cent in recent years, while Niue’s population is decreasing at a rate of 3.1 per cent. The total population of the region was estimated at 7.6 million for 2000, and at the current regional growth rate of 2.2 per cent, it will reach the 9 million mark in 2010. Melanesia accounts for 85 per cent of that population, Polynesia 8 per cent and Micronesia 7 per cent. The generally small populations are affected by international migration, and more Cook Islanders, Niueans and Tokelauans live overseas than on their home islands.

The people of the Pacific Islands share a voyaging tradition, with their societies evolving through migration, but culturally they are very different, mainly due to their isolation. Although the region is home to just 0.1 per cent of the world’s population, it is home to one third of the world’s languages, with over 700 spoken in Papua New Guinea alone. In terms of social organisation and cultural practices, in Melanesia, social and political status are traditionally acquired through individual merit; in Polynesia, they are the result of descent; and in the  atolls of Micronesia, either descent or old age customarily confer seniority. All Pacific Islanders attach great cultural importance to land, and three out of four Islanders still live in rural areas.

New health concerns

Regional social, economic and environmental factors, coupled with global changes, have had a significant impact on the health and well-being of many island countries and territories. These include a changing global environment, the relative ease and availability of modern travel, and overpopulation. Over the last 30 years, changes in diet and lifestyle in the Pacific region have brought about an increase in conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and drug and alcohol abuse. As a result of lack of access to basic, simple and affordable health services, there is now an increase of infectious diseases such as:

• diarrhoea,
• dengue,
• malaria,
• tuberculosis and
• pneumonia,

and this is compounded by unsafe water supplies and non-existent waste-disposal. Good progress has been made in education, health, social services, literacy, and life expectancy, but there is certainly a need for improvement, particularly in Melanesian countries such as Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

Fragile economies

Agriculture and fishing, whether commercial or subsistence, are the main activities for most of the region’s population, and the only source of exports for some. Limited markets and the overall decline of commodity prices have affected the traditional production and export of copra and other coconut products. Countries and territories with successful agricultural and mineral exports include:

• Fiji (sugar and gold),
• Nauru (phosphate),
• New Caledonia (nickel),
• Papua New Guinea (coffee, cocoa, palm oil, copper, gold and crude oil) and
• Tonga (squash).

Timber is a major export commodity from the Melanesian sub-region, but most of the profits go to companies based elsewhere. Fish exports, mainly tuna, are of growing importance to many island countries and territories, with the commercial use of living marine resources increasing to rival the combined value of the region’s other renewable resources.

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