Melanesia includes the islands of the South Pacific (part of Oceana) where the inhabitants are black (from Greek: μÎλας black, νῆσος island). The term was first used by Jules Dumont d'Urville in 1832 to denote an ethnic and geographical grouping of islands distinct from Polynesia and Micronesia.
In prehistoric times the ancestors of present day Papuan speaking people settled the islands of Melanesia at least to the Solomon Islands and probably to islands further east. Around 4,000 years ago the Austronesian people filtered into the Papua peoples and slowing mixed genetics, language and culture with them.
The Melanesian Islands are usually considered to include: Amplett Islands (Amphlett Islands), Bismarck Archipelago, d'Entrecasteaux Islands, Fiji, Louisiade Archepelago, Malaku Islands, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Norfolk Island, Raja Ampat Islands, Rotuma, Shouten Islands, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands, Torres Strait Islands, Trobriand Islands, Vanuatu (New Hebrides), Woodlark Island. As often happens at boundaries at least two islands are in the geographic region of Melanesia, but are culturally Polynesia. These are Rotuma and Norfolk which are considered to be outliers of Polynesia.
The eighteen Amplett Islands are located north of the D'Entrecasteaux group. Fourteen islands form a loose ring. The inhabitants speak Gumawana which is an Austronesian language of the tip cluster of Papua New Guinea. They subsist on local foods and produce a number of goods for trade. These include betel nut, yams, sago, baskets, jewelry and pottery.
The Bismarck Archipelago is adjacent to Papua New Guinea which also governs the islands. They are organized into seven provinces: Manus, New Ireland, East New Britain, West New Britain, Morobe, Madang and East Sepik. The provinces include the Admiralty Islands, the Western Islands¸ New Hanover (Lavogai), Saint Matthias, the Feni Islands, Dyaul Island, New Britain, the Duke of York Islands, the Vitu Islands, Crown Island, the five Schouten Islands and others.
In 1884 the Germans annexed the islands and named the islands in honor of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. German rule ended in 1914 when Australia captured them. During WWII the Japanese occupied the islands. Afterward the Australians governed the islands until Papua New Guinea was granted independence in 1975.
The D'Entrecasteau Islands are located off the eastern tip of New Guinea. Geographically they lie in the Solomon Sea, but politically they have been assigned to the Milne Bay Province of Paupa New Guinea. The islands are spread over an l00 mile area and are volcanic in nature. The indigenous people of D'Entrecasteaux Islands are subsistence farmers who live in traditional settlements that tourists seldom visit. They make clay posts for trade. They also sell copra, pearl shells and timber. The people still sail seagoing canoes among the islands of the region to trade.
Fiji is an archipelago of over 300 islands and 500 islets of which 110 islands are permanently inhabited. Most of the 850,000 people live on the two main islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Suva is the capital city. The British used the islands for raising sugar cane. After European diseases greatly reduced the indigenous population contract workers from India were imported. Today Indians are half of the population.
Fiji was granted independence in 1970; however, military coups that sought to reduce Indo-Fijian influence disrupted the new democracy. The civil disorder caused economic turmoil as many Fiji Indians emigrated leaving the Melanesians as a majority. A third coup occurred in 2000 and a fourth in 2006. In 2009 the country experienced a constitutional crisis.
Economically Fiji is much more developed than elsewhere in Melanesia although many Fijians still have subsistence level incomes.. Tourism is important; however, the continued Indo-Fijian emigration has drained the economy and may beggar the future prospects of the Melanesians.
The ten major volcanic islands of the Louisiade Archipelago are surrounded by 90 smaller coral islands as well as coral reefs. They are located between the Coral Sea (south) and the Solomon Sea (north) and about 130 miles (200 km) southeast of New Guinea. The largest island is now called Vanatinai (formerly Sudest or Tagula).
The Louisiade Archipelago is now a part of Milne Bay Province, Paupa New Guinea. The Battle of the Coral Sea was fought off shore in 1942. Today the indigenous people of the Louisiade Archipelago learn English in elementary school, but speak Misima as their native speech. Subsistence gardening and sea food sustain their diet. There is a growing need for money as cash transactions have increasingly replaced bartering for goods.
The Maluku Islands (Moluccas, Moluccan Islands) are famous as the Spice Islands. They are located between New Guinea on the east and Sulawesi (Celebes) to the west. Originally the population was Melanesian; however, many were killed during the Spice Wars of the 1600s. During the Dutch colonization of Indonesia significant number of Austronesians immigrated to the Maluku Islands. The people are separated religiously between Moslems and Christians. Between 1999 and 2002 religious conflict occurred between the two groups. The Moslem population is mainly Malay immigrants into the islands.
Grande Terre is the main island of New Caledonia, currently a French territory, includes the Loyalty Islands and other small islands. The United Nations has listed New Caledonia as a non-self-governing territory, despite the fact that it is nearly self-governing since 1986. A local movement, the Front de Liberation National Kanak Socialiste (FLNKS) has agitated for the creation of an independent state to be called Kanaky from the Polynesian work kanak for "man." A plebiscite may be held on the issue of independence after 2014.
The total population was estimated to be 250,000 in 2010. It is a mixture of Melanesians (50%); French (34%), with the remainder being many people from other Pacific Islands, Indonesians and Vietnamese.
New Guinea is the world's second largest island. It is the largest island in the Indonesian Archipelago. It is divided between Indonesia (West Papua) and the independent country of Papua New Guinea. During colonial times it was ruled by the Germans, Dutch and the Australians.
There are many different tribes in the rugged and remote interior that number of languages most of which are Papuan or Austronesian. Most if not all of the people of the island have been brought into contact with the modern world in recent decades; however, a large portion of the population still live through subsistence agriculture, hunting and gathering.
When Indonesia became independent from Dutch rule in the 1950s the issue of New Guinea independence was faced with Indonesian armed attempts at gaining control. The Dutch turned the western half of the island over to the United Nations which allowed Indonesia to take control. The Melanesians have resisted Indonesian attempts to "Indonesianize" them. In response over 100,000 or more of the West Papuans have been killed. Resistance continues and there is potential for an independence movement.
Northwest of the tip of Bird's Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea are the Raja Ampat Islands. An archipelago of over 1,500 islands surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta, Waigeo and the smaller island of Kofiau. The islands are part of the West Papua New Guinea province of Indonesia. The people are Melanesians who are related to the people of New Guinea.
The Schouten Islands (Kepulauan Biak), also called the Biak Islands or Geelvink Islands, are located off of the northwest coast of New Guinea at the entry to Cenderawasih Bay. The inhabitants are Austronesian who were incorporated into Indonesia with the end of Dutch colonialism.
The Santa Cruz Islands are located 250 miles (400 km.) southeast of the Solomon Islands. The Santa Cruz Islands, with a population of about 6,000 people, are politically part of the Temotu province of the Solomon Islands which are an independent country in the south Pacific.
The Solomon Islands are roughly one thousand in number with a total land area of 10,965 square miles (24,800 square kilometers). Guadalcanal is the main island with the capital at Honiara. The bulk of the people are Melanesians who are believed to have immigrated there thousands of years ago.
Most of people of the Solomon Islands are Melanesians. The official language is English. The extensive work of missionaries since the 1800s led to most people accepting Christianity. Their life styles are based on subsistence. Education is not mandatory but most children go to school. The many sandy beaches have begun to attract tourist who can fly from Australia on short flights.
Torres Strait Islands are a collection of over 275 islands in the strait separating Cape York Peninsula of Australia from New Guinea. A few of the islands are close to New Guinea and belong to Papua New Guinea (Western Province); however, most of the islands are a part of the Queensland.
The movement for independence in New Guinea in the 1970s was resisted by the Torres Strait Islanders who identified themselves as Australians. In 1982 Eddie Mabo and others brought suit for land ownership in the Mabo Case. In a decision in 1992 the High Court of Australia ruled that the Mer people had owned the land prior to annexation by Queensland. The ruling overturned the prior doctrine of terra nullius ("no-man's land") that had held native title to land to have been extinguished with colonization. The Melanesian peoples now have as a result of the ruling special rights which are administered by the Torres Straits Regional Authority.
The Trobriand Islands (Kiriwina Islands) are an archipelago of coral atolls lying 170 miles southeast of New Guinea. A part of Papua New Guinea's Milne Bay Province, the population numbering 12,000, lives among the rain forests that cover the islands. Most speak Kilivila, which is an Austronesian language. The people live subsistence lives in topical huts. Many people rely on remittances from family members working in Australia or elsewhere.
Vanuatu (New Hebrides) is a volcanic archipelago a thousand miles east of Australia and New Guinea. Its people are Melanesians, descendants of voyagers who landed 4,000 years ago. Missionaries converted most to the people to Christianity; however, cargo cults developed around the messianic figure of John Frum. The cults played a role in the development of nationalism with cult members also organizing a political party. In 1980 following the short Coconut War the Republic of Vanuatu was created. Political instability followed into the decade following 2000.
Woodlark Island (Muyuw) is sometimes included in the Trobriand Islands. It is part of Papua New Guinea and is inhabited by people who originally came from Papua New Guinea. They speak Muyuw which is a member of the Kilivila-Louisidades (Papuan Tip Cultures) languages of Austronesian languages. The main islands are Madau, Nusuam and the Marshall Bennett group.
In 2008 the government of Papua New Guinea blocked development of palm oil plantation on Woodlark. The indigenous people are slowly developing less traditional lives, but the organization of families in clans and sub-clans has hindered the distribution of money from forest royalties.
Andrew J. Waskey
