Why are there so many island nations in the South Pacific?

Firstly, there are a lot of islands in the Pacific Ocean. Mostly they were formed by volcanoes, though in many cases the volcano has completely eroded away, and the land that is there now is a coral reef that formed around the volcanic island. read more

Other nations and islands in the south Pacific include Nauru, New Caledonia, Tokelau, French Polynesia, Tonga, Guam, Niue, the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Tuvalu. Rounding out the list of South Pacific nations are Kiribati, Palau, Vanuatu, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Pitcairn Island and the island of Wallis and Futuna. read more

In English, the umbrella term Pacific Islands may take on several meanings. Sometimes it refers to only those islands covered by the continent of Oceania. In some common uses, the term "Pacific Islands" refers to the islands of the Pacific Ocean once colonized by the British, French, Dutch, United States, and Japanese, such as the Pitcairn Islands, Taiwan, and Borneo. read more

The Pacific Islands are the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Three major groups of islands in the Pacific Ocean are Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia. Depending on the context, Pacific Islands may refer to countries and islands with common Austronesian origins, islands once or currently colonized, or Oceania. read more