Profile of Pacific Island Countries

Fiji is made up of more than 800 volcanic and coral islands, the country enjoys a tropical climate and has become a popular location with tourists.





Uploaded on November 22, 2008 by tenagamon on Flickr.com
Shows why Fiji has become such a popular place with tourists.


The country relies heavily on the sugar and tourism industries for its foreign exchange. Although the economy is diverse with gold, silver and limestone all mined in the country.

Despite this Fiji has been hampered by its persistent trade and budget laws, which means it is one of the largest recipients of aid in the world.

Tonga is made up of 170 islands and it is spread over an area in the South Pacific roughly the same size as Japan.


The country is ruled by a king and supported my noble men. Also almost all Tongan’s are Polynesian.

Polynesian is a broad term used to describe the traditions and cultures of the south Pacific islands.

Old v New
Tonga is an eclectic country which blends modern life with ancient traditions. Tongan’s will typically watch DVD’s, download music and look at the latest international news and opinion on the internet.

But they still resolved issues in the traditional way, around a bowl of kava, while many still weave and wear sacred ceremonial robes.

Kava is a herbal ground root used to make a traditional Tongan drink. Kava is served by women and drunk by men every night in Tonga

The Independent State of Samoa was previously known as Western Samoa until 1997. It is made up of nine volcanic islands, two of which Savai’i and Upolu make up 99% of the land.

Samoa is a conservative country, the people are devoted Christians and life is centred on the extended family.

The family is headed by a chief who directs the family’s social, economic and political affairs and the church which provides a focus of recreational and social life

The economy revolves around fishing and agriculture although this can be vulnerable to cyclones and disease.



Uploaded on September 14, 2007 by troppo fishing adventures on Flickr.com -
This shows a Blue Marlin a common catch throughout the year in Samoa


Micronesia is in the western Pacific and consists of 600 islands, the islands occupy a very small land mass but are scattered over a large space, about five times the size of France.

In 1989 Micronesia signed a ‘Compact of Free Association’ with the USA. Under this agreement Washington took on responsibility for their defence.

This gave the US the right to set up a military bases and deny other countries access to Micronesia.



Lack of amenities
Despite aid from the US there are still high levels of unemployment in the country with many people forced to live without electricity and running water.

Papua New Guinea is part of the second largest island and is prone to volcanic activity, earthquakes and tidal waves. It is also the most diverse country with over 700 native tongues.

Isolation
More than three quarters of the population live in rural area with few or no facilities. Many tribes live in isolated mountain areas, having little contact with one another let alone the outside world.