In this section you will:

1. Objectives In this section you will: • Examine features of high islands and low islands. • Learn about the three main island groups. • Find out what kind of climate and vegetation the islands have. • Discover how land is used in the Pacific islands.

2. Key Terms • high island (hy EYE lund)n. an island formed from the mountainous top of an ancient volcano • low island (loh EYE lund) n. an island formed from coral reefs or atolls • atoll (A tawl) n. a small coral island in the shape of a ring • coral (KAWR ul) n. a rock-like material made up of the skeletons of tiny sea creatures, most plentiful in warm ocean water

3. A Political Map of the Pacific Islands

4. The Pacific Ocean, which covers nearly one-third of Earth’s surface, is dotted with thousands of islands. Geographers divide these islands into three main groups: • Melanesia • Micronesia • Polynesia

5. Geographers also divide the Pacific islands into: • high islands • low islands High islands are usually large and have fertile soil which people can grow crops in, so they can support more people than can low islands.

6. Low islands are made up of coral reefs, on which debris accumulates until the islands are raised above the ocean. Some low islands are surrounded by atolls, which enclose shallow pools of ocean water called lagoons. Because low islands are quite small and have poor soil and little fresh water, far fewer people live on them than on high islands.

8. Melanesia

9. New Guinea, in Melanesia, is the second-largest island in the world. The western half of New Guinea is called Irian Jaya, and it is part of Indonesia. The eastern half of New Guinea is called Papua New Guinea, and it is the largest and most populated Melanesian country.

10. Micronesia

11. Polynesia

12. Locations of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia

13. Climate of the Pacific Islands

14. Because of their fertile soil, many high islands have rich natural vegetation such as tropical rain forests and savanna grasses. Farmers on high islands often grow cash crops, such as sugar cane and copra (dried coconut). Some high island people also practice subsistence farming, growing taro, yams, and sweet potatoes.

15. Because of their poor soil, most low islands have little natural vegetation—just palm trees, grasses, and shrubs. Many low islanders make a living by fishing and by growing yams, taro, and coconuts (or copra as a cash crop).

16. The Pacific islands’ most valuable resource may be their natural beauty. Tourism provides a key source of income in the region. Most visitors to the Pacific islands come from Australia and the United States.