When we say melanesia we refer to one of the parts of Oceania according to the old division that was made in its day. This area would include the countries of Fiji, Papua-New Guinea, the Solomon Islands or Vanuatu.
These states, all made up of several I, extend from the northwest coast of Australia and they go down in the direction of the Tropic of Capricorn. They have been formed by fairly recent tectonic activity.
In fact, in most of these territories there are active volcanoes and the soil is black due to its origin. volcanic. Precisely this was decisive when naming this region since Melas in Greek means black and Nesoi, islands.
In almost all of them we also find mountains and tropical rain forests, although part of these rain forests have already been deforested. Each of the states in this area is independent, except New Caledonia that he preferred to continue belonging to the French state.
Despite being independent, the politics of recent years has led many of these islands into conflicts and wars, such as the one in Papua New Guinea that lasted from 1988 to 2001. Fiji It has also suffered two coups, in 1987 and in 2000.
Fiji is precisely one of the places most prone to of this region. Its beautiful landscapes and its prepared facilities welcome almost half a million tourists every year. However, what we recommend if you go to these places is to have contact with the locals to be able to know their customs and see their great rituals.
Two of the most striking are the Sing-Sing ceremonies in Papua New Guinea, to which men go with headdresses and full of paint, or that of the inhabitants of Tanna Island, in Vanuatu, who dance their traditional dance in front of the Yasur volcano, which is still active.
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Source - Weldon Owen Pty