Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia (pronunciation: /ˌmɛləˈniːʒə/) is a subregion of Oceania that extends from the western side of the eastern Pacific Ocean, to the Arafura Sea, north and northeast of Australia.
Etymology
The term Melanesia can be traced back to Jules Dumont d'Urville, a French explorer who used it in 1832 to denote an ethnic and geographical grouping of islands distinct from Polynesia and Micronesia. The term is derived from the Greek words melas (black) and nesos (island), referring to the dark skin of the inhabitants.
Related Terms
- Oceania: A geographic region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.
- Polynesia: A subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean.
- Micronesia: A subregion of Oceania, composed of thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean.
- Arafura Sea: A sea that lies west of the Pacific Ocean and north of Australia.
- Australia: A country and continent located in the southern hemisphere, below the equator.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Melanesia
- Wikipedia's article - Melanesia
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