Melanesian culture: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos

Map of the Pacific Ocean region showing three major culture areas highlighted in different colors: Micronesia in purple, Melanesia in green, and Polynesia in yellow. The map includes labeled islands and island groups such as Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa, New Zealand, Guam, and the Marshall Islands, with the culture area boundaries spanning across the central and southern Pacific.

church in Papua New Guinea

New Caledonia: open-pit nickel mine

Men in the Rom dance on Ambrym Island, Vanuatu, wear colorful masks and cloaks made from layers of dried banana leaves, standing in a row amid dense tropical vegetation.

Papuan cult house

sweet-potato farming in Papua New Guinea

Papuan ceremonial board

See All Images →

Topics

Samoa Galapagos Islands Spratly Islands Aleutian Islands Pacific Islands Kuril Islands Moluccas Ryukyu Islands Mariana Islands Marquesas Islands

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Island, New Caledonia.

Islands and Archipelagos