History of the Pacific Islands facts for kids

Map of the Pacific Ocean.

The history of the Pacific Islands is all about the amazing stories of the islands scattered across the huge Pacific Ocean. These islands have been home to people for thousands of years, and each one has its own unique past, filled with brave explorers, ancient traditions, and big changes over time.

Island Histories: A Journey Through Time
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Island Histories: A Journey Through Time

Cook Islands: Ancient Voyagers

The history of the Cook Islands began with brave chiefs and navigators from what is now French Polynesia. They sailed their ships, searching for new lands, and first arrived in the southern Cook Islands around 800 AD or even earlier. Many more groups from French Polynesia, especially Tahiti, continued to arrive for centuries. This led to the creation of a special Māori society in the Cook Islands.

The northern islands were also settled by people from the east. The capital, Rarotonga, is famous in old stories as the starting point for seven large canoes (waka) that sailed to New Zealand. These voyagers became the main tribes of the New Zealand Māori. For a long time, people traveled and traded between the Cook Islands and New Zealand. The Cook Islands Māori language is very similar to the Māori language of New Zealand.

European ships first visited in the 1500s. The first written record was in 1595 when Spanish sailor Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira saw Pukapuka and named it San Bernardo. A few years later, in 1606, another Spanish explorer, Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, made the first recorded European landing on Rakahanga, calling it Gente Hermosa. The islands are named after British Captain James Cook, who explored and landed on some of them between 1774 and 1777.

Easter Island: The Isolated Home

Easter Island is one of the newest places on Earth to be settled by people. For most of its history, it was the most isolated inhabited place in the world. Its people, the Rapa Nui, faced many challenges like hunger, sickness, wars, and slave raids. Their population even dropped dramatically more than once.

Fiji: A Mix of Cultures

The history of Fiji goes back to ancient times. Around 1500 BC, Austronesian sailors settled Fiji. Later, around 900–600 BC, Moturiki Island was settled. By 500 BC, Melanesian sailors arrived and mixed with the Austronesian people. This mixing created the modern Fijian people. In 1643 AD, Abel Tasman saw Vanua Levu Island and northern Taveuni. Some old Fijian stories say that Fijians also came from a traveling tribe in Tanzania.

Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands: Long History of Change

The history of Guam includes the arrival of the ancient Chamorros, the growth of their society before Europeans, Spanish rule, and now American rule. Scientists using carbon-dating divide Guam's pre-European history into three periods: "Pre-Latte" (before 1 AD), "Transitional Pre-Latte" (1 AD to 1000 AD), and "Latte" (1000 AD to 1521 AD). The "Latte" period is named after the large stone pillars used as foundations for buildings.

The first people of Guam are thought to be descendants of Taiwanese indigenous peoples who came from Taiwan as early as 4,000 BC. They share language and culture with people in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Guam has the longest history of being ruled by other countries among the Pacific islands. In 1668, Spain officially took over the islands and started a colony on Guam. It was a resting place for Spanish ships traveling across the Pacific. In 1898, the United States took over the islands after the Spanish–American War.

The Chamorro culture has changed a lot since Europeans arrived, being influenced by Spanish and American rule. While the original culture is not exactly the same, it is now being brought back with new ideas and styles that combine with other Pacific island cultures. It's important to know that Chamorros on Guam and those on the Northern Mariana Islands see their culture and language a bit differently.

Hawaii: The Polynesian Triangle's Tip

The history of Hawaii is deeply connected to the larger Polynesian story. Hawaii is at the northernmost point of the Polynesian Triangle. This is a large area of the Pacific Ocean with three main island groups: Hawaii, Rapa Nui, and Aotearoa. The many island cultures in this triangle share similar languages that came from a very old language used in Southeast Asia 5,000 years ago. Polynesians also share cultural traditions like religion, social groups, myths, and tools.

Experts believe that all Polynesians came from an ancient culture in the South Pacific. This culture was created by Austronesian people who had moved from Southeast Asia. The main Polynesian cultures include Aotearoa, Hawaiʻi, Rapa Nui, Marquesas, Samoa, Tahiti, and Tonga. When Hawaii was first settled is still debated, with estimates ranging from the 3rd century AD to between 940 and 1130 AD.

Kiribati: A British Past

The islands that now make up the Republic of Kiribati have been lived on for at least 700 years, and possibly much longer. The first people were Micronesian, who are still the main group today. They were visited by Polynesian and Melanesian groups before European sailors "discovered" the islands in the 1500s. For a long time, the main island chain, the Gilbert Islands, was part of the British Empire. Kiribati became an independent country in 1979.

New Caledonia: Lapita People and European Names

In the history of New Caledonia, a diverse group of people called the Lapita settled the Melanesian islands. They arrived in New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands around 1500 BC. The Lapita were very skilled at navigating and farming, and they influenced a large part of the Pacific. From about the 11th century, Polynesians also arrived and mixed with the people already living there.

Europeans first saw New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands in the late 1700s. The British explorer James Cook saw Grande Terre in 1774 and named it New Caledonia, which means "New Scotland." On the same trip, he also named the islands north of New Caledonia the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu), after islands north of Scotland.

New Zealand: Māori and European Encounters

The history of New Zealand goes back at least 700 years. It was discovered and settled by Polynesians, who developed a unique Māori culture focused on family connections and land. The first European explorer, the Dutch Abel Tasman, arrived in New Zealand in 1642. From the late 1700s, explorers, sailors, missionaries, traders, and adventurers visited the country regularly.

In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the British Crown and various Māori chiefs. This brought New Zealand into the British Empire and gave Māori equal rights with British citizens. Many Europeans and some Asians settled there throughout the rest of the century. Wars and the new European economic and legal system caused most of New Zealand's land to pass from Māori to European ownership, and many Māori became poor.

From the 1890s, the New Zealand parliament made many progressive changes, including giving women the right to vote (women's suffrage) and creating old-age pensions. From the 1930s, the economy was highly controlled, and a large welfare system was developed. At the same time, Māori culture saw a rebirth, and from the 1950s, many Māori moved to the cities. This led to a Māori protest movement which, in turn, led to more recognition of the Treaty of Waitangi in the late 1900s. In the 1980s, the economy became less regulated, and new social policies, like making homosexuality legal, were put in place. New Zealand's foreign policy became more independent, moving away from just following Britain or the United States.

Niue: The "Savage Island" Becomes Independent

The history of Niue goes back 1,000 years when Polynesian settlers arrived. Traces of a Pukapulan language can still be found in the local language, which is based on Samoan and Tongan. The Polynesian settlers were quite isolated because there was little trade between islands. Life on the limestone island was also hard due to a lack of rivers and good soil for farming.

The modern history of Niue began in 1774 with the arrival of Captain James Cook. Cook called the island "Savage Island" in his records because the local people were not very welcoming to strangers. This was very different from the Tongans, whom he called "The Friendly Islands." Captain Cook tried to land three times but was pushed back each time. The people at that time were quite unfriendly to outsiders.

Christianity came to the island in 1846 when Peniamina, a Niuean, converted during his stay in Samoa. By the end of the 1800s, all the islanders had converted to Christianity. After this, the island became part of the British Empire. Niue became an independent country in 1974. However, it still has a special agreement with New Zealand, and many Niuean citizens are also citizens of New Zealand. Today, Niue is a democracy with a legislative assembly of 20 members. It is the smallest democracy in the world.

Papua New Guinea: Ancient Gardens and European Sightings

The history of Papua New Guinea goes back about 60,000 years when people first moved towards the Australian continent. Written history began in the early 1500s when European sailors first saw New Guinea. Portuguese explorers arrived from the west, and later Spanish sailors came from the east after crossing the Pacific. The island was named "New Guinea" by Spanish explorer Yñigo Ortiz de Retez, who sailed along its coast in 1545.

Archaeological evidence shows that humans arrived on New Guinea at least 60,000 years ago. They probably came by sea from Southeast Asia during an ice age when the sea level was lower, and islands were closer. The first arrivals were hunter-gatherers, but early evidence shows that people managed the forest to find food. The gardens in the New Guinea highlands are very old and complex. They are designed for many people, very high rainfall, earthquakes, hilly land, and occasional frost. There are signs that gardening was happening here at the same time agriculture was developing in places like Mesopotamia and Egypt.

Samoa: European Contact and Independence

In the history of Samoa, contact with Europeans started in the early 1700s but became more intense when the English arrived. In 1722, the Dutchman Jacob Roggeveen was the first European to see the islands. Missionaries and traders arrived in the 1830s. By the mid-1800s, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States all claimed parts of the kingdom of Samoa and set up trading posts.

After World War I, the League of Nations divided Samoa. Britain and New Zealand took control of the western islands, which became 'Western Samoa'. The USA claimed the eastern half, which became American Samoa. In 1962, Western Samoa became the first Pacific Island nation to gain political independence. In 1997, Samoa officially dropped 'Western' from its name because it was a reminder of its colonial past.

Solomon Islands: Islands of Gold

The human history of the Solomon Islands began at least 30,000 years ago with the first settlers from New Guinea. These people were the furthest humans had expanded into the Pacific Ocean until people speaking Austronesian languages spread through the area around 4000 BCE. These new arrivals brought new farming and sea travel technologies. Most of the languages spoken in the Solomon Islands today come from this time.

The first European contact was by Spanish explorer Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira, who first saw Santa Isabel island on February 7, 1568. Finding signs of gold on Guadalcanal, Mendaña believed he had found the source of King Solomon's wealth. Because of this, he named the islands "The Islands of Solomon." Many islands were also named by these explorers, including Guadalcanal, the Santa Cruz Islands, San Cristobal, Santa Ana, and Santa Isabel. Spain sent more expeditions in 1595 and 1605 to find the islands and start a colony, but they were not successful. Later, Dutch, French, and British sailors visited the islands, but they were often met with hostility.

Tahiti: A Paradise Discovered

Tahiti is believed to have been settled by Polynesians between 300 AD and 800 AD. They came from Tonga and Samoa. The rich island soil and good fishing provided plenty of food for the people. Although a Spanish ship first saw the islands in 1606, Spain did not try to trade with or colonize the island. Samuel Wallis, an English sea captain, saw Tahiti on June 18, 1767, and is considered the first European visitor. Early European visitors were very impressed by the relaxed and happy nature of the local people and saw the island as a paradise. This idea of Tahiti as a romantic paradise continues even today.

Tokelau: Independent Atolls

Archaeological evidence shows that Tokelau's atolls—Atafu, Nukunonu, and Fakaofo—were settled about 1,000 years ago. This probably happened through voyages from Samoa, the Cook Islands, and Tuvalu. Oral history traces local traditions and family trees back several hundred years. The people followed Polynesian mythology with a local god named Tui Tokelau. They also developed their own music (Music of Tokelau) and art.

The three atolls mostly operated independently but kept their social and language connections. Tokelauan society was ruled by chief families, and there were sometimes small fights and wars between atolls, as well as marriages. Fakaofo, the "chiefly island," had some power over Atafu and Nukunonu. Life on the atolls was about living off the land, relying on fish and coconut. Commodore John Byron discovered Atafu on June 24, 1765, and named it "Duke of York's Island." People who went ashore reported no signs of people living there at the time.

Tonga: The Tongan Empire

The history of Tonga goes back to around 1000 AD when the Polynesians arrived. Tonga became known as the Tongan Empire because of its extensive trading and its strength and control over parts of the Pacific, like Samoa and Fiji. Europeans arrived in the 1600s. A couple of hundred years later, Tonga became a single, unified kingdom.

Archaeological evidence shows that the first settlers in Tonga sailed from the Santa Cruz Islands. They were part of the original Austronesian-speaking (Lapita) migration that started in Southeast Asia about 6,000 years ago. Tonga is the oldest known place in Polynesia for the special Lapita pottery, dating back 2800–2750 years ago.

Tuvalu: Eight Standing Together

Tuvaluan man in traditional costume drawn by Alfred Agate in 1841 during the United States Exploring Expedition.

The history of Tuvalu dates back at least 1,000 years when it was discovered and settled by Polynesians. The story of the people of Tuvalu is part of the theories about how humans spread out from Southeast Asia, from Taiwan, through Melanesia, and across the Pacific islands to create Polynesia.

Before Europeans arrived, there was frequent canoe travel between the islands. Polynesian navigation skills were so good that they could make planned journeys on double-hull sailing canoes or outrigger canoes. Eight of Tuvalu's nine islands were inhabited. That's why the name Tuvalu means "eight standing together" in the Tuvaluan language. It is believed that Polynesians spread from the Samoan Islands into the Tuvaluan atolls. Tuvalu then became a stepping stone for migration into other Polynesian communities in Melanesia and Micronesia.

In 1568, Spanish sailor Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira was the first European to sail through the islands. He saw Nui during his search for a southern continent. European explorers did not return for two centuries. In 1819, the island of Funafuti was named Ellice's Island. The name Ellice was later used for all nine islands after the work of English mapmaker Alexander George Findlay. The islands came under Britain's control in the late 1800s. Each of the Ellice Islands was declared a British protectorate by Captain Gibson R.N. of HMS Curacoa between October 9 and 16, 1892.

The Ellice Islands were governed by a British Resident Commissioner from 1892 to 1916 as part of the British Western Pacific Territories. Later, they were part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony from 1916 to 1974. A vote was held in December 1974 to decide if the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands should have their own governments. As a result, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony ended on January 1, 1976. The separate British colonies of Kiribati and Tuvalu were created. Tuvalu became fully independent within the Commonwealth on October 1, 1978. On September 17, 2000, Tuvalu became the 189th member of the United Nations.

Vanuatu: Ancient Pottery and European Discoveries

In the history of Vanuatu, archaeological evidence suggests that people speaking Austronesian languages first came to the islands some 4,000 to 6,000 years ago. Pieces of Pottery have been found that date back to 1300 BC. What little is known about Vanuatu's history before Europeans arrived comes from old stories and legends. One important early king was Roy Mata, who united several tribes. He was buried in a large mound with several of his followers.

The first European contact with Vanuatu happened in 1606. A Spanish expedition led by the Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernández de Quirós discovered Espiritu Santo. He named it Australia del Espiritu Santo, believing he had found the southern continent. Europeans did not return until 1768, when Louis Antoine de Bougainville rediscovered the islands.