Melanesia is a somewhat arbitrary grouping of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean to the north and northeast of Australia. The term – derived from the Greek for "black island" – was intended to be more racial/cultural than geographic, however; the peoples of these islands were originally believed to share a common anthropological origin. They are in fact of at least two distinct cultural groups: Austronesians and Papuans. The term has come to refer to the islands' common colonial history.

Countries

• Fiji
• Papua New Guinea
• Solomon Islands
• Vanuatu

Other Destinations

• New Caledonia (France)
• West Papua (Indonesia).