THE PACIFIC ISLANDS
The Pacific Islands are unique in several aspects. The Pacific Ocean is the largest water mass, dotted with small islands, making the region a sparsely populated area with great distances to cover between them. The relative isolation of the islands poses its own unique challenges. This website will provide you with information about the schools in the region and offer some other links as well.
Regional Links
Area in sq.km.: 199
Literacy: 97%
Population: 61,000
Life Expectancy: 73 years
Gross Domestic Product: $2,600
Foreign Debt: $20 million
Convert Currency:: 1 (US $)
Founded: 1900
Capital: Faga Togo on Pago Pago
Major Languages: Samoan, English [2]
Area in sq.km.: 240
Literacy: 97%
Population: 19,800
Life Expectancy: 71 years
Gross Domestic Product: $3,000
Foreign Debt: $160 million
Covert Currency : 1.9 (NZ $)
Founded: 1965
Capital: Avarua on Rarotonga
Major Languages: English [1]
Area in sq.km.: 18,270
Literacy: 92%
Population: 795,000
Life Expectancy: 66 years
Gross Domestic Product: $6,200
Foreign Debt: $333.8 million
Covert Currency: 2 (Dollar)
Founded: 1970
Capital: Suva
Major Languages: English, Fijian, Hindustani [3]
Area in sq.km.: 4,167
Literacy: 98%
Population: 233,000
Life Expectancy: 72 years
Gross Domestic Product: $8,000
Foreign Debt: $740 million (66 milliard Fancs)
Covert Currency: 100 (CFP Franc)
Founded: Under French Colonial Rule
Capital: Papeete
Major Languages: French, Tahitian
Area in sq.km.: >541.3
Literacy: 99%
Population: 160,000
Life Expectancy:74 years
Gross Domestic Product: $19,000
Foreign Debt: Not Available
Convert Currency:: 1 (US $)
Founded: Under US rule
Capital: Agana
Major Languages: English, Chamorro, Japanese [3]
Area in sq.km.:
Literacy: 98%
Population:
Life Expectancy:
Gross Domestic Product:
Foreign Debt: NA
Convert Currency:: 1 US$
Founded: Integrated into the USA
Capital: Honolulu
Major Languages: English, Hawaiian, Pidgin
Area in sq.km.: 730
Literacy: NA
Population: 84,000
Life Expectancy: 62 years
Gross Domestic Product: $800
Foreign Debt: $2 million
Convert Currency:: 1.6 (AUS $)
Founded: 1979
Capital: Bairiki on Tarawa
Major Languages: Kiribati (Gilbertese), English [2]
Area in sq.km.: 700
Literacy: 89%
Population: 102,000
Life Expectancy: 68 years
Gross Domestic Product: $1,700
Foreign Debt: $129 million
Convert Currency:: 1 (US $)
Founded: 1986
Capital: Palikir
Major Languages: English, Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Korean
[5]
Area in sq.km.: 180
Literacy: 93%
Population: 61,000
Life Expectancy: 64 years
Gross Domestic Product: $1,680
Foreign Debt: $170 million
Convert Currency:: 1 (US $)
Founded: 1986
Capital: Majuro
Major Languages: Marshallese, English [3]
Area in sq.km.: 21
Literacy: NA
Population: 10,500
Life Expectancy: 56 years
Gross Domestic Product: $10,000
Foreign Debt: $33.3 million
Convert Currency:: 1.6 (AUS $)
Founded: 1968
Capital: Yaren
Major Languages: Nauruan, English [2]
Area in sq.km.: 191,000
Literacy: 85%
Population: 185,000
Life Expectancy: 75 years
Gross Domestic Product: $8,000
Foreign Debt: NA
Convert Currency:: 100 (CFP Franc)
Founded: Under French Colonial Rule
Capital: Noumea
Major Languages: French, Wallisian, Melanesian
Area in sq.km.: 259
Literacy: 95%
Population: 2,100
Life Expectancy: 74 years
Gross Domestic Product: $1,200
Foreign Debt: $0
Convert Currency:: 1.9 (NZ $)
Founded: 1974
Capital: Alofi
Major Languages: Niuean, English
Area in sq.km.: 477
Literacy: 96%
Population: 53,000
Life Expectancy: NA
Gross Domestic Product: $10,500
Foreign Debt: NA
Convert Currency:: 1 (US $)
Founded: Under US Rule
Capital: Saipan
Major Languages: English, Chamorro, Carolinian [3]
Area in sq.km.: 1,594
Literacy: 92%
Population: 17,000
Life Expectancy: 71 years
Gross Domestic Product: $5,000
Foreign Debt: $100 million
Convert Currency:: 1 (US $)
Founded: 1994
Capital: Koror
Major Languages: Palauan, English, Japanese, Tobi, Angaur,
Sonsorolese [6]
Area in sq.km.: 462,840
Literacy: 38%
Population: 4,500,000
Life Expectancy: 57 years
Gross Domestic Product: $2,800
Foreign Debt: $3.3 billion
Convert Currency:: 2.1 (Kina)
Founded: 1975
Capital: Port Moresby
Major Languages: English, about 869 other languages
Area in sq.km.: 2,8402,840
Literacy: 97%
Population: 220,000
Life Expectancy: 69 years
Gross Domestic Product: $4,500
Foreign Debt: $179 million
Convert Currency:: 3 (Tala)
Founded: 1962
Capital: Apia
Major Langauges: Samoan, English [2]
Area in sq.km.: 28,900
Literacy: 24
Population: 420,000
Life Expectancy: 71 years
Gross Domestic Product: $2,200
Foreign Debt: $1 million
Convert Currency:: 4.7 (Dollar)
Founded: 1978
Capital: Honiara
Major Languages: English, many local languages [121]
Area in sq.km.: 10
Literacy: NA
Population: 1,703 (www.uq.oz.au/jrn/coco/tok.html)
Life Expectancy: NA
Gross Domestic Product: $1,000
Foreign Debt: $0
Convert Currency:: 1.9 (NZ $)
Founded: New Zealand dependency
Capital: no central administration
Major Languages: Tokelauan, English [2]
Area in sq.km.: 750
Literacy: 99%
Population: 107,000
Life Expectancy: 69 years
Gross Domestic Product: $2,140
Foreign Debt: $49 million
Convert Currency:: 1.5 (Pa'anga)
Founded: 1970
Capital: Nuku'alofa
Major Languages: English, Tongan [2]
Area in sq.km.: 30
Literacy: 97%
Population: 13,000
Life Expectancy: 63 years
Gross Domestic Product: $800
Foreign Debt: NA
Convert Currency:: 1.6 (AUS $)
Founded: 1978
Capital: Funafuti OR Fongafale
Major Languages: Tuvaluan, English [2]
Area in sq.km.: 12,190
Literacy: 53%
Population: 182,000
Life Expectancy: 65 years
Gross Domestic Product: $2,100
Foreign Debt: $39 million
Convert Currency:: 131 (Vatu)
Founded: 1980
Capital: Port-Vila
Major Languages: Bislama, English, French [3]
Wallis et Futuna (Under French Control)
Pitcairn Island (Under British Control)
Norfolk Island (Under Australian Rule)
Last update: Nov 2002