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Tahiti

Number of islands: 1 Area: 403 sq miles (1,045 sq km)

Population: 180,000

Tahiti is the main island of French Polynesia, although it measures only 28 miles (45 km) across at its widest point. Its many lagoons are home to a variety of sea creatures, such as manta rays, barracuda, sea cucumbers, sharks, and dolphins.

Solomon Islands

Number of islands: 992 islands,

347 inhabited

Area: 11,156 sq miles (28,896 sq km) Population: 596,000 The Solomon Islands are wonderful for diving and snorkeling. The coral reefs and sunken wrecks from World War II teem with tropical fish.

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Tonga

Number of islands: 169 islands,

36 inhabited

Area: 288 sq miles (747 sq km)

Population: 121,000 When British explorer Captain Cook landed on Tonga in 1773, he declared that the country should be called the “Friendly Islands" because the people were so warm.

Tuvalu

Number of islands: 9 Area: 10 sq miles (26 sq km)

Population: 12,370 Tuvalu is the world’s fourth-smallest country. The island of Funafuti is a long, low-lying strip of land, and the futurę of its community is seriously threatened by rising sea levels.

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New Caledonia

Number of islands: 1 main island and several smali atolls Area: 7,175 sq miles (18,575 sq km) Population: 227,400 Almost half the population of New Caledonia is madę up of a people known as the Kanaks. The Kanaks have a strong identity and culture, based around clans. Each elan has its own “big hut,” where members gather for important meetings.

Cook Islands

Number of islands: 15 Area: 91 sq miles (236 sq km)

Population: 11,870 These islands are spread out over a large area, extending 890 miles (1,433 km) from north to south. Most of the islanders are of Maori descent and live on Rarotonga, the largest island.