The Flourishing of Island Cultures: The Art of Oceania
	The Islands of Oceania :: Melanesia :: Micronesia :: Polynesia :: Australia :: Oceanic Art Today
	THE ISLANDS OF OCEANIA Waves across the Pacific: Oceania consists of over 25,000 islands, including the island continent of Australia. Archeologists have determined that the islands have been inhabited for tens of thousands of years. Because of the expansive chronological span of migrations, Pacific cultures vary widely. A history of Colonialism: These island groups came to Western attention as a result of the extensive explorations and colonization hat began in the 16th century and reached its peak in the 19th century. Pacific regions: In 1831, the French explorer Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville proposed the division of the Pacific into major regions based on general geographical, racial, and linguistic distinctions. Despite its limitations, his division of Oceania into the areas of Melanesia ("black islands"), Micronesia ("small islands"), and Polynesia ("many islands") continues to be used today. The evolution of oceanic art: Largely as a result of colonial and missionary intervention in the 18th through 20th centuries, many Oceanic cultures abandoned traditional practices and production of many of its art forms ceased.
	The Islands of Oceania :: Melanesia :: Micronesia :: Polynesia :: Australia :: Oceanic Art Today