Melanesia

[ mel-uh-nee-zhuh, -shuh ]

noun

1. one of the three principal divisions of Oceania, comprising the island groups in the South Pacific northeast of Australia.

Melanesia

/ ˌmɛləˈniːzɪə /

noun

1. one of the three divisions of islands in the Pacific (the others being Micronesia and Polynesia); the SW division of Oceania: includes Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the Louisiade, Solomon, Santa Cruz, and Loyalty Islands, which all lie northeast of Australia

Word History and Origins

Origin of Melanesia¹

C19: from Greek melas black + nēsos island; with reference to the dark skins of the inhabitants; on the model of Polynesia

Example Sentences

Marineland Melanesia Crocodile Habitat said in a post on social media that Cassius was "our beloved mate" and "a cherished member of our family".

From BBC

"We received the nomination as part of bringing back Micronesia," he said, referring to an agreement among the sub-regions of Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia for a process to rotate key roles within the bloc.

From Reuters

The Pacific Islands Forum is comprised of nations from three sub-regions - Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia - as well as Australia and New Zealand.

From Reuters

Interbreeding also occurred between humans and Denisovans, and up to 6 percent of the DNA of people in Melanesia and parts of Southeast Asia is Denisovan.

From Scientific American

They found that limiting deforestation in the plan’s first year in just 18 regions—including in Turkey’s Anatolian Peninsula and in Melanesia, for example—would produce the greatest benefit.

From Science Magazine