Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia Quiz

Answer: Melanesia

New Guinea (785,753 sq km) is the second-largest island in the world. Located in south-west Pacific Ocean, the island is divided into Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea (part of Indonesia).

The two major cities on the island are Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea and Jayapura, the capital of the Indonesian province of Papua. The highest peak is Puncak Jaya (4,884 m) located in the Indonesian part of the island.

Answer: Melanesia

Vanuatu (12,274 sq km), located in south Pacific Ocean is an archipelago of 83 islands of volcanic origin. Several active volcanoes, namely Lopevi and Mount Yasur are located on the island.

Port Vila, aka Vila, is the capital city located on the island of Efate, in Shefa Province.

Answer: Melanesia

Solomon Islands (28,896 sq km), an archipelago nation with over 1,000 islands, including Bougainville, is located in the South Pacific.

The six major islands of the Solomon Islands are Choiseul, New Georgia, Santa Isabel, Guadalcanal, Malaita, and Makira. The islands are mountainous, covered with rainforests with deep valleys and coastal areas lined with coconut palms and reefs.

Honaira, the capital city, is located in the largest island Guadalcanal.

Answer: Melanesia

New Caledonia (18,576 sq km) is located in the southwest Pacific Ocean. It is French territory, consisting of one main island named Grande Terre and several islands, namely the Loyalty Islands, Belep Islands, Ile des Pins and some uninhabited islands.

Noumea is the capital and port city located in the main island of Grand Terre.

Answer: Micronesia

Nauru (21 sq km), the third smallest country in the world, is located in the central Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea. The oval shaped island was once a wealthy nation due to phosphate mining.

The parliament and some government buildings are located in Yaren on the south of the island. The island is surrounded by coral reefs, and limestone pinnacle-shaped rocks can be seen at low tide.

Answer: Micronesia

Palau (459 sq km) is an island nation located in west Pacific Ocean about 800 km southeast of the Philippines. It consists of eight main islands and more than 250 smaller ones which constitute the westernmost part of the Caroline Islands chain.

Ngelrulmud, which replaced Kotor City as the capital in 2006, is located in the state of Melekoek on Babeldaob, the largest island of Palau. As there are no permanent residents in the capital, it is the world's least populous capital city.

The island is the home to famous Jellyfish Lake, where millions of jellyfish migrate daily across the lake. The Rock Islands of Palau are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for their unique mushroom-shaped islands.

Answer: Micronesia

Marshall Islands (181 sq km) is an island nation located in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It consists of five main islands, 29 coral atolls and about 1,220 smaller islands, divided into two island chains: Ratak (east) and Ralik (west).

Majuro, the capital, is an atoll made of 64 islets (10 sq km). The main settlement of Majuro is located on three islands (Delap, Ulliga and Darrit) connected by landfill.

Answer: Micronesia

Guam (540 sq km) nicknamed "Land of the Chamorro" is a U.S. territory located in west Pacific Ocean. It is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands, and the westernmost territory of the United States.

Hagatna (2.6 sq km), the capital, is located on the west coast at the mouth of the Hagatna River.

Mount Lamlam (406 m) is the highest peak, located in the southwest. However when measured from the bottom of the nearby Mariana Trench, it is about 11,527 m, which is slightly taller than Mount Everest.

Answer: Polynesia

Samoa (2,831 sq km) is an island nation in the South Pacific, known for its stunning volcanic landscapes, rich culture, and unique traditions. It is made up ten islands, with the two main islands named Upolu and Savai'i.

Apia, the capital city is located on the central north coast of Upolu, the second-largest island. It is the closest nation to the west side of the International Date Line.

Answer: Polynesia

Tonga (748 sq km) aka as the "Friendly Islands" is the only monarchy island nation located in the South Pacific. It consists of over 170 islands, of which the main ones are Vava'u, Ha'apai and Tongatapu.

Nukul'alofa, the capital city, is located on the north coast of the island of Tongatapu, the southernmost island.

Answer: Polynesia

Eastern Island (164 sq km) aka Rapa Nui, a territory of Chile, is located in the southeast Pacific Ocean. It is famous for the 887 Moai statues which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It is a volcanic island consists mainly of three extinct volcanoes. Terevaka (507 m) forms the bulk of the island, Poike on the eastern headland and Rano Kau on the southern headland give the island its roughly triangular shape.

Answer: Polynesia

Cook Islands (236 sq km) is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand.

It consists of 15 islands: northern Cook islands are seven sparsely populated low-lying coral atolls, and southern Cook islands, where most of the population lives, consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic isles.

The largest island is Rarotaonga (67 sq km), where the capital city Avarua is located. The highest peak is Te Manga (652 m).