Resources for the study of the Pacific Islands, Polynesia, and Oceania.
This page is a work in progress.
Provides excellent political, economic, and demographic information for more than 250 countries and territories. For Asian countries look for the relevant link on the "Regions Available" menu on the left side of the homepage.
The CIA World FactBook provides information on the history, people and society, government, economy, energy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 counties and other geo-political entities.
Asian Development Outlook (ADB)
The Pacific Islands: An Encyclopedia by
An encyclopaedia of information on major aspects of Pacific life, including the physical environment, peoples, history, politics, economy, society and culture. The CD-ROM contains hyperlinks between section titles and sections, a library of all the maps in the encyclopaedia, and a photo library.
Peoples of the World: Asians and Pacific Islanders by
This volume offers insight into early and contemporary cultures of 27 countries in Asia and the Pacific Islands. Essays cover each culture's history, language and geographical location. A wide variety of cultures, including ancient Manchu and modern Gurkha from Nepal, are covered.
Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania (2 vols.) by
Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania is a new two-volume A-to-Z reference to the peoples of the Asia-Pacific region east of the Caspian Sea, not including the countries of the Middle East. More than 400 entries cover the major peoples that for a time maintained a cultural identity in the area - from ancient to modern times - describing their history, migration, culture, belief system, social organization, and relationship to other peoples. This accessible resource makes it easy for students to find not only entries on the Han and Jurchens but also on 'Chinese: nationality', describing who they are today with cross-references to the various ancestral peoples. Entries on all large or well-known groups include information on their geography, origins, languages, history, and culture. Subsections cover such topics as subsistence, religion, social and political structures, economy, government, military practices, dwellings and architecture, clothing, transportation, technology, art, music, and literature. The back matter includes a chronology, bibliography, and comprehensive index, as well as several appendixes with useful background information on topics such as kinship systems, religious systems, and subsistence systems.
Continuum Encyclopedia of Native Art: Worldview, Symbolism, and Culture in Africa, Oceania, and Native North America by
This comprehensive reference text covers the often misunderstood area of aesthetics, anthropology and mythology within tribal or indigenous non-Western art. Including hundreds of entries and illustrations, it includes art from the cultures and tribal kingdoms of: Nigeria, Australia, Indonesia and Polynesia, Western and Central Africa, Canada and Alaska, and the continental United States.
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Women's Issues Worldwide: Asia and Oceania by
Women are working internationally to build a world based on gender equality and justice. Their concerns are shaped by conditions in their own countries and regions, and also by conditions for women in other parts of the world. Links forged by globalization, international relations, United Nations gender equality and development programs, and women's nongovernmental organizations connect their futures. This groundbreaking reference set documents the achievements and current challenges for all women, providing distortion-free and newly available information about women's status, in matters from education to violence, in more than 130 countries in the world's most populated areas. Written by an international host of contributing specialists, this set is accessible to high school students and above. Its consistent narrative coverage and relevant statistics are ideal for research and comparisons. Readers will find that conceptions of women's issues vary by country as the set illuminates diverse perspectives and contemporary practices that shape the variations in equality and well-being among women. Judicious inclusion of historical processes helps frame the issues in a holistic perspective. Volume maps, individual country maps, tables, photos, and indexes by set and volume are also included.
Encyclopedia of Prehistory: East Asia and Oceania by
Volume 3 of 9 volumes. The Encyclopedia of Prehistory represents also defined bya somewhatdifferent set of an attempt to provide basic information sociocultural characteristics than are eth on all archaeologically known cultures, nological cultures. Major traditions are covering the entire globe and the entire defined based on common subsistence prehistory ofhumankind. It is designed as practices, sociopolitical organization, and a tool to assist in doing comparative materialindustries,butlanguage,ideology, research on the peoples of the past. Most and kinship ties play little or no part in of the entries are written by the world's their definition because they are virtually foremost experts on the particular areas unrecoverable from archaeological con and time periods. texts. In contrast, language, ideology, and The Encyclopedia is organized accord kinship ties are central to defining ethno ing to major traditions. A major tradition logical cultures. is defined as a group ofpopulations sharing There are three types ofentries in the similar subsistence practices, technology, Encyclopedia: the major tradition entry, and forms of sociopolitical organization, the regional subtradition entry, and the which are spatially contiguous over a rela site entry. Each contains different types of tively large area and which endure tempo information, and each is intended to be rally for a relatively long period. Minimal used in a different way.
Encyclopedia of Islands by
Islands have captured the imagination of scientists and the public for centuries--unique and rare environments, their isolation makes them natural laboratories for ecology and evolution. This authoritative, alphabetically arranged reference, featuring more than 200 succinct articles by leading scientists from around the world, provides broad coverage of all the island sciences. But what exactly is an island? The volume editors define it here as any discrete habitat isolated from other habitats by inhospitable surroundings. The Encyclopedia of Islands examines many such insular settings--oceanic and continental islands as well as places such as caves, mountaintops, and whale falls at the bottom of the ocean. This essential, one-stop resource, extensively illustrated with color photographs, clear maps, and graphics will introduce island science to a wide audience and spur further research on some of the planet's most fascinating habitats.
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of World Folklore and Folklife [4 Volumes] by
There is no better way for students to learn about cultural diversity than to study the folklore and folkways of different ethnic groups. The work of over 200 expert contributors, this massive encyclopedia authoritatively and engagingly surveys folklife and traditions from around the world. Each of the four volumes covers the countries and cultural groups of a particular continent or geographical region, and the first volume also includes 39 topics and themes central to world folklore. Each of the more than 170 culture or country entries explores the background, belief system, oral and theatrical traditions, material culture, and contemporary concerns of a particular culture. Each concludes with an extended list of further readings. A generous selection of maps and illustrations makes this encyclopedia especially attractive to students and general readers. China . . . Malta . . . Madagascar . . . Wales . . . and Texas: these are among the many exotic, distant lands that capture our minds and imaginations. In an era of increasing globalization, students, general readers, and business professionals need to know about the world and its varied ways. So too, a knowledge of world cultures is fundamental to an understanding of America's ethnically rich society. Folklore isn't just about the long ago and far away. It's about the here and now, and there's no better way to learn about cultural diversity than to study the folklore and folkways of different ethnic groups. More than just Cinderella and other fairy tales, folklore encompasses the whole realm of traditional beliefs and activities that define a culture. The most comprehensive work of its kind, this massive encyclopedia engagingly and authoritatively surveys folklife and traditions from around the world. Through its vast scope and lengthy entries, it transcends other references on particular national or regional folklores and is the most ambitious undertaking of its type. Organized in four volumes, the encyclopedia provides convenient access to information about folklore generally and to the traditions of particular regions: Along with the expertise of the contributors, of Volume Editor William M. Clements, and of Advisory Editor Thomas A. Green, the encyclopedia draws upon a distinguished board of internationally recognized scholars, including: Roger D. Abrahams, Cristina Bacchilega, Gillian Bennett, Mary Ellen Brown, James R. Dow, Alessandro Falassi, Barbro Klein, Peter Knecht, Natalie Kononenko, Frances M. Malpezzi, Margaret Mills, M. D. Muthukumaraswamy, Gerald Pocius, and John S. Ryan. Because folklore is the essence of daily life, this encyclopedia addresses the curriculum needs of high school students and is also an indispensable resource for teachers. In addition, anyone researching folklore in a public library will find this the first place to look for detailed information about cultural traditions around the world. Brings together the knowledge of more than 200 specialists from around the world. Provides 39 extended entries on topics central to world folklore. Details the folklore and folkways of roughly 170 cultural groups. Entries discuss the background, beliefs, oral and theatrical traditions, arts and crafts, and contemporary concerns of each cultural group. Each entry cites numerous works for further reading. A generous selection of maps and illustrations makes world folklore come to life. A list of entries and a cumulative subject index, repeated in each volume, offer convenient access to the vast body of information contained in the encyclopedia. A selected, general bibliography directs students and general readers to the most important broad studies of world folklore. A glossary defines key terms, theories, and concepts.
Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashionz: Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands by
PART 11: Polynesia Hawaiian Dress Prior to 1898, Linda Boynton Arthur Niue: Dress, Hats, and Woven Accessories, Hilke Thode-Arora Missionary Dress in Samoa, Prue Ahrens Dressing the Body in Samoa, Sean Mallon SNAPSHOT: Ta'ovala and Kiekie of Tonga, Fanny Wonu Veys Barkcloth Body Wrapping in Tonga, Fanny Wonu Veys Dance Costumes in French Polynesia, Jane Freeman Moulin Tahitian Tattoos, Makiko Kuwahara Dress and Appearance in Tahiti, Karen Stevenson Fijian Dress and Body Modifi cations, Roderick Ewins Dress of the Cook Islands, Kalissa Alexeyeff SNAPSHOT: The Mu'umu'u -- PART 12: Melanesia Bilas: Dressing the Body in Papua New Guinea, Michael Mel Textiles and Dress of the Motu Koita People, Jacquelyn A. Lewis-Harris Dressing the Body in Bariai, Naomi M. McPherson Asmat Dress, Pauline van der Zee Dress of Vanuatu, Lissant Bolton and Jean Tarisesei Dress in New Caledonia, Fr d ric Angleviel (Translated by Marissa Dooris and Vikram Iyer) Body Ornaments of Solomon Islands, Ben Burt -- PART 13: Micronesia Dress in Kiribati, Petra M. Autio SNAPSHOT: Te Be and Te Tibuta Lavalava (Cloth) of the Rei Metau, Carmen C. H. Petrosian-Husa Dress of the Chamorro, Judith S. Flores Dress in the Marshall Islands SNAPSHOT: The Bikini, Nancy J. Pollock -- Index
Textiles in the Pacific, 1500-1900 by
Textiles in the Pacific, 1500-1900 brings together 13 articles which include both classics and lesser-known but important works related to the trade and production of textiles in the Pacific region, extending from the tip of Northeast Asia to the other end of South America and Australia. Collectively these articles bring out two central themes, as highlighted in the introduction. First, there is the leading role of textiles in linking up the economies across the Pacific in the era before the 19th-century rise of steam-engine-powered global integration. Second is the crucial role of textile manufacturing and trade in the early stage of industrialization for most of the developing Pacific economies after the 19th century. The volume also reflects both revolutionary shifts in paradigms and revisions of traditional consensus, and seeks to present a more balanced account of global trade and market integration in the early modern period.
Pacific Area
Polynesia
Oceania
Islands of the Pacific
Pacific Islands (Trust Territory)
Pacific Islanders
Micronesia
Second Terms
--Description and Travel
--History
--Colonization
Uncovering Pacific Pasts: Histories of Archaeology in Oceania. by
Objects have many stories to tell. The stories of their makers and their uses. Stories of exchange, acquisition, display and interpretation. This book is a collection of essays highlighting some of the collections, and their object biographies, that were displayed in the Uncovering Pacific Pasts (UPP) exhibition.
Trophies, Relics and Curios?: Missionary Heritage from Africa and the Pacific by
The British Missionary movement, which began in earnest in the early 19th century, was one of the most extraordinary movements of the last two centuries, radically transforming the lives of people in large parts of the globe, including in Europe itself. By exploring a range of artefacts, photographs and archival documents that have survived, or emerged from, these transformations, this volume sheds an oblique light on the histories of British Missionaries in Africa and the Pacific, and the ways in which their work is remembered in different parts of the world today. Short contributions describing the histories of particular items, accompanied by rich visual imagery, showcase the extraordinary l items that were caught up in histories of conversion, and are still controversial for many today. By focusing on the varied forms of missionary heritage, this volume aims to question the often used categories of trophies, relics or curios, and highlight the complexity involved in the missionary encounter. This volume is the result of a research networking project bringing together specialists of missionary collections, i.e. artefacts, photographs or archival documents. These specialists are academics of various disciplines, museum curators and indigenous stakeholders who aim to show to a wide audience what missionary heritage constitutes and how varied it is. The heritage in focus is based in museums, archives, churches and archaeological sites in Britain, the Pacific and Africa. With contributions by Ben Burt of the British Museum, Sagale Buadromo of the Fiji Museum, Ghanaian artist, art historian and curator Atta Kwami, Jack Thompson of the University of Edinburgh, Steven Hooper of the Sainsbury Research Unit, Joshua Bell of the Smithsonian Institute, Samoan artist Greg Semu and many more.
Historical Archaeology of Early Modern Colonialism in Asia-Pacific by
"The essential source for scholarly reassessment of the Asia-Pacific region's diverse and significant archaeology and history."--James P. Delgado, coauthor of The Maritime Landscape of the Isthmus of Panama"Underpins a nuanced picture of Asia-Pacific that shows how the activities of the Chinese and Japanese in East Asia, the spread of Islam from South Asia, and the efforts of the Iberians and especially the Spanish from southern Europe ushered in a world of complex interaction and rapid and often profound change in local, regional, and wider cultural patterns."--Ian Lilley, editor of Archaeology of Oceania: Australia and the Pacific Islands The history of Asia-Pacific since 1500 has traditionally been told with Europe as the main player ushering in a globalized, capitalist world. But these volumes help decentralize that global history, revealing that preexisting trade networks and local authorities influenced the region before and long after Europeans arrived. In the volume The Southwest Pacific and Oceanian Regions, case studies from Alofi, Vanuatu, the Marianas, Hawaii, Guam, and Taiwan compare the development of colonialism across different islands. Contributors discuss human settlement before the arrival of Dutch, French, British, and Spanish explorers, tracing major exchange routes that were active as early as the tenth century. They highlight rarely examined sixteenth- and seventeenth-century encounters between indigenous populations and Europeans and draw attention to how cross-cultural interaction impacted the local peoples of Oceania. The volume The Asia-Pacific Region looks at colonialism in the Philippines, China, Japan, and Vietnam, emphasizing the robust trans-regional networks that existed before European contact. Southeast Asia had long been influenced by Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim traders in ways that helped build the region's ethnic and political divisions. Essays show the complexity and significance of maritime trade during European colonization by investigating galleon wrecks in Manila, Japan's porcelain exports, and Spanish coins discovered off China's coast. Packed with archaeological and historical evidence from both land and underwater sites, impressive in geographical scope, and featuring perspectives of scholars from many different countries and traditions, these volumes illuminate the often misunderstood nature of early colonialism in Asia-Pacific.
Historical Archaeology of Early Modern Colonialism in Asia-Pacific by
"The essential source for scholarly reassessment of the Asia-Pacific region's diverse and significant archaeology and history."--James P. Delgado, coauthor of The Maritime Landscape of the Isthmus of Panama"Underpins a nuanced picture of Asia-Pacific that shows how the activities of the Chinese and Japanese in East Asia, the spread of Islam from South Asia, and the efforts of the Iberians and especially the Spanish from southern Europe ushered in a world of complex interaction and rapid and often profound change in local, regional, and wider cultural patterns."--Ian Lilley, editor of Archaeology of Oceania: Australia and the Pacific Islands The history of Asia-Pacific since 1500 has traditionally been told with Europe as the main player ushering in a globalized, capitalist world. But these volumes help decentralize that global history, revealing that preexisting trade networks and local authorities influenced the region before and long after Europeans arrived. In the volume The Southwest Pacific and Oceanian Regions, case studies from Alofi, Vanuatu, the Marianas, Hawaii, Guam, and Taiwan compare the development of colonialism across different islands. Contributors discuss human settlement before the arrival of Dutch, French, British, and Spanish explorers, tracing major exchange routes that were active as early as the tenth century. They highlight rarely examined sixteenth- and seventeenth-century encounters between indigenous populations and Europeans and draw attention to how cross-cultural interaction impacted the local peoples of Oceania. The volume The Asia-Pacific Region looks at colonialism in the Philippines, China, Japan, and Vietnam, emphasizing the robust trans-regional networks that existed before European contact. Southeast Asia had long been influenced by Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim traders in ways that helped build the region's ethnic and political divisions. Essays show the complexity and significance of maritime trade during European colonization by investigating galleon wrecks in Manila, Japan's porcelain exports, and Spanish coins discovered off China's coast. Packed with archaeological and historical evidence from both land and underwater sites, impressive in geographical scope, and featuring perspectives of scholars from many different countries and traditions, these volumes illuminate the often misunderstood nature of early colonialism in Asia-Pacific.
The Archaeology of Portable Art by
The development of complex cultural behaviour in our own species is perhaps the most significant research issue in modern archaeology. Until recently, it was believed that our capacity for language and art only developed after some of our ancestors reached Europe around 40,000 years ago. Archaeological discoveries in Africa now show that modern humans were practicing symbolic behaviours prior to their dispersal from that continent, and more recent discoveries in Indonesia and Australia are once again challenging ideas about human cultural development.　 Despite these significant discoveries and exciting potentials, there is a curious absence of published information about Asia-Pacific region, and consequently, global narratives of our most celebrated cognitive accomplishment -- art -- has consistently underrepresented the contribution of Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. This volume provides the first outline of what this region has to offer to the world of art in archaeology.　 Readers undertaking tertiary archaeology courses interested in the art of the Asia-Pacific region or human behavioural evolution, along with anyone who is fascinated by the development of our modern ability to decorate ourselves and our world, should find this book a good addition to their library.