|
|
|
TopClicks
->
The World
->
Oceania
->
Polynesia
Chris Davis' French Polynesia - Tahiti, Bora Bora, scuba diving, sunken treasure, black pearls. Interested? You can check it all out here and also learn the history, holidays, customs, and lots of other interesting information about these tropical islands. There are also links to other pages about French Polynesia.
CIA World Factbook--Wallis and Futuna - This small South Pacific island group is an overseas territory of France. At this page, you'll find out that one of the big problems there is that the forests are being cut down for fuel. With no trees, the rocky ground is subject to erosion. The good soil washes into the sea, which affects how many crops they can grow. The islanders have to import a lot of food from other countries. How do they pay for it? They get money from selling off fishing rights to Japan and other countries. They also sell handicrafts.
K-tour - New Caledonia - It's a good news/bad news thing for New Caledonia. This group of islands east of Australia in the South Pacific boasts more than 20 percent of the world's nickel resources. That's good. It's too bad that in recent years the world demand for nickel has been slowing down. Crank up your Web browser and head to the site with all the facts on this French territory, which contrasts high mountains and dense forests with sparkling lagoons and coral reefs.
Niue - Rock of Polynesia - What do passion fruit products, pawpaw, footballs, and stamps have in common? They are all exports of Niue. This is a tiny, self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand. Niue, one of the world's largest coral islands, is situated in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga.
Tahiti Explorer - Maybe you've heard of Tahiti. It's the largest of the 115 islands that make up French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France. If you were going to imagine a perfect South Pacific island, this would be it: volcanoes in the background, lush plants and huts in the foreground. Ocean life all around includes sharks, dolphins, and coral reefs. This page has information about many of the French Polynesian islands, including the Marquesas, Moorea, Bora Bora, and more.
The Cook Islands - Put on your rito, a hat made from the uncurled fiber of the coconut palm. We are going to meet with Cook Islands women to make a tivaevae. Tivaevae, the making of patchwork quilts by hand, is a major art form peculiar to the Cook Islands. It was originally brought to these Polynesian islands by the Europeans, but the patterns and techniques used for these quilts have evolved over time into styles distinct to the Cooks. The tivaevae represent the native surroundings of the islands with designs of flowers, leaves, birds, fish, insects, and animals. Imagine the rhythmic drumming on the pate as you read about the art of dance in the Cooks. The name Cook Islands was actually given to the group by the Russians in the early 1800s, in honor of the great English navigator Captain James Cook. But this nation of 15 islands, which spreads over 850,000 square miles in the middle of the South Pacific, has a rich and interesting history that dates back hundreds of years before then. Read about each island as you visit "the heart of Polynesia." This site is available in English and French.
|
|
