These fairly large islands are located to the northeast of Australia. They are quite damp, have a hot climate, and display a mountainous terrain covered with dense vegetation. Papua New Guinea is the largest island in Melanesia, slightly larger in size than California. It has a mountainous interior with rolling foothills that are surrounded by lowlands along the coastal areas. Its highest point is Mount Wilhelm, which rises to 14,795 feet (4,509 meters). Permanent crops occupy only 1 percent of the land. Crops are terraced in areas having steep slopes and extreme vegetation. Irrigation water is often brought to the crops through bamboo pipes. Approximately 64 percent of the labor force is involved in subsistence agriculture. Products grown include coffee, cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, tea, rubber, fruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables, poultry, and pork. Palm oil, coffee, and cocoa are exported. In 1997 droughts brought on by the El Nino weather cycle caused extreme damage to coffee, cocoa, and coconut production.
Vanuatu, which includes eighty islands in the South Pacific due east of Australia's Cape York Peninsula, covers a total area a bit larger than the state of Connecticut. It’s mostly mountainous terrain provides minimal arable land. Approximately 2 percent of the land is arable, and another 2 percent is used for pasture. About two-thirds of the population is involved in subsistence or small-scale agriculture. The main agricultural products are coconuts, cocoa, yams, coffee, fruits, vegetables, fish, and beef. Copra, beef, cocoa, and coffee are exported.
New Caledonia, located east of Australia in the South Pacific, is almost the size of New Jersey. It consists of coastal plains with interior mountains that range up to 5,340 feet (1,628 meters) in height. New Caledonia, which is known for its nickel resources, imports much of its supply. A few vegetables are grown, but raising livestock is more common. Of New Caledonia's land, 12 percent is in permanent pasture, used for raising beef cattle.
The Fiji Islands include 332 islands, 110 of which are inhabited, located east of Vanuatu in the South Pacific. These islands are volcanic in origin. Approximately 10 percent of the land is arable, and 10 percent is in permanent pasture. About 67 percent of the labor force is involved in subsistence agriculture. Sugarcane is an important crop in Fiji and constitutes 32 percent of Fiji's exports. Other products grown in Fiji are coconuts, cassava, rice, sweet potatoes, cattle, pigs, and goats.
The Solomon Islands are a cluster of small islands that collectively cover an area almost the size of Maryland. They are located in the Solomon Sea between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. Some of the islands have rugged mountainous terrain; others are low coral atolls. Only 1 percent of the land is arable and 1 percent devoted to pastures. Approximately 24 percent of the working population is involved in agriculture, forestry, or fishing. Beans, cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, fruit, and vegetables are grown on the islands. Cattle and pigs are the primary livestock raised there. Palm oil, cocoa, copra, and tuna are exported.
See also: Micronesian Islands, Polynesia
|
