American, or Eastern, Samoa, 4,000 km southwest of Hawaii, is the only U. territory south of the equator. Is one of the finest in the South Pacific, a natural hurricane shelter for shipping. It was this feature that attracted American attention in the late 19th century, as Germany built a vast commercial empire based around coconut cultivation on neighboring Upolu.

The Cook Islands lie in the center of the Polynesian triangle about 4,500 km south of Hawaii. COOK ISLANDS AT A GLANCE. After Tahiti, the Cook Islands is inexpensive. Other words to know are.

124; Wallis and Futuna. The Polynesian triangle stretches across the Pacific from New Zealand to Easter Island and north to Hawaii. The Polynesian countries and territories included on our South Pacific map are French Polynesia, Pitcairn, Easter Island, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga, American Samoa, Samoa, Tokelau, Wallis and Futuna, and Tuvalu.

Our gallery of Pacific travel photos introduces Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia. From Easter Island and Tahiti in the east to Fiji and the Solomon Islands in the west, these travel pictures are intended to give you a sense of the South Pacific. Rainmaker Mountain, Pago Pago Harbor, and a National Park.

Legendary Pitcairn, last refuge of HMS. S mutinous crew, is the remotest populated place in the South Pacific. This tiny colony, founded in 1790 by nine fugitive Englishmen and 19 Polynesians, is presently more than 200 years old. Only settlement, historic relics.

The sultry, verdant isles of Samoa, two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand, lie in the very heart of the South Pacific. Independent since 1962 and called Western Samoa until 1997, this is the larger portion of an archipelago split apart by colonialism in 1899. Although both Samoa and American Samoa. Or Samoan way, continues to flourish. Sons for the Return Home. Finds he can no longer accept the. Sanctioned authority of his mother, while.

Pacific island travel with author David Stanley. 169; 1999-2015 David Stanley web design M. The reproduction of this material on other websites is strictly prohibited.

In British colonial times it was known as the Union Group. The central atoll, Nukunonu, is 92 km from Atafu and 64 km from Fakaofo. Each atoll consists of a ribbon of coral. Tokelau lies 500 km north of Upolu, halfway between Samoa and the Phoenix Islands of Kiribati.

The ancient Kingdom of Tonga, oldest and last remaining Polynesian monarchy, is the only Pacific nation never brought under foreign rule.