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melanesia

The collective name for the islands of the pacific ocean northeast of australia, including new caledonia, vanuatu, new hebrides, solomon islands, admiralty islands, bismarck archipelago, fiji, etc. Melanesia (from the greek melas, black _ nesos, island) is so called from the black colour of the natives who are generally considered to be descended originally from the negroid papuans and the polynesians or malays.