Since gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1970, Fiji has suffered four military coups, with the last taking place in 2006. Although this political instability has complex causes, ethno-political divisions between the Indo-Fijian and indigenous Fijian communities are generally accepted as a major underlying factor. Historically these divisions have […]

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is located on the eastern half of the island of New Guinea. The country was divided between Germany and the UK in 1885 and became independent in 1976.1https://www.rnz.co.nz/collections/u/new-flags-flying/nff-png/about-png#:~:text=Papua%20and%20New%20Guinea%20used,the%20southern%20regions%20%27Papua%27. PNG has a functioning democracy. Elections are regularly held despite some irregularities and violence. The judiciary enjoys independence, […]

Solomon Islands is an archipelago comprising 997 islands and atolls located in the Melanesian region of the Pacific. The island group covers a land area of 28,230 km2, with six larger islands: Guadalcanal; Choiseul; Santa Isabel; New Georgia; Malaita; and Makira.1http://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/solomon-islands It is a Constitutional Monarchy governed under a multiparty […]

Vanuatu is a small island state in the South Pacific made up of a string of at least 80 islands with an estimated population of 318,007.1“Vanuatu”, The World Factbook, CIA, last updated 25 November 2024 https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/vanuatu/ Formerly known as the New Hebrides, it was under joint British and French administration […]