Wednesday, October 28, 2009


Pacific Islands or Oceania, the more than 25,000 islands and islets of 25 nations and territories spread over the western and central Pacific Ocean. Although the Pacific Islands are scattered across millions of square kilometers, their total land area is just 1,261,456 sq km (487,051 sq mi)—slightly larger than South Africa. The islands of New Guinea, New Zealand, and Hawaii constitute 93 % of the land area, while the remaining thousands of islands have a total land area of 89,339 sq km (34,494 sq mi). New Guinea, shared by the Indonesian province of Papua (formerly Irian Jaya) and the nation of Papua New Guinea, is the second largest island in the world, after Greenland. New Zealand’s South Island and North Island, Oceania’s next largest islands, are the world’s 12th and 14th largest islands, respectively.


Often referred to as the South Pacific, Oceania is one of the most diverse and fascinating areas on the planet encompassing Australia, New Zealand and the vast collection of volcanic island nations and coral atolls. This region between Asia and the Americas includes island nations as far flung as Tonga, French Polynesia and Fiji. Private islands for sale in Oceania are some of the most beautiful and remote places on Earth. Nothing resembles Eden more than a South Pacific island paradise. The Pacific’s volcanic history has created some amazing atolls completely removed from civilization, famous for their romantic island mentality.

The nations of Oceania have varying degrees of independence from their colonial powers and some have limited freehold properties available to foreigners, all subject to government approval and hefty paperwork. Fiji offers a few private islands and has seen a lot of resort development in recent times. French Polynesia, particularly Bora Bora's coral lagoon, offers freehold investment opportunities to foreigners, with some stipulations.