Melanesians - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about Melanesians Printer Friendly
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Melanesian
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Melanesian

The indigenous inhabitants of Melanesia; any of the Pacific peoples of Melanesia. The Melanesian languages belong to the Austronesian family.

The most important language is Fjian (200,000 speakers), though more than a hundred other Melanesian languages are spoken in other islands.

Papuan languages, which do not belong to the Austronesian family, are also spoken in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and New Britain. On islands where there are substantial immigrant populations (mainly from Europe or Asia) there has been tension in recent years. The distribution of profits from mining interests has also been a contentious issue.
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