(I) Oceania encompasses more than 30 thousand
islands in the Pacific Ocean, spanning from Hawaii in
the north to New Zealand in the south. (II) The traditional
cultures on the islands of Oceania have become largely
westernised. (III) To most geographers the lands that
make up Oceania include Micronesia, Melanesia,
Polynesia, New Zealand, and often Australia and the
Malay Archipelago. (IV) These islands are home to a
wide range of cultures, and today many of the island
nations recognise more than one language. (V) For
example, in Papua New Guinea alone, a part of the
island region known as Melanesia, at least 846 different
languages are spoken.