Austronesia
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{{OtherUses|Austronesian (disambiguation)}}
[[Image:Austronesia-02.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Map of Austronesia showing main language subgroupings]]'''Austronesia''', in historical terms, refers to the homeland of the people who speak [[Austronesian languages]], to which [[Malay language|Malay]], [[Filipino language|Filipino]], [[Bahasa Indonesia|Indonesian]], [[Maori language|Maori]], [[Malagasy language|Malagasy]], native [[Hawaiian]], the [[Fijian language]] and around a thousand other languages belong. The Austronesian homeland is thought by linguists to have been prehistoric [[Taiwan]].
The name Austronesia comes from the [[Latin]] ''austrālis'' "southern" plus the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''νήσος'' (''nêsos'') "island".
However, in present terminologies, the word Austronesia pertains to the regions where [[Austronesian languages]] are spoken. Austronesia then covers about half of the globe, although mostly ocean, and oceanic islands, starting from [[Madagascar]] to the west until [[Easter Island]], to the east. Austronesia as a region has three traditional divisions: [[Taiwan|Formosa]] (Taiwan), the [[Malay Archipelago]], and Austronesian [[Oceania]] ([[Micronesia]], [[Melanesia]], and [[Polynesia]]).
==Formosa==
{{main|Taiwan|Taiwanese aborigines}}
==Malay Archipelago==
{{main|Nusantara|Malay Archipelago}}
{{see also|East Indies|Maritime Southeast Asia}}
The Malay archipelago covers the modern nations of:
*[[Brunei]]
*[[East Timor]]
*[[Indonesia]], except for the [[Papuan]] territories
*[[Malaysia]]
*[[Philippines]]
*[[Singapore]]
And to a lesser extent: [[Madagascar]], the [[Pattani (region)|Pattani region]] of [[Thailand]], and the [[Cham people|Chamic]] areas of [[Vietnam]], [[Cambodia]] and [[Hainan Island]].
Other islands with native populations having Malay or mixed Malay ancestry but are not part of the traditional area include: [[New Guinea]] and the [[Marianas Islands]].
==Oceania==
{{main|Oceania}}
===Micronesia===
The term Micronesia was coined in 1893 by [[Jules D'Ormont]] from the Greek roots, meaning 'small islands'.
Politically, Micronesia is divided between eight territories:
*the [[Federated States of Micronesia]] (sometimes referred to simply as "Micronesia", or alternatively abbreviated "FSM");
*the [[Republic of the Marshall Islands]];
*the Republic of [[Palau]];
*the Commonwealth of the [[Northern Mariana Islands]];
*the Republic of [[Nauru]];
*the Republic of [[Kiribati]];
*the Territory of [[Guam]].
*the Territory of [[Wake Island]].
===Melanesia===
The term Melanesia was coined in 1893 by [[Jules D'Ormont]] from the Greek meaning 'black islands', in reference to the [[physiognomy]] of the Melanesians.
The following islands and groups of islands are traditionally considered part of Melanesia:
*[[Fiji]]
*[[New Caledonia]]
*[[New Guinea]], politically split between [[Indonesia]] and [[Papua New Guinea]]
*[[Solomon Islands]]
*[[Vanuatu]]
*[[Maluku]], politically in [[Indonesia]]
*[[Torres Strait Islands]], politically in [[Australia]]
Other islands with populations of mixed Melanesian ancestry but are not part of the traditional Melanesian area include:
*[[Nauru]]
*[[Timor]], politically split between [[Indonesia]] and [[East Timor]]
*[[Tonga]]
*[[Maluku Utara]], politically in [[Indonesia]]
*[[Flores]], politically in [[Indonesia]]
*[[Sumba]], politically in [[Indonesia]]
===Polynesia===
The term Polynesia was coined in 1893 by [[Jules D'Ormont]] from the Greek meaning "many islands," describing the multiplicity of the islands in this area of the Pacific.
Countries and territories traditionally included in Polynesia include:
*[[American Samoa]] (overseas United States territory)
*[[Cook Islands]] (self-governing former territory of New Zealand)
*[[Easter Island]] (part of Chile, called Rapa Nui in the [[Rapa Nui language]])
*[[Fiji]] ([[Lau Islands]])
*[[French Polynesia]] ("overseas nation", a territory of France)
*[[Hawai‘i]] (a state of the United States)
*[[Loyalty Islands]] (a dependency of the French territory of New Caledonia)
*[[New Zealand]] (called Aotearoa in Māori)
*[[Niue]] (a self-governing dependency of New Zealand)
*[[Rotuma]] (an island in the extreme north of Fiji)
*[[Samoa]] (independent nation)
*[[Swains Island]] (politically part of American Samoa)
*[[Tokelau]] (overseas dependency of New Zealand)
*[[Tonga]] (independent nation)
*[[Tuvalu]] (independent nation)
*[[Wallis and Futuna]] (overseas territory of France)
In addition to these islands in this mid-Pacific ocean, Polynesia often is meant to include the [[Polynesian outliers]]: islands that are culturally or linguistically Polynesian, but that are geographically in Melanesia or Micronesia. Most of these are small or isolated islands, like [[Rennell]] or [[Tikopia]] in the [[Solomon Islands]].
== See also ==
*[[Austronesian people]]
*[[Austronesian languages]]
*[[List of Austronesian countries by linguality]]
[[Category:Austronesian languages|*]]
[[Category:Oceania]]
[[Category:Asia]]
[[su:Austronésia]]
{{expert}}