Quiz #1: Human and Physical Geography of the Pacific

Vocabulary flashcards covering the major and minor island groups, regional classifications, and scoring details for Quiz #1 on the Human and Physical Geography of the Pacific.

Quiz #1 Date and Weight

Scheduled for September 10, 2026, and worth 3% of students' overall course grade.

Tripartite Division of the Pacific

The commonly-used division of the Pacific into three regions: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.

Major Island Groups

21 key island groups required for Quiz #1, evaluated on correct map location (3%) and regional classification (2%).

Minor Island Groups

14 notable smaller or marginal island groups that offer up to 21% extra credit on Quiz #1 (1.5% for each correctly identified group).

Melanesia (Major Island Groups)

Includes New Guinea, the Bismarck Islands (incl. New Ireland and New Britain), the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu (the New Hebrides), New Caledonia, and Fiji.

Melanesia (Minor Island Groups)

Includes the Admiralty Islands, the Massim (incl. the Trobriand Islands and Louisiade Archipelago), the Santa Cruz Islands, and the Torres Strait Islands.

Micronesia (Major Island Groups)

Includes the Mariana Islands (incl. Guam), the Caroline Islands (incl. Palau, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae), Kiribati (the Gilbert Islands), and the Marshall Islands.

Micronesia (Minor Island Groups)

Includes Nauru.

Polynesia (Major Island Groups)

Includes Tonga, Samoa, New Zealand (Aotearoa), the Cook Islands, the Austral Islands, the Gambier Islands, the Tuamotus, the Society Islands (incl. Tahiti), the Marquesas, the Hawaiian Islands (Sandwich Islands), and Easter Island (Rapa Nui).

Polynesia (Minor Island Groups)

Includes Niue, Wallis and Futuna, Rotuma, Tuvalu, Tokelau, the Kermadec Islands, the Chatham Islands, the Auckland Islands, and the Pitcairn Islands.

Bismarck Islands

A major island group in Melanesia that includes New Ireland and New Britain.

Vanuatu

A major island group in Melanesia, also known as the New Hebrides.

The Massim

A minor island group in Melanesia including the Trobriand Islands and Louisiade Archipelago.

Mariana Islands

A major island group in Micronesia that includes Guam.

Caroline Islands

A major island group in Micronesia that includes Palau, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae.

Kiribati

A major island group in Micronesia, also known as the Gilbert Islands.

New Zealand

A major island group in Polynesia, also known as Aotearoa.

Society Islands

A major island group in Polynesia that includes Tahiti.

Hawaiian Islands

A major island group in Polynesia, also known as the Sandwich Islands.

Easter Island

A major island group in Polynesia, also known as Rapa Nui.

Uninhabited Pacific Islands

Islands such as Johnston Atoll, Wake Island, and Norfolk Island that were not historically inhabited by Pacific peoples and are not required for Quiz #1.

Oceania

A geographic area defined in reference materials as encompassing the Pacific islands plus Australia.