Pacific ways

"When the South Pacific Forum held its first meeting in 1971 only seven member states participated - New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Nauru and the Cook Islands. Today this organisation, now known as the Pacific Islands Forum and no longer confined to the 'South Pacific', includes 16 member states as well as a handful of associate member and observer member countries and organisations. At the same time, the literature on the politics of the Pacific Islands remains much slimmer than for other regions. This book redresses the balance by providing the kind of information for the Pacific that is readily available for nations in other parts of the globe. It provides expert chapters examining the politics of each Pacific Island state and territory, discussing its historical background and colonial experience, its constitutional framework, political institutions, political parties, elections and electoral systems, and problems and prospects.^ The book is comprehensive, covering all regions - Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia - and all countries, irrespective of their size or political status. The states and territories covered range in size from Australia and Papua New Guinea