Spanning the social, political, and economic history of the Pacific Islands—which include Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia—this book provides an overview of this complex and changing area. It has been updated to detail the first settlement of the islands by raft and canoe voyagers, presenting a new theory. It then covers the centuries of Western contact, cultural influence, colonialism, and the coming of independence. Including key political changes that have occurred in the first decade of the new millennium, this new edition brings into focus the rich past of this diverse region.