| Samenvatting: | The South pacific as discussed in this special issue, consists of 22 island states and territories sprawling across nearly million 29 km² of ocean - an area about the size of Africa. This is the water half of our planet. The land area of the islands amounts to an insignificant 550 000 km² (or a mere 87 757 km² if Papua New Guinea is excluded). Despite the vast distances, the Region is suffering from a growing number of development-related environmental headaches. Although the total population is only 5.2 million (with about 3.2 million on Papua New Guinea), there is severe overcrowding on some of the main islands with all the attendant problems. As the region becomes more developed, the problems of deforestation, industrial pollution, erosion and coastal degradation will accelerate. In order to head off disaster, the South Pacific Commission and South Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) - launched in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Program's Regional Seas Program - has begun a farsighted rescue effort. |
| Trefwoorden: | Grote Oceaan, Stille Zuidzee, Micronesië, Verenigde Staten, milieu, isolatie, bevolkingsgroei, verstedelijking, Marshall Eilanden, Fiji, energievoorziening, Zuidzee eilanden, atoomafval, nucleair afval, Guam, Frankrijk, Papua Nieuw Guinea, Gogol Vallei, houtklap, historie, justitie, |