National Factbook โ Oceania
The Observatory Almanac | Regional Volume: Oceania & Pacific
Australia
Capital: Canberra | Population: ~26.5 million
Symbols - Animal: Red Kangaroo - Bird: Emu - Flower: Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) - Tree: Golden Wattle
National Anthem: Advance Australia Fair โ A stirring anthem of national pride written by Peter Dodds McCormick in the 19th century; adopted officially in 1984, with a second verse added in 2021 to honour Indigenous Australians.
National Dish & Drink - Dish: Meat pie (savoury minced-meat pastry, ubiquitous at sport events); also roast lamb - Drink: Flat white coffee; Victoria Bitter (VB) beer is iconic
Traditional Costume: No single traditional garb; the iconic stockman's oilskin Driza-Bone coat, Akubra hat, and RM Williams boots represent the bush identity. Indigenous Australians wear ochre body paint and possum-skin cloaks during ceremonies.
Major Holidays - Australia Day (Jan 26): Commemorates the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet; increasingly contested as "Invasion Day" by Indigenous communities. - ANZAC Day (Apr 25): Dawn services and marches honour soldiers who served at Gallipoli (1915); one of the most solemnly observed days. - Easter (March/April): Public Good Friday and Easter Monday; hot cross buns are traditional. - Queen's Birthday / King's Birthday (June, varies by state): Public holiday marking the monarch's official birthday. - Christmas (Dec 25): Celebrated in summer; iconic beach barbecues and cricket.
Cultural Quirks - Australians are enthusiastic users of diminutives: "arvo" (afternoon), "brekkie" (breakfast), "servo" (service station), "barbie" (barbecue). - The country is home to roughly 80% of the world's most venomous snakes, yet deaths from snakebite are statistically rare โ fewer than five per year on average.
New Zealand
Capital: Wellington | Population: ~5.1 million
Symbols - Animal: Kiwi (Apteryx spp.) โ nocturnal, flightless, national icon - Bird: Kiwi - Flower: Kลwhai (Sophora spp.) โ unofficial; Pฤซkake/Silver Fern widely used as emblem - Tree: Kauri (Agathis australis)
National Anthem: God Defend New Zealand (Aotearoa) โ Written as a poem in 1876 by Thomas Bracken; sung in both Mฤori and English, reflecting the nation's bicultural identity. Adopted as co-official anthem in 1977.
National Dish & Drink - Dish: Hฤngฤซ (earth-oven cooked meat and vegetables, Mฤori tradition); pavlova (meringue dessert, co-claimed with Australia) - Drink: Sauvignon blanc (Marlborough region is world-famous); flat white coffee
Traditional Costume: Mฤori traditional dress includes cloaks woven from flax (harakeke) decorated with feathers, and piupiu (flax skirts) worn during kapa haka performances. European settler heritage is reflected in colonial-era dress.
Major Holidays - Waitangi Day (Feb 6): National Day commemorating the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi between the British Crown and Mฤori chiefs โ celebrated and debated. - ANZAC Day (Apr 25): Shared with Australia; dawn parades at war memorials nationwide. - Matariki (June/July, varies): Mฤori New Year, marked by the rise of the Pleiades star cluster; became a public holiday in 2022. - Queen's/King's Birthday (June): Public holiday. - Christmas (Dec 25): Midsummer celebration; kiwifruit and lamb are seasonal staples.
Cultural Quirks - The haka โ a Mฤori war dance of stamping feet, protruding tongue, and rhythmic chanting โ is performed by the All Blacks rugby team before every international match, a practice begun in 1905. - New Zealand was the first self-governing country in the world to grant women the right to vote, in 1893.
Papua New Guinea
Capital: Port Moresby | Population: ~10.3 million
Symbols - Animal: Dugong (unofficial); Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise (Paradisaea raggiana) - Bird: Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise โ featured on the national flag - Flower: Rhododendron (Rhododendron macgregoriae) - Tree: Kwila (Intsia bijuga)
National Anthem: O Arise, All You Sons โ Adopted at independence in 1975; patriotic anthem calling citizens to build a united nation from its extraordinarily diverse population.
National Dish & Drink - Dish: Mumu (earth-oven meal of pork, sweet potato, banana, and greens cooked over hot stones) - Drink: Kava; SP Lager (South Pacific beer)
Traditional Costume: Varies by region among 800+ distinct language groups. Common elements include bilum (string bags), bird-of-paradise feather headdresses, shell necklaces, and grass skirts. Sepik River people are known for elaborate scarification patterns.
Major Holidays - Independence Day (Sep 16): Celebrates independence from Australia in 1975; sing-sing festivals feature tribal groups in full ceremonial dress. - Remembrance Day (Jul 23): Honours casualties of WWII Kokoda Track campaign. - Repentance Day (Aug 26): Unique public holiday for national prayer and fasting. - Christmas (Dec 25): Widely observed; Christian denominations hold vibrant outdoor services.
Cultural Quirks - PNG has the world's greatest linguistic diversity โ over 840 languages spoken among a population of 10 million, representing roughly 12% of all human languages. - The Huli Wigmen of the Highlands wear enormous wigs made from their own hair, sometimes taking years to grow; the wigs are worn in battle and ceremony.
Fiji
Capital: Suva | Population: ~930,000
Symbols - Animal: Collared lory (Phigys solitarius) โ unofficial - Bird: Collared lory - Flower: Tagimaucia (Medinilla waterhousei) โ rare flower found only on Taveuni island - Tree: Yasi (Santalum yasi, Fijian sandalwood)
National Anthem: Meda Dau Doka ("God Bless Fiji") โ A reverent anthem adopted at independence in 1970; reflects the Fijian tradition of communal identity and respect for elders.
National Dish & Drink - Dish: Kokoda (raw fish marinated in citrus and coconut cream, Fiji's ceviche); lovo (earth-oven feast) - Drink: Kava (yaqona) โ the ceremonial pepper-root drink shared at all formal occasions
Traditional Costume: Men wear the sulu (wraparound skirt); warriors traditionally wore masi (barkcloth) and carried spears and clubs. Women wear sulu and floral tops; masi is used for ceremonial cloaks.
Major Holidays - Fiji Day (Oct 10): Independence from Britain in 1970; parades, traditional dances, and canoe races. - Diwali (Oct/Nov): Major festival for the Indo-Fijian community (37% of population); lamps, sweets, fireworks. - Ratu Sukuna Day (May 30): Honours paramount chief Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, architect of modern Fiji. - Christmas (Dec 25): Celebrated across all communities.
Cultural Quirks - The kava ceremony (yaqona) is the cornerstone of Fijian social life; visitors must present a bundle of kava root (sevusevu) when entering a village, and the ritual cup must be drunk in one go after clapping three times. - Fiji's indigenous Fijian firewalking (vilavilairevo) โ walking barefoot on glowing rocks โ is performed by the Sawau people of Beqa Island and can only be done by initiated men of that clan.
Samoa
Capital: Apia | Population: ~225,000
Symbols - Animal: None official; the flying fox (Pteropus samoensis) is culturally significant - Bird: Many-coloured fruit dove (Ptilinopus perousii) - Flower: Teuila (Alpinia purpurata, red ginger) - Tree: Ifilele (Intsia bijuga)
National Anthem: The Banner of Freedom (O le Fua o le Saolotoga o Samoa) โ Adopted at independence in 1962; celebrates Samoa's journey to self-governance, the first Pacific Island nation to achieve independence in the 20th century.
National Dish & Drink - Dish: Palusami (taro leaves baked in coconut cream); oka (raw fish in lime and coconut) - Drink: Kava; green coconut water
Traditional Costume: The ie toga (fine mat woven from pandanus leaves) is the most prized cultural item, given at weddings, funerals, and ceremonies. Men and women both wear the lavalava (wraparound cloth); the pe'a (traditional male full-body tattoo) is a mark of rank and bravery.
Major Holidays - Independence Day (Jun 1): Celebrates independence from New Zealand administration in 1962. - Teuila Festival (Sep): Week-long national cultural festival celebrating the national flower; fire dances, tattooing, fia fia nights. - White Sunday (Oct, second Sunday): Uniquely Samoan holiday where children dress in white and are honoured by their families with new clothes and special meals. - Christmas (Dec 25): Entire extended families gather; carol singing (pese) is a beloved tradition.
Cultural Quirks - Samoa crossed to the west side of the International Date Line in 2011, meaning the island skipped December 30 entirely โ a deliberate decision to align business hours with Australia and New Zealand. - The fa'asamoa (the Samoan Way) is a living code of communal obligation, chiefly authority, and extended family loyalty that governs daily life more than formal law in many villages.
Tonga
Capital: Nukuสปalofa | Population: ~105,000
Symbols - Animal: Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) โ unofficial; revered in folklore - Bird: Many-coloured fruit dove - Flower: Heilala (Garcinia sessilis) โ national flower; blooms only in Tonga - Tree: Fau (Hibiscus tiliaceus)
National Anthem: Ko e fasi สปo e tuสปi สปo e สปOtu Tonga ("Song of the King of the Tonga Islands") โ A royal anthem reflecting Tonga's status as the only Pacific nation never fully colonised and still a constitutional monarchy.
National Dish & Drink - Dish: Lลซ pulu (corned beef and coconut cream baked in taro leaves); สปota ika (raw fish in coconut) - Drink: Kava (สปakau); locally brewed otai (fruit punch)
Traditional Costume: Ngatu (barkcloth) garments worn over the ta'ovala โ a woven mat worn around the waist โ which is mandatory for formal occasions and marks respect. Women wear kiekie (decorative waist ornament).
Major Holidays - Emancipation Day (Jun 4): Commemorates the abolition of serfdom in 1862 by King Tฤufaสปฤhau Tupou I. - King's Birthday (Jul 4): National celebration of the monarch. - Heilala Festival (Jul): Week-long cultural festival; beauty pageants, traditional crafts, kava ceremonies. - Constitution Day (Nov 4): Marks the granting of Tonga's constitution in 1875.
Cultural Quirks - Tonga is the only Pacific nation that was never formally colonised, though it was a British protectorate from 1900โ1970. The royal family has reigned continuously for centuries. - Tonga produces some of the world's finest woven ngatu barkcloth; the process โ pounding mulberry bark, drying, and painting geometric designs โ is practised collectively by women in groups called kautaha.
Vanuatu
Capital: Port Vila | Population: ~335,000
Symbols - Animal: Tusked pig (wild boar with curved tusks) โ features on coat of arms - Bird: Tanna ground dove (unofficial) - Flower: Medinilla spectabilis (unofficial) - Tree: Banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) โ appears on coat of arms
National Anthem: Yumi, Yumi, Yumi โ Written in Bislama, the creole pidgin that unifies Vanuatu's 80+ island communities; adopted at independence in 1980. The title translates roughly as "We, We, We" โ a declaration of collective nationhood.
National Dish & Drink - Dish: Lap lap (grated root vegetables or banana baked in leaves over hot stones with coconut cream); flying fox stew is a delicacy - Drink: Kava (nakamal-style โ potent, unfiltered, traditionally ground by hand)
Traditional Costume: Men on Pentecost Island wear only a nambas (penis sheath); elsewhere traditional dress includes woven fibre skirts, shell jewellery, and feather ornamentation. Ceremonial body paint and pig-tooth necklaces mark chiefly rank.
Major Holidays - Independence Day (Jul 30): Celebrates independence from British-French Condominium in 1980; celebrated as "Kastom" (customary culture) day. - Custom Chief's Day (Jul 5): Honours traditional leadership structure. - Father Lini Day (Feb 21): Commemorates founding Prime Minister Walter Lini. - Christmas (Dec 25): Major celebration with church services and feasting.
Cultural Quirks - The land diving (naghol) of Pentecost Island โ men jumping from 30-metre wooden towers with vines tied to their ankles โ predates bungee jumping by centuries and is performed to ensure a good yam harvest. Vines are precisely calibrated to allow the diver's head to brush the earth. - Vanuatu has the world's most accessible active volcano: Mount Yasur on Tanna Island, where tourists regularly walk to the rim to watch lava fountains.
Solomon Islands
Capital: Honiara | Population: ~740,000
Symbols - Animal: Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) โ prominent in island culture - Bird: Sanford's sea eagle (Haliaeetus sanfordi) โ endemic - Flower: Cananga odorata (ylang ylang, unofficial) - Tree: Pacific rosewood (Pterocarpus indicus)
National Anthem: God Save Our Solomon Islands โ Patriotic anthem adopted at independence in 1978; includes reference to unity among the many island groups.
National Dish & Drink - Dish: Poi (fermented taro paste); fresh reef fish cooked in coconut milk - Drink: Coconut toddy; SP Lager
Traditional Costume: Ornamental shell jewellery (especially kap kap โ carved tortoiseshell on clam shell discs) is a sign of chiefly status. Men wear woven fibre belts; women wear grass skirts. The Kwara'ae people practise elaborate skull shrines to honour ancestors.
Major Holidays - Independence Day (Jul 7): Marks independence from Britain in 1978; canoe races and cultural performances. - Queen's/King's Birthday (June): Public holiday. - Christmas (Dec 25โ26): Major two-day celebration. - Easter (March/April): Good Friday and Easter Monday.
Cultural Quirks - The Solomon Islands was the site of one of WWII's most intense naval campaigns; Iron Bottom Sound (Ironbottom Sound) near Guadalcanal earned its name from the dozens of warships and hundreds of aircraft sunk there between 1942โ1943. - Traditional shell money (tafuliae โ strings of red feather money from the Malaita island region) remains a legitimate currency for bride price payments and ceremonial exchanges.
Kiribati
Capital: South Tarawa | Population: ~125,000
Symbols - Animal: Frigatebird (Fregata spp.) โ features on national flag - Bird: Frigatebird - Flower: Te ango (screw pine flower, unofficial) - Tree: Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera)
National Anthem: Teirake Kaini Kiribati ("Stand Up, Kiribati") โ Rousing anthem of unity adopted at independence in 1979, calling the people of the Gilbert Islands to rise together.
National Dish & Drink - Dish: Te bero (breadfruit pudding); roasted coconut crab; raw reef fish - Drink: Coconut toddy (karewe) โ fresh sap tapped daily from coconut palms; fermented toddy (kamaimai)
Traditional Costume: The te bau (a fibre skirt for men) and te kiakia (woven pandanus waistband); women wear woven fibre skirts with shell jewellery. Dance costumes include frigate bird feathers and shark-tooth ornaments.
Major Holidays - Independence Day (Jul 12): Celebrates independence from Britain in 1979. - Youth Day (Aug 4): Celebrates the next generation. - Christmas (Dec 25โ26): Two-day celebration; the island chain straddles both sides of the dateline. - Easter (March/April): Widely observed.
Cultural Quirks - Kiribati spans the International Date Line and both hemispheres, covering a sea area larger than the continental United States โ yet its total land area is just 811 kmยฒ. It is among the most geographically dispersed nations on Earth. - Kiribati is one of the world's first nations forecast to become uninhabitable from sea-level rise; the government has already purchased land in Fiji as a contingency and is training citizens in "migration with dignity."
Federated States of Micronesia
Capital: Palikir | Population: ~115,000
Symbols - Animal: Dugong (Dugong dugon) โ protected in territorial waters - Bird: Purple-capped fruit dove (unofficial) - Flower: Pohnpei sakau flower (unofficial); plumeria is widely used - Tree: Breadfruit tree (Artocarpus altilis)
National Anthem: Patriots of Micronesia โ Adopted in 1991; celebrates the diverse cultures of Chuuk, Pohnpei, Yap, and Kosrae united in a single federal state.
National Dish & Drink - Dish: Sakau (pounded kava drink on Pohnpei); breadfruit poi; taro in coconut - Drink: Sakau (ceremonial kava); coconut toddy
Traditional Costume: Yapese men traditionally wear thu (loincloths); women wear lavalava skirts. Yapese are known for their stone money (rai) โ giant limestone discs quarried in Palau and floated to Yap. Pohnpeian women weave intricate loom-woven lavalavas.
Major Holidays - Constitution Day (May 10): Celebrates the 1979 constitution establishing the federated state. - Independence Day (Nov 3): Celebrates the Compact of Free Association with the US in 1986. - United Nations Day (Oct 24): Public holiday. - Christmas (Dec 25): Major celebration.
Cultural Quirks - The island of Yap is famous for its rai stone money โ limestone discs up to 3.6 metres in diameter quarried from Palau. Ownership transfers without moving the stones; the entire community knows who owns which disc, making it an early form of distributed ledger finance. - Micronesia's traditional navigation techniques โ reading wave patterns, swells, stars, and bird movements without instruments โ are among the most sophisticated indigenous navigation systems ever developed, allowing canoe voyages of 2,000+ km.
Palau
Capital: Ngerulmud | Population: ~18,000
Symbols - Animal: Dugong - Bird: Palau fruit dove (Ptilinopus pelewensis) โ endemic - Flower: Plumeria (Plumeria rubra) - Tree: Breadfruit tree
National Anthem: Belau rekid ("Our Palau") โ A gentle, melodic anthem in the Palauan language reflecting the island's beauty and the people's pride in their homeland.
National Dish & Drink - Dish: Taro soup with fish; bat soup (flying fox stew) โ a traditional delicacy - Drink: Coconut water; imported beverages
Traditional Costume: Men wear the toluk (loincloth); women wear woven fibre skirts. Traditional tattoos in geometric patterns mark social status and clan identity. The bai (men's meeting house) is decorated with elaborate carved and painted story panels.
Major Holidays - Independence Day (Oct 1): Celebrates full independence in 1994. - Constitution Day (Jul 9): Marks the 1980 constitution. - Youth Day (Mar 15): Celebration of young Palauans. - Christmas (Dec 25): Widely observed.
Cultural Quirks - Palau established the world's first shark sanctuary in 2009, banning all commercial shark fishing in its 600,000 kmยฒ exclusive economic zone โ later expanded into a no-take marine reserve covering 80% of its waters. - Palau's Jellyfish Lake on Eil Malk Island hosts millions of stingless golden jellyfish (Mastigias papua etpisoni) that evolved in isolation; swimmers can snorkel among them without risk of stings โ until the mid-2010s, when drought and El Niรฑo temporarily killed the population (since recovered).
Marshall Islands
Capital: Majuro | Population: ~42,000
Symbols - Animal: None official - Bird: Pacific reef heron (Egretta sacra) โ unofficial - Flower: Plumeria (unofficial) - Tree: Breadfruit tree
National Anthem: Forever Marshall Islands โ Patriotic anthem in Marshallese celebrating the beauty of the atolls and the resilience of the people, adopted at independence in 1986.
National Dish & Drink - Dish: Pounded breadfruit (mo); pandanus fruit preparations; reef fish - Drink: Coconut water; noni juice (Morinda citrifolia)
Traditional Costume: Woven pandanus leaf skirts and mats; shell jewellery; stick charts (rebbelib and mattang) โ woven stick navigation maps โ are a form of cultural artefact unique to the Marshall Islands.
Major Holidays - Constitution Day (May 1): Marks the 1979 constitution. - Fishermen's Day (Jul 1): Celebrates the maritime heritage. - Nuclear Victims' Remembrance Day (Mar 1): Commemorates the 1954 Castle Bravo hydrogen bomb test at Bikini Atoll, which irradiated nearby islanders and contaminated the region. - Independence Day (Oct 21): Celebrates the Compact of Free Association.
Cultural Quirks - Between 1946 and 1958, the United States conducted 67 nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll โ including the largest US nuclear test ever, Castle Bravo (15 megatons). Bikini remains contaminated; its residents were displaced and never fully compensated. - Marshallese stick charts (mattang) encode ocean swell patterns and island positions in woven bamboo and shells โ a navigational technology so sophisticated that the US Navy studied them during WWII.
Nauru
Capital: No official capital; government in Yaren District | Population: ~10,800
Symbols - Animal: None official - Bird: Nauru reed warbler (Acrocephalus rehsei) โ endemic, found nowhere else - Flower: Temon (Calophyllum inophyllum) - Tree: Tamanu (Calophyllum inophyllum)
National Anthem: Nauru Bwiema ("Nauru, Our Homeland") โ A short, dignified anthem in Nauruan celebrating the island's independence achieved in 1968, making it one of the world's smallest republics.
National Dish & Drink - Dish: Noddy tern eggs (seasonal delicacy); reef fish; imported processed food now dominates - Drink: Coconut water; imported soft drinks
Traditional Costume: Traditional dress consisted of woven pandanus fibre skirts and garlands; modern Nauruans wear Western clothing. Ceremonial occasions may feature woven mats and flower leis.
Major Holidays - Independence Day (Jan 31): Marks independence from Australian trusteeship in 1968. - Angam Day (Oct 26): Celebrates the moment when the Nauruan population recovered to 1,500 โ a symbolic threshold that had been threatened by WWII Japanese occupation and disease. - Constitutional Day (May 17): Observes the constitution. - Christmas (Dec 25): Major celebration.
Cultural Quirks - Nauru was once the world's wealthiest nation per capita, thanks to phosphate mining revenues in the 1970sโ80s; by the 1990s, the phosphate was nearly exhausted and the island was left with an estimated $2 billion in lost wealth and 80% of the land strip-mined to a moonscape. - The Nauruan language is unique: it has no confirmed linguistic relatives and may be a language isolate, meaning it cannot be classified within any known language family.
Tuvalu
Capital: Funafuti | Population: ~11,000
Symbols - Animal: None official - Bird: None official; the golden plover is culturally significant - Flower: Teuga (heliotrope, unofficial) - Tree: Coconut palm
National Anthem: Tuvalu mo te Atua ("Tuvalu for the Almighty") โ A devout anthem reflecting the Christian faith that permeates Tuvaluan life; adopted at independence in 1978.
National Dish & Drink - Dish: Pulaka (giant taro grown in pits); te ika (fish); coconut-based dishes - Drink: Coconut toddy; kaleve (fermented toddy)
Traditional Costume: Men wear te titi (fibre skirts) for ceremonies; women wear woven skirts and flower garlands. The fatele (traditional dance) costume features elaborate pandanus-leaf headdresses and body decorations.
Major Holidays - Independence Day (Oct 1): Celebrates independence from Britain in 1978. - Commonwealth Day (March): Observed as public holiday. - Gospel Day (May): Celebrates the arrival of Christianity in 1865, considered the most significant spiritual holiday. - Christmas (Dec 25): Celebrated with church services and the fatele dance.
Cultural Quirks - Tuvalu sold the rights to its internet country code domain (.tv) to a California media company for $50 million in 2000, providing a windfall for the 11,000-person island nation; the contract renewals continue to fund a significant share of the national budget. - Tuvalu's highest point is just 4.6 metres above sea level; it is among the most threatened nations by climate change, and discussions have included creating a digital nation in the metaverse and obtaining citizenship rights in other countries.
Timor-Leste (East Timor)
Capital: Dili | Population: ~1.35 million
Symbols - Animal: Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) โ sacred ancestor figure in Timorese mythology - Bird: None official - Flower: None official; sandalwood is a national symbol - Tree: Sandalwood (Santalum album)
National Anthem: Pรกtria ("Fatherland") โ A passionate anthem of liberation adopted at independence in 2002, after 24 years of Indonesian occupation and a brutal independence struggle that cost up to a third of the population's lives.
National Dish & Drink - Dish: Batar daan (maize, mung beans, and pumpkin stew โ a staple); grilled fish with chilli - Drink: Locally grown Arabica coffee (Timor-Leste is the world's 12th-largest coffee exporter by quality); tua sabu (palm wine)
Traditional Costume: The tais โ a hand-woven textile in bold geometric patterns โ is the national garment, worn by both men and women as a wrap skirt or shawl. Each region has distinct tais patterns encoding clan identity and local cosmology.
Major Holidays - Independence Restoration Day (May 20): Celebrates the formal restoration of independence in 2002; the most important national holiday. - Santa Cruz Massacre Day (Nov 12): Commemorates the 1991 Indonesian military massacre of 250+ pro-independence demonstrators at Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili. - Proclamation of Independence Day (Nov 28): Marks the 1975 declaration of independence (quickly followed by Indonesian invasion). - All Souls' Day (Nov 2): Timorese Catholics spend the day at gravesites decorating tombs and praying. - Christmas (Dec 25): Over 97% Christian; major celebration.
Cultural Quirks - The crocodile (lafaek) is revered in Timorese creation mythology as the ancestral figure who became the island of Timor; attacking a crocodile is taboo, and the animal is treated as a sacred protector despite its obvious danger. - Timor-Leste's coffee industry survived occupation and conflict; Timorese Arabica is prized in specialty coffee markets worldwide, and the industry remains one of the most important economic pillars of the young nation.
End of Oceania Factbook