Oceania is a vast, arbitrarily defined expanse of the world where the Pacific Ocean – rather than land borders – connects the nations. It is home to glistening white beaches, coconut palms swaying in the breeze, beautiful coral reefs, and rugged volcanic islands rising out of the blue ocean. Its diverse nations have some of the world's most international cities, and some of its most remote villages. Australia and New Zealand, often grouped as Australasia, are by far the largest countries in the continent and the most visited by travellers. Oceania also incorporates Polynesia to the east, Melanesia to the west and Micronesia to the north.

Australasia

Australia - The largest and most populous country in Oceania.
New Zealand - A major destination, second to Australia in size. Well-developed facilities for travelers. Technically part of Polynesia as the Maori people are Polynesian

Melanesia

Melanesia consists of the island of New Guinea to the north of Australia, which is part Indonesia and part Papua New Guinea (PNG), as well as the other islands of PNG. Other countries in the southwest Pacific make up the remainder of the area. Australian aboriginals are not considered Melanesian.
Fiji - A major island tourist destination. Resorts, coral reefs and beaches.
New Caledonia - (France) in the tropics. A short flight from Australia.
Papua New Guinea – Tropical rainforest, great scenery and culture. An adventurous, rarely visited, travel destination.
Solomon Islands – site of major Second World War battles that involved, among others, JFK. Its main island is Guadalcanal.
Vanuatu - Well-developed island destination. As the New Hebrides, was a British-French Condominium until 1980.

Micronesia

Micronesian islands are on or north of the Equator.
Federated States of Micronesia is in the northwestern Pacific

Agana: Capital of Guam
Guam (United States)
Kiribati, pronounced Kiribass (derived from its former name as the Gilbert Islands). Remote and poor. The sun rises first here every day.
Marshall Islands is in the north Pacific. Site of US nuclear tests on Bikini atoll.
Northern Mariana Islands (United States)
Nauru – an island of phosphate. The world's smallest independent republic.
Palau – a lake full of jellyfish, and much more.
Wake Island (United States)

Polynesia

Polynesia is mainly made up of the countries to the east of the Pacific. The most northerly island of Fiji, Rotuma, is also Polynesian.
American Samoa (United States) just to the east of Samoa.
Cook Islands - Fifteen islands spread out over 2.2mn kilometers.
Easter Island (Chile) with its amazing stone carvings.

Bora Bora in French Polynesia
French Polynesia – (France). Includes three islands with a strong claim to being the most beautiful island in the world, Bora Bora, Tahiti and Moorea, but also Mururoa where the French carried out nuclear tests until 1996.
Hawaii (United States), and the Midway Islands (United States)
Niue – just one flight a week, from Auckland.
Pitcairn Islands with descendants of the Bounty mutineers.
Samoa – two main volcanic islands with luxuriant vegetation, traditional culture and wonderful open-sided houses.
Tokelau (New Zealand)
Tonga – the so-called "Friendly islands" and a Kingdom. But traditional and modern cultures are now clashing.
Tuvalu - One of the smallest countries in the world in terms of population.
Wallis and Futuna (France