Melanesians

Melanesians are the predominant and indigenous inhabitants of Melanesia, in a wide area from New Guinea to the Fiji Islands. Most speak either one of the many languages of the Austronesian language family, especially ones in the Oceanic branch, or from one of the many unrelated families of Papuan languages. Other languages are the several creoles of the region, such as Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu, Solomon Islands Pijin, Bislama, and Papuan Malay. Origin and genetics The original inhabitants of the group of islands now of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands were the ancestors of the present-day Papuan people. On Island Melanesia, that include Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Fiji were first inhabited by the Austronesian peoples, later followed by Melanesians that created the Lapita culture. They appear to have occupied these islands as far east as the main islands in the Solomon...