Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific (abbreviated as Asia-Pac, AsPac, APAC, APJ, JAPA or JAPAC) is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean. The region varies in size depending on which context, but it typically includes much of East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania.

The term may also include Russia (on the North Pacific) and countries in the Americas which are on the coast of the Eastern Pacific Ocean; the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, for example, includes Canada, Chile, Russia, Mexico, Peru, and the United States.

Alternatively, the term sometimes comprises all of Asia and Australasia as well as small/medium/large Pacific island nations (Asia Pacific and Australasian Continent) - for example when dividing the world into large regions for commercial purposes (e.g. into Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific).

On the whole there appears to be no clear cut definition of "Asia Pacific" and the regions included change as per the context.

Though imprecise, the term has become popular since the late 1980s in commerce, finance and politics. In fact, despite the heterogeneity of the regions' economies, most individual nations within the zone are emerging markets experiencing rapid growth. (Compare the concept/acronym APEJ or APeJ - Asia-Pacific excluding Japan.)

Malay Archipelago

The Malay Archipelago Malay: Kepulauan Melayu, Indonesian: Kepulauan Melayu or Nusantara, Tagalog: Kapuluan ng Malay ) is the archipelago between mainland Southeast Asia and Australia. It has also been called the Malay World, Indo-Australian Archipelago, East Indies, Nusantara, Spices Archipelago, and other names over time. The name was taken from the 19th-century European concept of a Malay race.

Situated between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the group of over 25,000 islands is the largest archipelago by area, and fourth by number of islands in the world. It includes Brunei, East Malaysia, East Timor, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines. The island of New Guinea is usually excluded from definitions of the Malay Archipelago, although the Indonesian western portion of the island may be included. The term is largely synonymous with maritime Southeast Asia.

Etymology and terminology

The term was derived from the European concept of a Malay race, which referred to the people who inhabited what is now Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia (excluding Western New Guinea), Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. The racial concept was proposed by European explorers based on their observations of the influence of the ethnic Malay empire, Srivijaya, which was based on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia.

Asia Pacific (Radio Australia)

Asia Pacific is the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's regional news & current affairs program. Schedule changes by ABC Radio Australia in 2013 saw the show lose its domestic radio audience. It remains available online at www.radioaustralia.net.au/asiapac

The show is broadcast each weekday from the ABC Southbank Centre in Melbourne.

External links

1979 South Pacific Games

The 1979 South Pacific Games, held at Suva in Fiji from 28 August to 8 September 1979, was the sixth edition of the South Pacific Games.

Participating countries

Nineteen Pacific nations or territories attended:

 American Samoa

 Cook Islands

 Fiji

 French Polynesia

 Guam

 Kiribati

 Nauru

 New Caledonia

 New Hebrides

 Niue

 Norfolk Island

Northern Marianas

 Papua New Guinea

 Solomon Islands

Tokelau

 Tonga

 Tuvalu

Wallis and Futuna

 Western Samoa

Sports

There were 18 sports contested at the 1979 South Pacific Games:

Athletics (37) ()

Basketball (2)

Boxing (11)

Cricket (1)

Field hockey (1)

Football (1) ()

Golf (4)

Judo (9)

Lawn bowls (8)

Netball (1)

Rugby union (1) ()

Sailing (1)

Squash (2)

Swimming (24) ()

Table tennis (7)

Tennis (7)

Volleyball (2)

Weightlifting (10)

2015 Pacific Games

The 2015 Pacific Games was held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, from 4 to 18 July 2015. It was the fifteenth edition of the Pacific Games.

Host selection process

Five South Pacific island nations bid for opportunity to host the 2015 Pacific Games. They were:

 American Samoa

 Papua New Guinea,

 Solomon Islands,

 Tonga

 Vanuatu.

On 27 September 2009, the Pacific Games Council, at its meeting coinciding with the 2009 Pacific Mini Games, elected Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea as the host of the 2015 Games. The final vote was 25-22 in favor of Port Moresby over Tonga to host.

Participating countries

A total of 24 countries took part in the 2015 Pacific Games. This was with the inclusion of Australia and New Zealand for the first time in the history of the Games. The two countries were invited to participate in four sports; sailing, taekwondo, rugby sevens and weightlifting.

The Pacific Games Council said in July 2014 that the participation of the two countries would improve the quality of competition in the Pacific Games. The inclusion of Australia and New Zealand was on a trial basis, with a review scheduled after the Games to determine its success.

2011 Pacific Games

The 2011 Pacific Games (officially known as NC 2011) took place in Nouméa, New Caledonia, from August 27 to September 10, 2011. Nouméa was the 14th host of the Pacific Games. Upon closure of the registration for entries, "some 4,300 athletes" had registered from the twenty-two competing nations, although it was expected that not all would attend.

Competing nations

The numbers provided indicate the number of registered athletes prior to the Games, with that number expected to diminish by the Games' start. Clicking on the number will take you to a page on that nation's delegation to the 2011 Games.

 American Samoa (159)

 Cook Islands (212)

 Fiji (425)

 French Polynesia, "Tahiti" (410)

 Guam (312)

 Kiribati (74)

 Marshall Islands (8)

 Micronesia (24)

 Nauru (69)

 New Caledonia (747)

 Niue (63)

 Norfolk Island (13)

 Northern Mariana Islands (48)

 Palau (66)

 Papua New Guinea (432)

 Samoa (318)

 Solomon Islands (248)

 Tokelau (22)

 Tonga (139)

 Tuvalu (90)

 Vanuatu (244)

 Wallis and Futuna (185)

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