The South Pacific

The South Pacific is the region of the Pacific Ocean south of the equator, encompassing the island nations and territories of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia together with the surrounding open ocean. The term is used both as a straightforward geographic description and as a common shorthand in diplomacy, tourism and regional cooperation bodies such as the Pacific Islands Forum, distinguishing the island Pacific from the larger landmasses of Australia and the Americas that also border the ocean.