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he first settlers of Australia, New Guin- and the only dark-skinned group of people in culture, this pristine paradise is one of
outside Australia, known to have blond hair. the Pacific’s best kept secrets. Only 147,
T ea, and the large islands just to the east The blonde trait developed via the TYRP1 of the 992 islands, are actually inhabited.
gene, and is not found in European blonds. The estimated population of 560,000 are
arrived between 50,000 and 30,000 years It evolved independently in Melanesia[26] predominately Melanesian, while some
ago, when Neanderthals still roamed Eu- where Melanesians of some islands (along outer islands are home to Polynesians and
rope. The original inhabitants of the group with some Australian aborigines) are the Micronesians. The local people appear shy
of islands now named Melanesia were likely one of many groups of non-white people but are very friendly. Off the beaten path,
the ancestors of the present-day Papuan- who have blonde hair. village life in the Solomon Islands remains
speaking people. Migrating from Southeast much as it has been for centuries.
Asia, they appear to have occupied these C ULTURE: Solomon Islands remain
islands as far east as the main islands in the relatively untouched by influences of
Solomon Islands, including Makira and pos- the modern world. Located on the western
sibly the smaller islands farther to the east. fringe of the Pacific, north east of Australia,
the Solomons comprise of 992 islands. Rich
M elanesians of some islands are one
of the few non-European peoples,
