Islam in Oceania
Islam in Oceania refers to Islam and Muslims in Oceania. By 2010 estimates, there are 620,156 total Muslims in Oceania: 476,600 in Australia, 48,151 in New Zealand, 52,520 in Fiji, 6,352 in New Caledonia, 2,200 in Papua New Guinea, 360 in Solomon Islands, 221 in Vanuatu, 110 in Tonga.[1][2]
According to a 2007 article in Pacific Magazine, entitled 'Green Moon Rising', Islam has seen a substantial increase in adherents amongst the peoples of Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia. There have been thousands of indigenous converts to Islam in Melanesia.[3][4]
There are also approximately 500 Muslims in Palau, whose government recently allowed a few Uyghurs detained in Guantanamo Bay to settle in the island nation.[5][dead link][6]
| Islam by country |
|---|
 |
 Islam portal |
History
[edit]Islam has been in some parts of Oceania possibly as early as the 16th century due to contacts with the largely Muslim regions in Indonesia.[7] When the people of New Guinea traded with China and the kingdoms of Southeast Asia, since at least the 16th century, the presence of Islam was felt in Oceania for the first time.[8]
Regions like Western New Guinea have established native Muslim populations. Islam first arrived to the region via Moluccan influence in the 17th century although Muslim merchants conducted trade with the western Papuans since at least the 15th century.[9]
Other parts of Oceania did not feel the presence of Islam until the 19th century. For instance, the first Muslims in Fiji came when Muslim migrants came on a ship bringing indentured labourers to Fiji in 1879. Muslims consisted of 22% of the boarders on Leonidas, which was the first such ship.
Demographics
[edit]| Country | Total
Population |
Muslim | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | (%) | ||
 Australia
|
25,890,773 | 813,392[10] | 3.20 |
 New Zealand
|
4,993,923 | 75,144[11] | 1.50 |
| Country | Population | Muslim | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | ||
 Fiji
|
918,465 | ~60,000[12] | 6.53 |
 New Caledonia
|
290,000 | 8,521[13] | 2.94 |
 Papua New Guinea
|
7,613,295[14] | 10,000[15] | 0.13 |
 Solomon Islands
|
734,887 | 1,100[16] | 0.15 |
 Vanuatu
|
300,000 | ~1000[17] | 0.33 |
* Cocos (Keeling) Islands: 65.6% Muslim (2021).[18]
See also
[edit]
- List of mosques in Oceania
- Algerians of the Pacific
- Afghan (Australia)
- Māori Muslims
- Islam Day (Hawaii)
References
[edit]- ^ "Muslim Population in Oceania". www.muslimpopulation.com. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ Kettani, Houssain (June 2010). "Muslim Population in Oceania: 1950 – 2020". International Journal of Environmental Science and Development. 1 (2). ISSN 2010-0264.
- ^ Green moon rising Archived 2007-10-10 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Pacific: The spread of Islam in Melanesia". Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2010-03-20.
- ^ Lawyers: Uighurs agree to go to Palau[dead link]
- ^ Press, Associated (2009-11-01). "Released Guantánamo Uighurs land in Palau". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ^ Kettani, Houssain (2019). The World Muslim Population: Spatial and Temporal Analyses. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-429-74925-4.
- ^ BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Country profiles | Timeline: Papua New Guinea
- ^ Slama, Martin (2015), "Papua as an Islamic Frontier: Preaching in 'the Jungle' and the Multiplicity of Spatio-Temporal Hierarchisations", From 'Stone-Age' to 'Real-Time': Exploring Papuan Temporalities, Mobilities and Religiosities, ANU Press, pp. 243–270, ISBN 978-1-925022-43-8
- ^ "2021 Census shows changes in Australia's religious diversity | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. 2022-06-28. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
- ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (NZ total), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". explore.data.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
- ^ "Experience". experience.arcgis.com. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
- ^ "New Caledonia population (2025) live — Countrymeters". countrymeters.info. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
- ^ "National Profiles | World Religion". The Association of Religion Data Archives (the ARDA). Retrieved 2025-04-02.
- ^ "Papua New Guinea". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
- ^ "Church of Melanesia remains as most populous religious denomination with a 40% increase since 2009". Solomons.gov.sb. Ministry of Finance and Treasury Solomon Islands Statistics Office. October 1, 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ "Foreign Correspondent". www.abc.net.au. 2025-03-11. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
- ^ "2021 6799, OT, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
External links
[edit]
 | This Islam by country-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |