The South Pacific Games is a Multi-sport event, much like the Olympics, (albeit on a much smaller scale), with participation exclusively from countries around the South Pacific. It is held every four years and began in 1963, held by Suva, Fiji. A multi-sport event is a competition in which athletes compete in a number of different sports. ... Olympic Games Summer Olympic Games Medal count Winter Olympic Games Medal count Olympic sports Medal counts Participating NOCs Olympic symbols Olympics WikiProject Olympics Portal Athens 2004 • Beijing 2008 Torino 2006 • Vancouver 2010 ... Oceania is a geographical, often geopolitical, region consisting of numerous lands – mostly islands but often including Australia – in the Pacific Ocean and vicinity. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... Suva is the capital of Fiji. ...

History

As a residual consequence of the European colonisation of the Pacific from the early part of the 18th Century onwards, many nations who participated in the first Games (of 1963) were under predominantly British or French territorial rule. Understandably this generated a certain amount of confusion as both British and French flags and national anthems dominated proceedings and were occasionally used together for winning countries. As time went on, fledgling nations gradually achieving sovereignty of their own sought to extricate themselves from their colonial past and new national anthems and flags emerged. This article is about the continent. ... It has been suggested that Corporate colonialism be merged into this article or section. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... The National Anthem is the name of a song by the band Radiohead. ...

Like other sporting events, the South Pacific Games has experienced slight controversies. A minor dispute that still continues today is the scheduling of events landing on a Sunday. Throughout the Pacific, the Christian Sabbath remains very important (sporting events or similar actvity are illegal in Tonga for example) and scheduling at such a time would be frowned upon. However other larger nations within the region or those loosely associated with more secular states (e.g Cook Islands (New Zealand), Samoa (USA) and French Polynesia (France)) are more moderate in this regard. For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ... A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ. ... This article concerns the Sabbath in Christianity. ... This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ...

Other global and regional events have also influenced and shaped the Games' history. In 1995, the year Papeete, Tahiti hosted the Games, many countries took the decision to boycott as a direct protest at French nuclear testing in the Pacific. 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Papeete Waterfront Papeete is the capital of French Polynesia, and is located on the island of Tahiti, which is part of the Society Islands, in French Polynesia. ... Map of French Polynesia Map of Tahiti and Moorea View of Raiatea Mountain. ... Preparation for an underground nuclear test at the Nevada Test Site in the 1980s. ...

The Games, however, returned to near full regional participation in the following event in 1999, held at Agana in Guam. 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Hagåtña (formerly Agana) is the capital of Guam. ...

Initially the Games were held at three year intervals although this was subsequently expanded to four following the Tumon Games in Guam Tumon is an area located on on the west coast of the American Island of Guam. ...

The Pacific Games have been hosted throughout the region since their inception in 1963. 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ...

The 2007 Pacific Games are to be hosted in Apia, Samoa. They will be the 13th to have been held since 1963. 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Apia, Samoa is the capital of Samoa. ...

South Pacific Games Locations

• 1963 - Suva, Fiji
• 1966 - Nouméa, New Caledonia
• 1969 - Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
• 1971 - Papeete, Tahiti
• 1975 - Tumon, Guam
• 1979 - Suva, Fiji
• 1983 - Apia, Western Samoa
• 1987 - Nouméa, New Caledonia
• 1991 - Port Moresby/Lae, Papua New Guinea
• 1995 - Papeete, Tahiti
• 1999 - Agana, Guam
• 2003 - Suva, Fiji
• 2007 - Apia, Samoa