In Oceania, tens of thousands of islands, large and small, are scattered across the surface of the ocean. The islands are inhabited by peoples who grow root and tree crops and are highly skilled in the arts of seamanship and navigation. In the sections "Human dispersal into Oceania", "Living off the sea", and "Living on islands", we explore the diverse techniques developed to survive in island environments with limited resources. We also examine how indigenous cultures have been affected by encounters with the outside world in the sections "Contact with the outside world" and "Expressions of indigenous identity".