Uncolonized Pacific native island nations?

Tonga has the unique achievement of being the only indigenous Pacific island nation that was never formally colonized, though it was a British protectorate from 1900 to 1970.

(Of course, since the Brits never stuck their fingers into their political cake, Tonga's track record with democracy is a bit.... yeah.)

Would it have been possible for any other Pacific island nation to have dodged the bullet like that?

Suggestions other than Hawai'i are encouraged.
 
Avoid large-scale colonization of Australia and give the Maoris the chance to survive longer as an independent people.
 

ninebucks

Banned
(Of course, since the Brits never stuck their fingers into their political cake, Tonga's track record with democracy is a bit.... yeah.)

Wait? Are you saying direct colonial rule is more likely to make a country democratic? That's a bold statement.
 
Wait? Are you saying direct colonial rule is more likely to make a country democratic? That's a bold statement.
I'm saying it's going to take longer for the native government to reform to a point where they match with the Western concept of democracy. With colonization, you can do that by force, or the immigrating Westerners will bring in the concept and implement it.

If you let the original system go unmolested, it's going to take several more generations for the changes to filter through:
- the young learn foreign governmental concepts
- the young grow up and attempt to introduce the new concepts to the government
- the changes are resisted by the conservatives (for example, priviledged upper classes don't want to give up their priviledges)
- changes are diluted or don't come through at all
- rinse and repeat

Not being colonized doesn't prevent a country becoming democratic in the Western sense of the word, it's just going to take longer. Tonga is getting there.
 
Top