如何界定太平洋岛屿国家

How to Define Pacific Island Countries

太平洋岛屿国家的内涵及其数量一直是困扰人们认知甚至是学术研究的两大难题。问题的症结不仅在于太平洋岛屿国家的地位及其属性有着极其复杂的情形,而且还与人们缺乏独立思考的认知习惯、太平洋岛屿国家的学术研究尚处于起步阶段有关。界定太平洋岛屿国家概念的前提是要厘清与此相关的若干地理概念,并在此基础上统摄其他共同属性,如政治属性、历史文化属性、发展道路及其水平等。只有这样,太平洋岛屿国家概念的内涵和数量才能得以清晰地诠释和界定。

The connotation and number of Pacific island countries （PICs）are always two difficult problems puzzling both academia and common people.The key to these problems are the complicated status and at-tribute of the PICs,people＆#39;s lack of independent thinking habit and the initial stage of the PICs studies. The premise of defining the PICs is to clarify some geographic conceptions related to them.Then researchers could build understandings of other common qualities upon them,such as political,historical,cultural and developmental attributes etc.With this method,the connotation and number of the PICs could be clearly explained and defined.