Leikitah

Leikitah ( English: /ˈleɪˌkiːtɑː/ LAY-KEE-tah), officially the Republic of Leikitah, is an island country situated in the South Pacific Ocean. The country is located in the Melanesia subregion, northeast of Australia, southeast of Papua New Guinea, south of the Solomon Islands, northwest of New Caledonia and west of Vanuatu. Leikitah has an area of 12,556 km2 (4,848 sq mi) with its capital and largest city being Tebariko.

Modern-day Leikitah is believed to have been settled around 4,000 years ago by the Austronesian peoples. The archipelago was discovered by Pedro Fernandes de Queirós during his expedition in 1606. Queirós claimed the archipelago and named it Islas de Cristo (Islands of Christ) upon arrival.

The islands were then claimed by the United Kingdom in 1889, and was declared a protectorate of the British Empire. After being under British rule for over 80 years, Leikitah was confederated on 1 August, 1970 as per the outcome of a constitutional referendum. Currently, Leikitah is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Pacific Islands Forum and the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Etymology
Though it is not known for certain where the country's name originates from, but it is widely believed to have derived from the word of leike ("mountain" or "hill"; originating from le, meaning "top"), referring to the mountainous geography of Leikitah, which occurs in the native Leikituan language.

History
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Geography
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Government
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Economy
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Demographics
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Culture
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