Customary land is land which is owned by indigenous communities and administered in accordance with their customs, as opposed to statutory tenure usually introduced during the colonial periods. Common ownership is one form of customary land ownership.

In most countries of the Pacific islands customary land remains the dominant land tenure form. Distinct customary systems of tenure have evolved on different islands and areas within the Pacific region. In any country there may be many different types of customary tenure.^[1]

The amount of customary land ownership out of the total land area of a country is: 97% in Papua New Guinea, 90% in Vanuatu, 88% in Fiji, 87% in the Solomon Islands, 81% in Samoa.

[edit] References

1. ^ AusAID:Making Land Work: Reconciling customary land and development in the Pacific, Canberra 2008, retrieved 2009-09-07

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