The countries in the Pacific vary widely with respect to size, topography, geographic isolation, resource endowments, vulnerability, population, and culture. These island countries are scattered over a vast area that makes up nearly one third of the globe. Many of the countries are the embodiment of the traditional vision of an island paradise. Yet despite what some would consider as idyllic circumstances of sun, sand, and sea, the countries of the region are relatively poor and growth has been disappointing, especially in relation to the amount of external funds that have been invested. The usual explanations for the lack of development, however, do not hold in the Pacific: the low growth is not because of a lack of savings and capital goods. Countries with high rates of savings and investment— such as the former Soviet Union—have failed abysmally and net domestic investment has not been especially low in many of the Pacific countries. The lack of land does not explain low growth rates. Economies with small landmasses, such as Hong Kong, China and Singapore have achieved growth rates far above the world average, and other small islands, such as Bermuda, Iceland, Mauritius, and Norfolk Island, have also been comparatively successful.