What is Oceania? Geographical characteristics of Australia and Oceania. Geology and climate of Oceania, soils and hydrology of Oceania, economy and culture of Oceania, Melanesia, Micronesia, New Zealand and Polynesia

Composition, geological structure, relief and minerals

Between Southeast Asia and America huge water area Pacific Ocean occupies the world's largest cluster of islands. There are more than $10$ thousand. This Oceania.

Definition 1

Oceania are islands and archipelagos located in the central and southwestern Pacific Ocean

This island land has a total area of about $1.3 million square km, which is only $2% of the ocean area. The geographical location of the islands, as well as their size and relief, are most directly related to their origin.

The genesis of the islands allows us to identify $4 $ main types:

Mainland Islands;
Volcanic Islands;
Biogenic islands;
Geosynclinal islands.

To the islands mainland of origin include the largest in area - New Guinea, New Zealand , which account for $80$% of Oceania's land area. The topography of these islands includes mountain ranges and vast low-lying plains. Hawaiian islands, for example, are typical volcanic, A coral reefs and atolls have biogenic origin.

Definition 2

Atolls- These are flat, low ring-shaped islands in the middle with a lagoon connected to the ocean.

Example atolls are the islands of Central Polynesia - Tuamotu archipelago, atoll Kwajalein having the world's largest lagoon in the archipelago Marshall Islands. Coral islands were formed in quaternary period when sections of the Pacific Ocean floor subsided. In the western part of Oceania lie geosynclinal islands. Most of the islands have volcanic origins, and some represent the pinnacles underwater volcanoes – Samoa, Cook, Easter, Marquesas Islands. Minerals are distributed extremely widely across the islands unevenly, and on many of them it’s just none. Development is carried out only on the largest ones. New Caledonia has nickel reserves, there is oil and gas New Guinea and New Zealand. New Guinea still has reserves copper and gold. Phosphorite reserves have been discovered at island atolls. As a nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer, active development was carried out in the past on many island atolls. guano– decomposed droppings of seabirds.

Note 1

In Oceania, based on regional landscape differences, $4$ physical and geographical countries are distinguished:

Melanesia. It includes New Guinea, the archipelagos of Bismarck, Louisaida, Solomon Islands, New Hebrides, New Caledonia, Fiji, etc.
Micronesia. It has $1,500 islands - among them the archipelagos of Kazan, Mariana, Caroline, Marshall Islands, Gilbert Islands, Nauru. They are all small in area.
New Zealand;
Polynesia. " Poly» – many islands. Polynesia can be described as a triangle whose corners are Hawaii-New Zealand-Easter Island.

Oceania Climate

Note 2

Oceania lies within the $3 main and $2 transition climate zones:

Equatorial belt;
Subequatorial belt;
Tropical zone;
Subtropical zone;
Moderate zone.

Predominant on the islands tropical climate, and subequatorial dominates near Australia and Asia. West of the $180$ meridian the islands lie in equatorial climate, and in subtropical climate lie islands located north and south of the tropics. Moderate The belt occupies most of New Zealand. The climate of the islands is determined mainly trade winds, which means that they receive heavy rainfall. During the year, precipitation can vary from $1500$-$4000$ mm. The topography of some islands and their leeward sides reduce precipitation, and the climate may be drier or wetter. One of the most wet places on the planet located precisely in Oceania on the eastern slope of the mountain Waialeale– $11430$ mm per year. The mountain is located on an island Kauai, where in $1982 $16,916 mm fell - this was an absolute maximum. The average temperature near the tropics is +$23$ degrees, and in the equator region is +$27$. The difference between summer and winter is insignificant here. Two ocean currents El Niño And La Niña influence the climate of Oceania great influence. Flow El Niño due to the fact that the intertropical convergence zone is moving towards equator, i.e. to the north, at La Nina the movement goes to the south, i.e. from the equator A. In the first case, abundant rains, in the second case, there is a strong drought. The river system of islands is related to the climate. There are large rivers only in New Zealand – Waikato River and New Guinea - Sepik and Fly rivers. Naturally, rivers are fed rain, and recharge comes from melting glaciers. On the river atolls none at all. Lakes, including thermal, are in New Zealand, is here and geysers. Lakes on other islands of Oceania are very rare.

Nature of Oceania

The distance from the continents, the small size of the islands and the vast expanse of water around them significantly influenced the nature and life of peoples. The centers of flora formation were large islands, but at the same time many plant species migrated to the islands from Australia, the Malay Archipelago and Southeast Asia.

Note 3

As a result, Oceania is included in Paleotropical area of vegetation in which $3$ subareas are distinguished:

Malesian floristic subregion;
Hawaiian Subregion;
New Zealand subregion.

Malesian The subregion is characterized by numerous tropical families - pandanus, ficus, water lilies, bananas, laurel and widespread legumes. There are many epiphytes here - ferns, orchids.

Hawaiian The subregion is represented by one genus of palms, a small number of orchids, and the absence of gymnosperms and ficus. But there are a lot of ferns here. These are the first plants to settle in the cracks of cooled lava flows.

For New Zealand In the subregion there will be numerous species of Asteraceae, ferns, sedges, and grasses.

The most common plants in Oceania are coconut palms and breadfruit trees. Their fruits are used for food, and their wood is a source of heat and building material. The endosperm of coconut palm nuts is the source copra, and it is the basis of exports to the countries of Oceania. In Hawaii and New Zealand there are endemics flora and fauna. Coral the islands have very poor species composition. Cultivated plants include pineapples, bananas, and sugar cane. The composition of the fauna has specific features that are associated with ocean spaces, causing difficulties for the settlement of animals. Species composition of fauna poor, complete absence mammals. In this regard, a significant part of Oceania is allocated to Polynesian zoogeographic region. There are many flying birds - swifts, pigeons. Small animals include bats, dogs, foxes, lizards. Insects are accidentally carried on the trunks of floating trees. In New Zealand, a representative of the fauna is kiwi- the national symbol of the country. Among the endemics are kea or nestor, kakapo or owl parrot, takahe or wingless sultana.

Note 4

Oceania developed under conditions of long-term isolation from mainland land. This determined originality its landscapes, manifested in the geological structure and relief, in the high endemism and poverty of species composition of flora and fauna. These reasons provide grounds for singling out Oceania as special part of the world has no analogues on the continents.

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Australia and Oceania on the hemisphere map

Australia and Oceania on the world map

Oceania- the collective name for a vast collection of islands and atolls in the central and western parts of the Pacific Ocean. The boundaries of Oceania are arbitrary. The western border is considered to be the island, the eastern -. As a rule, Australia is not included in Oceania, as well as the islands and archipelagos of Southeast Asia, the Far East and North America. In the section of geography, regional studies, Oceania is studied by an independent discipline - oceanography.

Geographical location

Physical map of Australia and Oceania (English)

Regions of Australia and Oceania

Political map of Australia and Oceania

Oceania is the world's largest collection of islands located in the southwestern and central parts Pacific Ocean, between the subtropical latitudes of the Northern and temperate Southern hemispheres. When dividing the entire landmass into parts of the world, Oceania is usually united with Australia into a single part of the world, Australia and Oceania, although sometimes it is separated into an independent part of the world.

Geographically, Oceania is divided into several regions: (in the northwest), (in the west), and (in the east); sometimes isolated.

The total area of the islands of Oceania, the largest of which is, is 1.26 million km² (together with Australia 8.52 million km²), the population is about 10.7 million people. (together with Australia 32.6 million people). Excluding Australia, Oceania is comparable in total area and total population to an African state.

The islands of Oceania are washed by numerous seas of the Pacific (Coral Sea, Tasman Sea, Fiji Sea, Koro Sea, Solomon Sea, New Guinea Sea, Philippine Sea) and Indian Oceans (Arafura Sea).

Oceania is crossed by the equator and the international date line. It is a broken line, most of which runs along the 180° meridian.

Sea currents

The warm Northern Trade Wind and Southern Trade Wind Currents and the Inter-Trade Wind Countercurrent pass through all of Oceania, along the equator. The warm East Australian Current passes through the southwestern part of Oceania. Characteristic of Oceania is the absence of cold sea currents (with the exception of the Pacific Ocean southeast of New Zealand), which largely determines the climate of this region.

Independent states

Main article: List of states and dependent territories of Oceania

Name of region, countries and country flag	Square (km²)	Population (est. July 1, 2002)	Population density (persons/km²)	Capital	Currency
Australia	7 692 024	21 050 000	2,5		Australian dollar (AUD)
	12 190	196 178	16,1		cotton wool (VUV)
	462 840	5 172 033	11,2		kina (PGK)
	28 450	494 786	17,4		dollar Solomon Islands(SBD)
	18 274	856 346	46,9		Fijian dollar (FJD)
	811	96 335	118,8		Australian dollar (AUD)
	21	12 329	587,1	No	Australian dollar (AUD)
	268 680	4 108 037	14,5		New Zealand dollar (NZD)
	2 935	178 631	60,7		tala (WST)
	748	106 137	141,9		pa'anga (TOP)
	26	11 146	428,7	Funafuti	Australian dollar (AUD)

Dependent territories and trustee territories

Name of region, country and country flag	Square (km²)	Population (est. July 1, 2002)	Population density (persons/km²)	Administrative center	Currency
Australia
(Australia)	5	uninhabited	-	-
Coral Sea Islands (Australia)	7	uninhabited	-	-
Norfolk (Australia)	35	1 866	53,3	Kingston	Australian dollar (AUD)

Western New Guinea ( )	424 500	2 646 489	6	,	Indonesian rupiah (IDR)
()	18 575	207 858	10,9

()	541	160 796	292,9		US dollar (USD)
	181	73 630	406,8		US dollar (USD)
	458	19 409	42,4		US dollar (USD)
Northern Mariana Islands ()	463,63	77 311	162,1	Saipan	US dollar (USD)
Wake()	7,4	-	-	-
	702	135 869	193,5		US dollar (USD)

()	199	68 688	345,2	, Fagatogo	US dollar (USD)
Baker()	1,24	uninhabited	-	-
()	28 311	1 211 537	72,83		US dollar (USD)
Jarvis()	4,45	uninhabited	-	-
()	2,52	-	-	-
Kingman()	0,01	uninhabited	-	-
()	6,23	-	-	-
()	261,46	2 134	8,2		New Zealand dollar (NZD)
()	236,7	20 811	86,7		New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Palmyra ()	6,56	-	-	-
Isla de Pascua ()	163,6	3791	23,1	Hanga Roa	Chilean Peso (CLP)
()	47	67	1,4	Adamstown	New Zealand dollar (NZD)
()	10	1 431	143,1	-	New Zealand dollar (NZD)
()	274	15 585	56,9		French Pacific franc (XPF)
French Polynesia ()	4 167	257 847	61,9		French Pacific franc (XPF)
()	1,62	uninhabited	-	-

Geology

Mount Jaya in Western New Guinea (Indonesia) is the highest point in Oceania

From a geological point of view, Oceania is not a continent: only Australia, and is of continental origin, having formed on the site of the hypothetical continent of Gondwana. In the past, these islands were a single landmass, but as a result of rising sea levels, a significant part of the surface was under water. The relief of these islands is mountainous and highly dissected. For example, highest mountains Oceania, including Mount Jaya (5029 m), are located on the island.

Most of the islands of Oceania are of volcanic origin: some of them are the tops of large underwater volcanoes, some of which still exhibit high volcanic activity (for example, the Hawaiian Islands).

Other islands originate as atolls, which were formed as a result of the formation of coral structures around submerged volcanoes (for example, the Gilbert Islands, Tuamotu). A distinctive feature of such islands are large lagoons, which are surrounded by numerous islets, or motu, the average height of which does not exceed three meters. In Oceania, there is an atoll with the largest lagoon in the world - Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands archipelago. Although its land area is only 16.32 km² (or 6.3 sq. miles), its lagoon area is 2,174 km² (or 839.3 sq. miles). The largest atoll by land area is Christmas Island (or Kiritimati) in the Line Archipelago (or Central Polynesian Sporades) - 322 km². However, among atolls there is also a special type - a raised (or elevated) atoll, which is a limestone plateau up to 50-60 m high above sea level. This type of island does not have a lagoon or there are traces of its past existence. Examples of such atolls are Banaba.

The relief and geological structure of the Pacific Ocean floor in the Oceania region has a complex structure. From the peninsula (part of) to New Zealand there are large number basins of marginal seas, deep oceanic trenches (Tonga, Kermadec, Bougainville), which form a geosynclinal belt characterized by active volcanism, seismicity and contrasting relief.

On most of the islands of Oceania there are no mineral resources, only the largest of them are being developed: nickel (), oil and gas (island), copper (Bougainville island), gold (New Guinea), phosphates (on most islands there are almost or have already been developed, for example, in, on the islands of Banaba, Makatea). In the past, many islands in the region were actively mined for decomposed seabird droppings, which were used as nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer. On the ocean floor of the exclusive economic zone of a number of countries there are large accumulations of iron-manganese nodules, as well as cobalt, but at the moment no development is being carried out due to economic inexpediency.

Climate

Satellite image of Kwajalein Atoll

Coast of Caroline Atoll (Line Islands, Kiribati)

Oceania is located within a few climatic zones: equatorial, subequatorial, tropical, subtropical, temperate. Most of the islands have a tropical climate. Subequatorial climate prevails on the islands near Australia and Asia, as well as east of the 180th meridian in the equator zone, equatorial - west of the 180th meridian, subtropical - north and south of the tropics, temperate - on most of the South Island in New Zealand.

The climate of the islands of Oceania is determined mainly by trade winds, so most of them receive heavy rainfall. Average annual rainfall ranges from 1,500 to 4,000 mm, although some islands (particularly due to topography and downwind areas) may have drier or wetter climates. Oceania is home to one of the wettest places on the planet: on the eastern slope of Mount Waialeale on the island of Kauai, up to 11,430 mm of precipitation falls annually (the absolute maximum was reached in 1982: then 16,916 mm fell). Near the tropics average temperature is about 23 °C, at the equator - 27 °C, with a slight difference between the hottest and coldest months.

The climate of the Oceanian islands is also greatly influenced by such anomalies as the El Niño and La Niña currents. During El Niño, the intertropical convergence zone moves north toward the equator; during La Niña, it moves south away from the equator. In the latter case, the islands experience severe drought, while in the former, heavy rains occur.

Most of the islands of Oceania are subject to the destructive effects of natural disasters: volcanic eruptions (Hawaiian Islands, New Hebrides), earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones accompanied by typhoons and heavy rains, droughts. Many of them lead to significant material and human losses. For example, the July 1999 tsunami killed 2,200 people.

On South Island There are glaciers in New Zealand and on the island high in the mountains, but due to global warming, their area is gradually decreasing.

Soils and hydrology

Stream on Efate Island (Vanuatu)

Due to various climatic conditions Oceania's soils are very diverse. The soils of the atolls are highly alkaline, of coral origin, and very poor. They are usually porous, which is why they retain moisture very poorly, and also contain very little organic and mineral substances with the exception of calcium, sodium and magnesium. Soils volcanic islands, as a rule, are of volcanic origin and are characterized by high fertility. On large mountainous islands there are red-yellow, mountain lateritic, mountain-meadow, yellow-brown soils, yellow soils, and red soils.

There are large rivers only on the South and North Islands of New Zealand, as well as on the island on which the largest rivers in Oceania, the Sepik (1126 km) and Fly (1050 km), are located. The largest river in New Zealand is the Waikato (425 km). The rivers are fed primarily by rain, although in New Zealand and New Guinea the rivers are also fed by water from melting glaciers and snow. On atolls there are no rivers at all due to the high porosity of the soil. Instead, rainwater seeps through the soil to form a lens of slightly brackish water that can be reached by digging a well. On larger islands (usually of volcanic origin) there are small streams of water that flow towards the ocean.

The largest number of lakes, including thermal ones, are located in New Zealand, where there are also geysers. On other islands of Oceania, lakes are a rarity.

Flora and fauna

Kiwi - the symbol of New Zealand

Oceania is included in the Paleotropical region of vegetation, with three subregions distinguished: Melanesian-Micronesian, Hawaiian and New Zealand. Among the most widespread plants in Oceania are the coconut palm and the breadfruit tree, which play an important role in the lives of local residents: the fruits are used for food, the wood is a source of heat, a building material, and copra is produced from the oily endosperm of coconut palm nuts, which forms the basis of exports to the countries of this region. A large number of epiphytes (ferns, orchids) also grow on the islands. The largest number of endemics (both flora and fauna) are recorded in New Zealand and the Hawaiian Islands, while from west to east there is a decrease in the number of species, genera and families of plants.

The fauna of Oceania belongs to the Polynesian faunal region with a subregion of the Hawaiian Islands. The fauna of New Zealand is allocated to an independent region, New Guinea - to the Papuan subregion of the Australian region. New Zealand and New Guinea are the most diverse. On the small islands of Oceania, primarily atolls, mammals are almost never found: many of them are inhabited only by the small rat. But the local avifauna is very rich. Most atolls have bird colonies where seabirds nest. Of the fauna of New Zealand, the most famous are the kiwi birds, which have become national symbol countries. Other endemics of the country are kea (lat. Nestor notabilis, or nestor), kakapo (lat. Strigops habroptilus, or owl parrot), takahe (lat. Notoronis hochstelteri, or wingless sultana). All the islands of Oceania are home to a large number of lizards, snakes and insects.

During the European colonization of the islands, alien species of plants and animals were introduced to many of them, which negatively affected the local flora and fauna.

The region contains a large number of protected areas, many of which occupy large areas. For example, the Phoenix Islands in the Republic of Kiribati have been the world's largest marine reserve since January 28, 2008 (area 410,500 km²).

Story

Main article: History of Oceania

Pre-colonial period

Island and nearby islands Names of Russians on the map of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Source:.

Letter from N. N. Miklouho-Maclay to the Head of a detachment of ships in the Pacific Ocean with a proposal to acquire areas on the Pacific Islands suitable for coal storage, March 30, 1873.

IN Russian Empire After W. Bering discovered the northwestern coast of America in 1741, merchant companies, with the support of the Siberian administration, organized about 90 fishing expeditions to the Pacific Ocean until the end of the 18th century. The state established the Russian-American Company (1799-1867), which dealt with administrative issues and trade in Alaska and the Pacific Ocean. In May 1804, two ships “Nadezhda” and “Neva” approached the Hawaiian Islands. These were the first Russian ships to circumnavigate the world. In the heart of the tropical Pacific Ocean there are atolls and islands of Rossiyan, Suvorov, Kutuzov, Lisyansky, Bellingshausen, Barclay de Tolly, Krusenstern Reef and many others. Another distinctive aspect of all the travels that took place is the mutual friendliness in the history of meetings between Russians and the peoples of the Pacific Ocean.

Nikolai Nikolaevich Miklouho-Maclay's map of Russia's proposed territorial acquisitions in the Pacific Ocean, submitted in a letter to Alexander III, December 1883.

A letter to the Main Naval Headquarters from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding N. N. Miklouho-Maclay’s proposal on Russian acquisitions in the Pacific Ocean with a resolution “... to consider this matter finally over. Refuse Miklouho-Maclay,” December 1886.

As the first European to settle on the shores of Astrolabe Bay in New Guinea and explore this area, N. N. Miklouho Maclay repeatedly made a proposal to peacefully occupy or take under the protection of Russia a number of islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Russian scientist sent letters to the Naval Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and personally to Emperor Alexander III.

Colonial period

The ships of the English explorer James Cook and the canoes of the natives in Matavai Bay on the island of Tahiti (French Polynesia), artist William Hodges, 1776

In the period from the 16th to the 18th centuries, the period of study of Oceania by Europeans continued, who gradually began to populate the islands. However, the process of European colonization proceeded very slowly, since the region did not arouse much interest among foreigners due to the lack natural resources, and had a negative impact on the local population: many diseases were introduced that had never existed in Oceania, and this led to epidemics, as a result of which a significant part of the natives died. At the same time, there was a Christianization of the inhabitants, who worshiped numerous deities and spirits.

In the 18th-19th centuries, the islands of Oceania were divided between colonial powers, primarily the British Empire, and (later the German Empire joined them). Of particular interest to Europeans was the possibility of creating plantations on the islands (coconut palms for the production of copra, sugar cane), as well as the slave trade (the so-called "Blackbird Hunt", which involved recruiting islanders to work on plantations).

In 1907 it became a dominion, but formally it became a completely independent state only in 1947. After the First World War, the first political organizations began to emerge (“May” in Western Samoa, “Fiji Youth” in Fiji), which fought for the independence of the colonies. During World War II, Oceania was one of the theaters of war where many battles took place (mainly between Japanese and American troops).

After the war, there were some economic improvements in the region, but in most colonies it was lopsided (the predominance of the plantation economy and the almost complete absence of industry). Since the 1960s, the process of decolonization began: in 1962, West Irian gained independence, in 1963, and in 1968. Subsequently, most of the colonies became independent.

Post-colonial period

After gaining independence, the bulk of the countries of Oceania retained serious economic, political and social problems, the solution of which is carried out with the participation of international organizations (including the UN) and within the framework of regional cooperation. Despite the process of decolonization in the 20th century, some islands still remain dependent to one degree or another: New Caledonia Portrait of a representative of the indigenous people of New Zealand - Maori

The indigenous inhabitants of Oceania are Polynesians, Micronesians, Melanesians and Papuans.

Polynesians living in the countries of Polynesia have a mixed racial type, combining features of the Australoid and Mongoloid races. The largest peoples of Polynesia are Hawaiians, Samoans, Tahitians, Tongans, Maoris, Marquesans, Rapanui and others. Native languages belong to the Polynesian subgroup of the Austronesian family of languages: Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, Tongan, Maori, Marquesan, Rapanui and others. Characteristic features of Polynesian languages are a small number of sounds, especially consonants, and an abundance of vowels.

Micronesians live in the countries of Micronesia. The largest peoples are Carolinians, Kiribatis, Marshallese, Nauru, Chamorros and others. The native languages belong to the Micronesian group of the Austronesian family of languages: Kiribati, Carolinian, Kusaie, Marshallese, Nauruan and others. The Palauan and Chamorro languages belong to the West Malayo-Polynesian languages, and Yapese forms a separate branch of the Oceanian languages, which also includes the Micronesian languages.

Melanesians live in the countries of Melanesia. Racial type - Australoid, with a small Mongoloid element, close to the Papuans of New Guinea. Melanesians speak Melanesian languages, but their languages, unlike Micronesian and Polynesian, do not form a separate genetic group, and the linguistic fragmentation is very great, so that people from neighboring villages may not understand each other.

Papuans inhabit the island and some areas. In terms of anthropological type, they are close to the Melanesians, but differ from them in language. Not all Papuan languages are related to each other. The national language of the Papuans in Papua New Guinea is the English-based Tok Pisin creole language. According to various sources of peoples and languages, the Papuans number from 300 to 800. However, there are difficulties in establishing the difference between an individual language and a dialect.

Many languages of Oceania are on the verge of extinction. In everyday life they are increasingly being replaced by English and French.

The situation of the indigenous population in the countries of Oceania is different. If, for example, in the Hawaiian Islands their share is very low, then in New Zealand Maori make up up to 15% of the country's population. The share of Polynesians in Micronesia is about 21.3%. The majority of the population is made up of numerous Papuan peoples, although there is also a high proportion of people from other islands in the region.

In New Zealand and the Hawaiian Islands, the majority of the population is European, whose share is also high in (34%) and in French Polynesia (12%). On the islands, 38.2% of the population is represented by Indo-Fijians, descendants of Indian contract workers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century.

Recently, in the countries of Oceania, the proportion of immigrants from (mainly Chinese and Filipinos) has been increasing. For example, in the Northern Mariana Islands The share of Filipinos is 26.2%, and the Chinese - 22.1%.

The population of Oceania mainly professes Christianity, adhering to either the Protestant or Catholic branches.

Economy

Economy of Oceania. Donation and economic unions.

Oceania is a part of the world; a geographical, often geopolitical, region of the world consisting primarily of hundreds of small islands and atolls in the central and western Pacific Ocean.

Geographical location

Oceania is the world's largest collection of islands, located in the western and central Pacific Ocean, between the subtropical latitudes of the Northern and temperate Southern hemispheres. When dividing the entire landmass into parts of the world, Oceania is usually united with Australia into a single part of the world, Australia and Oceania, although sometimes it is separated into an independent part of the world.

The total area of the islands is 1.26 million km² (together with Australia 8.52 million km²), the population is about 10.7 million people. (together with Australia 32.6 million people). Geographically, Oceania is divided into Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia; New Zealand is sometimes singled out.

The islands of Oceania are washed by numerous seas of the Pacific (Coral Sea, Tasman Sea, Fiji Sea, Koro Sea, Solomon Sea, New Guinea Sea, Philippine Sea) and Indian Oceans (Arafura Sea).

Countries and dependent territories

Name of region, countries	Population	Population density (persons/km²)
Australia
Australia			Canberra	AUD (Australian Dollar)
Ashmore and Cartier (Australia)	uninhabited
Cocos Islands (Australia)			West Island	AUD (Australian Dollar)
Coral Sea Islands (Australia)	uninhabited
Norfolk (Australia)			Kingston	AUD (Australian Dollar)
Christmas Island (Australia)			Flying Fish Cove	AUD (Australian Dollar)
Heard Island and McDonald Islands (Australia)	uninhabited
Melanesia
Vanuatu			Port Vila
Irian Jaya (Indonesia)			Jayapura, Manokwari
New Caledonia (France)
Papua New Guinea			Port Moresby
Solomon Islands				SBD (Solomon Islands Dollar)
Fiji				FJD (Fiji Dollar)
Micronesia
Guam (USA)				USD (USA Dollar)
Kiribati			South Tarawa	AUD (Australian Dollar)
Marshall Islands				USD (USA Dollar)
Nauru				AUD (Australian Dollar)
Palau			Melekeok	USD (USA Dollar)
Northern Mariana Islands (USA)				USD (USA Dollar)
Wake (USA)
Federated States of Micronesia				USD (USA Dollar)
Polynesia
American Samoa (USA)			Pago Pago, Fagatogo	USD (USA Dollar)
Baker (USA)	uninhabited
Hawaii (USA)			Honolulu	USD (USA Dollar)
Jarvis (USA)	uninhabited
Johnston (USA)
Kingman (USA)	uninhabited
Kiribati			South Tarawa	AUD (Australian Dollar)
Midway (USA)
Niue (New Zealand)				NZD (New Zealand Dollar)
New Zealand			Wellington	NZD (New Zealand Dollar)
Cook Islands (New Zealand)				NZD (New Zealand Dollar)
Easter Island (Chile)			Hanga Roa	CLP (Chilean Pesso)
Palmyra (USA)
Pitcairn (UK)			Adamstown	NZD (New Zealand Dollar)
Samoa				WST (Samoan tala)
Tokelau (New Zealand)				NZD (New Zealand Dollar)
Tonga			Nuku'alofa	TOP (Tongan pa'anga)
Tuvalu			Funafuti	AUD (Australian Dollar)
Wallis and Futuna (France)				XPF (French Pacific Franc)
French Polynesia (France)				XPF (French Pacific Franc)
Howland (USA)	uninhabited

Geology

From a geological point of view, Oceania is not a continent: only Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, New Guinea and Tasmania are of continental origin, having formed on the site of the hypothetical continent of Gondwana. In the past, these islands were a single landmass, but as a result of rising sea levels, a significant part of the surface was under water. The relief of these islands is mountainous and highly dissected. For example, the highest mountains in Oceania, including Mount Jaya (5029 m), are located on the island of New Guinea.

Most of the islands of Oceania are of volcanic origin: some of them are the tops of large underwater volcanoes, some of which still exhibit high volcanic activity (for example, the Hawaiian Islands).

Other islands are of coral origin, being atolls that were formed as a result of the formation of coral structures around submerged volcanoes (for example, the Gilbert Islands, Tuamotu). A distinctive feature of such islands are large lagoons, which are surrounded by numerous islets, or motu, the average height of which does not exceed three meters. In Oceania, there is an atoll with the largest lagoon in the world - Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands archipelago. Although its land area is only 16.32 km² (or 6.3 sq. miles), its lagoon area is 2,174 km² (or 839.3 sq. miles). The largest atoll in terms of land area is Christmas Island (or Kiritimati) in the Line archipelago (or Central Polynesian Sporades) - 322 km². However, among atolls there is also a special type - a raised (or elevated) atoll, which is a limestone plateau up to 50-60 m high above sea level. This type of island does not have a lagoon or there are traces of its past existence. Examples of such atolls are Nauru, Niue, and Banaba.

The relief and geological structure of the Pacific Ocean floor in the Oceania region has a complex structure. From the Alaska Peninsula (part of North America) to New Zealand there are a large number of basins of marginal seas, deep ocean trenches (Tonga, Kermadec, Bougainville), which form a geosynclinal belt characterized by active volcanism, seismicity and contrasting topography.

Most of the islands of Oceania have no mineral resources, only the largest of them are being developed: nickel (New Caledonia), oil and gas (New Guinea island, New Zealand), copper (Bougainville island in Papua New Guinea), gold (New Guinea , Fiji), phosphates (on most islands the deposits are almost or already developed, for example, in Nauru, on the islands of Banaba, Makatea). In the past, many islands in the region were heavily mined for guano, the decomposed droppings of seabirds, which were used as nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer. On the ocean floor of the exclusive economic zone of a number of countries there are large accumulations of iron-manganese nodules, as well as cobalt, but at the moment no development is being carried out due to economic inexpediency.

Oceania Climate

Oceania is located within several climatic zones: equatorial, subequatorial, tropical, subtropical, temperate. Most of the islands have a tropical climate. Subequatorial climate prevails on the islands near Australia and Asia, as well as east of the 180th meridian in the equator zone, equatorial - west of the 180th meridian, subtropical - north and south of the tropics, temperate - on most of the South Island in New Zealand.

The climate of the islands of Oceania is determined mainly by trade winds, so most of them receive heavy rainfall. Average annual rainfall ranges from 1,500 to 4,000 mm, although some islands (particularly due to topography and downwind areas) may have drier or wetter climates. Oceania is home to one of the wettest places on the planet: on the eastern slope of Mount Waialeale on the island of Kauai, up to 11,430 mm of precipitation falls annually (the absolute maximum was reached in 1982: then 16,916 mm fell). Near the tropics the average temperature is about 23 °C, near the equator - 27 °C, with little difference between the hottest and coldest months.

There are glaciers high in the mountains on the South Island of New Zealand and on the island of New Guinea, but due to global warming, their area is gradually decreasing.

Soils and hydrology

Due to different climatic conditions, Oceania's soils are very diverse. The soils of the atolls are highly alkaline, of coral origin, and very poor. They are usually porous, which is why they retain moisture very poorly, and also contain very little organic and mineral substances with the exception of calcium, sodium and magnesium. The soils of volcanic islands are usually of volcanic origin and are characterized by high fertility. On large mountainous islands there are red-yellow, mountain lateritic, mountain-meadow, yellow-brown soils, yellow soils, and red soils.

Large rivers are found only on the South and North Islands of New Zealand, as well as on the island of New Guinea, which is home to the largest rivers in Oceania, the Sepik (1126 km) and Fly (1050 km). The largest river in New Zealand is the Waikato (425 km). The rivers are fed primarily by rain, although in New Zealand and New Guinea the rivers are also fed by water from melting glaciers and snow. On atolls there are no rivers at all due to the high porosity of the soil. Instead, rainwater seeps through the soil to form a lens of slightly brackish water that can be reached by digging a well. On larger islands (usually of volcanic origin) there are small streams of water that flow towards the ocean.

The largest number of lakes, including thermal ones, are located in New Zealand, where there are also geysers. On other islands of Oceania, lakes are a rarity.

Flora and fauna

The fauna of Oceania also belongs to the Polynesian faunal region with a subregion of the Hawaiian Islands. The fauna of New Zealand is allocated to an independent region, New Guinea - to the Papuan subregion of the Australian region. New Zealand and New Guinea are the most diverse. On the small islands of Oceania, primarily atolls, mammals are almost never found: many of them are inhabited only by the small rat. But the local avifauna is very rich. Most atolls have bird colonies where seabirds nest. Of the fauna of New Zealand, the most famous are the kiwi birds, which have become the national symbol of the country. Other endemics of the country are kea (Latin: Nestor notabilis, or nestor), kakapo (Latin: Strigops habroptilus, or owl parrot), takahe (Latin: Notoronis hochstelteri, or wingless plume). All the islands of Oceania are home to a large number of lizards, snakes and insects.

During the European colonization of the islands, alien species of plants and animals were introduced to many of them, which negatively affected the local flora and fauna.

Population

The indigenous inhabitants of Oceania are Polynesians, Micronesians, Melanesians and Papuans.

Polynesians living in the countries of Polynesia have a mixed racial type: in their appearance, features of the Caucasian and Mongoloid races are visible, and to a lesser extent - Australoid. The largest peoples of Polynesia are Hawaiians, Samoans, Tahitians, Tongans, Maoris, Marquesans, Rapanui and others. Native languages belong to the Polynesian subgroup of the Austronesian family of languages: Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, Tongan, Maori, Marquesan, Rapanui and others. Characteristic features of Polynesian languages are a small number of sounds, especially consonants, and an abundance of vowels.

Papuans inhabit the island of New Guinea and some areas of Indonesia. In terms of anthropological type, they are close to the Melanesians, but differ from them in language. Not all Papuan languages are related to each other. The national language of the Papuans in Papua New Guinea is the English-based Tok Pisin creole language. According to various sources of peoples and languages, the Papuans number from 300 to 800. However, there are difficulties in establishing the difference between an individual language and a dialect.

Many languages of Oceania are on the verge of extinction. In everyday life they are increasingly being replaced by English and French.

The situation of the indigenous population in the countries of Oceania is different. If, for example, in the Hawaiian Islands their share is very low, then in New Zealand Maori make up up to 15% of the country's population. The share of Polynesians in the Northern Mariana Islands, located in Micronesia, is about 21.3%. In Papua New Guinea, the majority of the population is made up of numerous Papuan people, although there is also a high proportion of people from other islands in the region.

In New Zealand and the Hawaiian Islands, the majority of the population is European, whose share is also high in New Caledonia (34%) and French Polynesia (12%). On the Fiji Islands, 38.2% of the population is represented by Indo-Fijians, descendants of Indian contract workers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century.

Recently, the proportion of immigrants from Asia (mainly Chinese and Filipinos) has been increasing in the countries of Oceania. For example, in the Northern Mariana Islands, the share of Filipinos is 26.2%, and the Chinese are 22.1%.

The population of Oceania mainly professes Christianity, adhering to either the Protestant or Catholic branches.