Indonesia Oceania. Oceania. Geology and climate of Oceania, soils and hydrology of Oceania, economy and culture of Oceania, Melanesia, Micronesia, New Zealand and Polynesia

ocean islands- the most exotic and unusual travel destination. It is enough that when a fierce winter rages in the homeland, then in the Southern Hemisphere it is the height of summer. And although people there do not go upside down, and the water does not spin in the opposite direction, the lands of Oceania remain for many a real terra incognita.

What is Oceania?

The boundaries of Oceania are rather arbitrary. In fact, this is a cluster of islands in the central and western parts Pacific Ocean. Easter Island is considered the eastern point, New Guinea is considered the western point. Geographers unite Oceania with Australia and consider these lands a separate part of the world.

A rather long list includes such islands as New Zealand, New Guinea, Fiji, Easter, Solomon, Hawaiian and many others. Most of the islands are formed by volcanic activity, and many fire-breathing mountains are still dangerous.

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea occupies an area comparable in area to Sweden, and actually connects Australia and Asia. Long before European sailors and Miklouho-Maclay, Indonesian rulers sent their envoys here to hunt for exotic birds and labor. The name of the island was given by the Portuguese don Jorge de Menezes, clearly alluding to the hair of the natives: "Papua" in Malay means "curly". More than 820 languages are used here - this is due to some isolation of the tribes from each other due to the mountainous terrain.

Fiji

Fiji is an archipelago of 332 islands, of which only a third are inhabited. Europeans discovered the Fiji Islands in the 17th century, but did not venture to establish colonies there until the 19th century. There was only one reason - the cannibalism of the natives. The leader had unquestioned authority and power. In the villages, a respectful attitude towards the head of the tribe is still preserved: only he is allowed to wear sunglasses and hats. But as for the tourists… it is difficult to find a more hospitable people. Here you will be treated to the most unusual dishes: boiled bat, stew in banana leaves and even a fried snake. However, the beauty of Fiji's tropical forests and diverse underwater world, for which divers greatly appreciate it, is short-lived: due to climate change, the corals to which the island owes its origin are under threat - eco-communities are sounding the alarm.

New Zealand

New Zealand (or "Land of the Long White Cloud") was discovered in 1642 by the Dutch sailor Abel Tasman. To local tribes at that time, white-skinned Europeans definitely did not like it ... Now New Zealand is considered the safest country in the world. The next to venture here was only James Cook in 1769, who also contributed to the inclusion new country into English possessions. The symbol of the island is a wingless timid bird kiwi - New Zealanders call themselves that. Well, Tolkien fans cannot help but know that all parts of the Lord of the Rings trilogy were filmed among local landscapes, and during special tours you can see Hobbiton and the Baggins dwelling with your own eyes.

Solomon islands

The Solomon Islands are little known in the world. This is due to the distance from others. geographical objects. Meanwhile, there is a constant mild climate and nature, unique in its beauty. For example, in the list world heritage UNESCO is about to enter the salty lagoon Marovo with sparkling blue water - the largest in the world. There is also the most elevated coral island - East Rennell. Tengano - so big freshwater lake on the territory of the southern hemisphere, which includes 200 islands in its water area. As for the inhabitants, their manners and habits are rather curious. For example, many of them still worship sharks. Aboriginal people before the arrival of the missionaries were predominantly bounty hunters. By the way, about 10% of the dark-skinned inhabitants of the Solomon Islands are blond. This is due to a mutation that appeared many centuries ago - this has nothing to do with the settlements of Europeans.

Animal and plant world

The flora and fauna of the islands of Oceania are amazing seasoned tourists with its exoticism. What is a breadfruit worth! “He who plants a breadfruit tree will do more to feed his descendants than a grain grower who works his field all his life by the sweat of his brow,” wrote James Cook. One plant can produce up to 700-800 "breads" - special fruits with sweetish pulp, from which peculiar rolls are "baked". The sago palms in New Guinea provide the starch that is used to make delicious fritters. In the abundance of rainforests you can find cake trees - the sweet taste of their fruits really resembles confectionery. Well, bananas-coconuts cannot be counted at all - without these fruits, the natives could not survive.

People with entomophobia - fear of insects - have nothing to do on the islands of Oceania. Huge spiders, poisonous flies and giant butterflies are quite capable of scaring and even causing harm. In the jungle there is a danger of stepping on a snake - well, or she dives herself from a branch. In contrast to the dangers - the indescribable beauty of birds of paradise and the touching muzzles of marsupials. By the way, possums, as many mistakenly believe, are not found in Oceania: possums live there. This confusion arose back in the days of James Cook's research - the biologist of the expedition attributed marsupials to opossums living in America.

Go diving, lie on the world's best beaches made of coral chips, ride on skiing, to see a parrot in its natural habitat and play the most romantic wedding - this is not a complete list of what the newly opened tourists offer islands of oceania.

Pavilion “Around the World. Asia, Africa, Latin America, Australia and Oceania"

ETNOMIR, Kaluga region, Borovsky district, Petrovo village

In the ethnographic park-museum "ETNOMIR" - amazing place. The "City" street is built inside a spacious pavilion, so it is always warm, light and good weather on Mira Street - just right for an exciting walk, especially since within the framework of the latter you can make a whole trip around the world. Like any tourist street, it has its own sights, workshops, street artisans, cafes and shops located inside and outside the 19 houses.

The facades of the buildings are made in different ethnic styles. Each house is a "quote" from the life and traditions of a certain country. The very appearance of the houses begins the story of distant lands.

Step inside and you will be surrounded by new, unfamiliar objects, sounds and smells. The color scheme and decoration, furniture, interior and household items - all this helps to plunge into the atmosphere of distant countries, to understand and feel their uniqueness.

Its total area is 1.3 million km2. Moreover, 90% of the territory is occupied by two islands - Novaya (829 thousand km2) and (269 thousand km2).

Oceania became known to Europeans in the 16th century, from the time of the first world travel F. . A special chapter in the history of its discovery and research is the campaigns of Russian navigators. Only in the 19th century, more than 40 Russian expeditions visited there, which collected valuable scientific information. A great contribution to the study of Oceania was made by N.N. , who described the life and way of life of the peoples inhabiting the islands, as well as the islands and shores of the tropical sea. The contribution of compatriots to the study of Oceania is evidenced by Russian names on its map. The origin of the islands is various:

Modern political map Oceania was formed as a result of the stubborn struggle of the colonial powers for the division of islands and archipelagos among themselves. Until the early 1960s, Oceania had one independent state- created by colonists from England.

In the states of Oceania, the production of coconuts, coffee, and spices is of great importance. A promising industry in a number of states is timber harvesting (Solomon Islands, Fiji, Western Samoa). In recent years, manufacturing enterprises have been built in Oceania with help. They are focused mainly on the domestic market.

Oceania is an extremely peculiar region of the world with amazingly beautiful nature, original culture, therefore its uniqueness begins to be actively used, and it becomes a place of pilgrimage for tourists and vacationers (Fiji, Papua New Guinea).

In terms of the level of socio-economic development, the states of Oceania differ significantly from each other. New Zealand is the most developed, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu are the least developed. A serious brake in the development of countries is the remoteness from the economically developed centers of the world.

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Australia and Oceania on a hemisphere map

Australia and Oceania on the world map

Oceania- the collective name for a vast cluster of islands and atolls in the central and western parts of the Pacific Ocean. The boundaries of Oceania are conditional. The western border is considered to be the island, the eastern -. As a rule, Oceania does not include Australia, 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 - ocean studies.

Geographical position

Physical map of Australia and Oceania (English)

Regions of Australia and Oceania

Political map of Australia and Oceania

Oceania is the world's largest cluster of islands located in the southwestern and central parts Pacific Ocean, between the subtropical latitudes of the northern and temperate southern hemispheres. When all the land is divided into parts of the world, Oceania is usually combined 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 total area and in terms of total population is comparable to the 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).

The Equator and the International Date Line pass through Oceania. It is a broken line, most of which runs along the 180° meridian.

sea currents

Through the whole of Oceania, along the equator, there are warm North trade winds and South trade winds and the Inter-trade countercurrent. 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 the region, countries and country flag	Square (km²)	Population (est. 1 July 2002)	Population density (person/km²)	Capital	Currency unit
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		Solomon Islands dollar (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		paanga (TOP)
	26	11 146	428,7	funafuti	Australian dollar (AUD)

Dependencies and Trust Territories

Name of region, country and country flag	Square (km²)	Population (est. 1 July 2002)	Population density (person/km²)	Administrative center	Currency unit
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) - highest point Oceania

From the point of view of geology, Oceania is not a continent: only Australia, and are of continental origin, having formed on the site of the hypothetical continent Gondwana. In the past, these islands were a single land, but as a result of the rise in the level of the World Ocean, a significant part of the surface was under water. The relief of these islands is mountainous and strongly 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 show high volcanic activity (for example, the Hawaiian Islands).

Other islands have their origin, being 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. Despite the fact that its land area is only 16.32 km² (or 6.3 sq. miles), the area of the lagoon is 2174 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 the atolls there is also a special type - an elevated (or elevated) atoll, which is a limestone plateau up to 50-60 m above sea level. This type of island has no lagoon or traces of its past existence. Examples of such atolls are Banaba.

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

There are no minerals on most of the islands of Oceania, only the largest of them are being developed: nickel (), oil and gas (island,), copper (Bougainville island in), gold (New Guinea,), phosphates (on most islands, deposits are almost or already developed, for example, in, on the islands of Banaba, Makatea). In the past, decomposed seabird droppings were actively mined on many islands in the region, which was 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

Space 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. The subequatorial climate dominates on 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 - in most of the South Island in New Zealand.

The climate of the islands of Oceania is determined mainly by the trade winds, so most of them experience heavy rainfall. The average annual rainfall varies from 1500 to 4000 mm, although on some islands (due to topographical features and on the lee side in particular) the climate can be drier or wetter. One of the wettest places on the planet is located in Oceania: 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). close to the tropics average temperature is about 23 °C, at the equator - 27 °C, with little difference between the hottest and coldest months.

The climate of the islands of Oceania is also greatly influenced by such anomalies as the El Niño and La Niña currents. During El Niño, the intertropical convergence zone moves northward towards the equator; during La Niña, it moves southward away from the equator. In the latter case, a severe drought is observed on the islands, in the first case, heavy rains.

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 tsunami in July 1999 killed 2,200 people.

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

Soils and hydrology

Stream on the island of Efate (Vanuatu)

Due to various climatic conditions The soils of Oceania 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 few 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, red-yellow, mountain lateritic, mountain-meadow, yellow-brown soils, yellow soils, and red soils are found.

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 of Oceania, the Sepik (1126 km) and the Fly (1050 km), are located. largest river New Zealand - Waikato (425 km). The rivers are predominantly fed by rain, although in New Zealand and New Guinea, rivers are also fed by water from melting glaciers and snow. On the atolls, there are no rivers at all due to the high porosity of the soils. Instead, rainwater seeps through the soil to form a lens of slightly brackish water that can be reached by digging a well. For more major islands(usually of volcanic origin) there are small streams of water that flow towards the ocean.

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

Flora and fauna

Kiwi - a symbol of New Zealand

Oceania is included in the Paleotropical region of vegetation, while three sub-regions are distinguished: Melanesian-Micronesian, Hawaiian and New Zealand. Among the most widespread plants of Oceania, the coconut palm and breadfruit stand out, which play an important role in the life of local residents: the fruits are used for food, wood is a source of heat, a building material, copra is produced from the oily endosperm of coconut palm nuts, which is the basis of the export of countries of this region. A large number of epiphytes (ferns, orchids) also grow on the islands. The largest number of endemics (both representatives of flora and fauna) was registered 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 faunistic region with a subregion of the Hawaiian Islands. The fauna of New Zealand stands out in an independent region, New Guinea - in 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 of the atolls have bird markets where seabirds nest. Of the representatives 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 (lat. Nestor notabilis, or nestor), kakapo (lat. Strigops habroptilus, or owl parrot), takahe (lat. Notoronis hochstelteri, or wingless sultan). All the islands of Oceania are inhabited by 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 has 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 (the area is 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. Miklukho-Maklai to the Head of the detachment of ships in the Pacific Ocean with a proposal to acquire areas on the islands of the Pacific Ocean, convenient for coal depots, March 30, 1873.

IN Russian Empire After the discovery of the northwestern coast of America by V. Bering 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 make circumnavigations. In the heart of the tropical part of the Pacific Ocean there are atolls and islands of the Russians, Suvorov, Kutuzov, Lisyansky, Bellingshausen, Barclay de Tolly, the Krusenstern reef and many others. Another distinctive side of all the trips that took place is mutual friendliness in the history of meetings between Russians and the peoples of the Pacific Ocean.

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

Letter to the Main Naval Headquarters from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding N. N. Miklukho-Maclay's proposal on Russian acquisitions in the Pacific Ocean with the resolution “... to consider this matter finally over. Miklukho-Maclay to refuse”, December 1886.

As the first European who settled on the shores of the Astrolabe Bay in New Guinea and explored this area, N. N. Miklukho 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, personally to Emperor Alexander III.

colonial period

The ships of the English traveler James Cook and the canoes of the natives in Matawai 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 exploration of Oceania by Europeans continued, which gradually began to populate the islands. However, the process of European colonization was very slow, since the region did not arouse much interest among foreigners due to the lack of natural resources, and negatively affected the local population: many diseases were introduced that had never been 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 XVIII-XIX centuries, the islands of Oceania were divided between the 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 palm for the production of copra, sugar cane), as well as the slave trade (the so-called "blackbird hunting", suggesting the recruitment of islanders to work on plantations).

In 1907 it became a dominion, but formally it became a fully 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 the Second World War, 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 improvements in the economy in the region, but in most colonies it was one-sided (the predominance of the plantation economy and the almost complete absence of industry). Since the 1960s, the process of decolonization began: in 1962 it gained independence, in 1963 - West Irian, in 1968 -. Subsequently, most of the colonies became independent.

Post-colonial period

After gaining independence, most of the countries of Oceania have 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 some extent: New Caledonia Portrait of a representative of the indigenous people of New Zealand - the 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, Maori, 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. The characteristic features of the 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, Kiribati, Marshallese, Nauru, Chamorro and others. Native languages belong to the Micronesian group of the Austronesian family of languages: Kiribati, Caroline, Kusaie, Marshallese, Nauruan and others. The Palauan and Chamorro languages belong to the Western Malayo-Polynesian languages, while Jap forms a separate branch within the Oceanic languages, which includes the Micronesian languages.

Melanesians live in the countries of Melanesia. The racial type is 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 large, so that people from neighboring villages may not understand each other.

Papuans inhabit the island and some areas. In 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. According to various sources of peoples and languages, the Papuans number from 300 to 800. At the same time, there are difficulties in establishing the difference between a separate 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 position 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 the Maori make up to 15% of the country's population. The share of Polynesians located 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 proportion 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 people from (mainly Chinese and Filipinos) has been increasing. For example, in the North Mariana Islands the share of Filipinos is 26.2%, and the Chinese - 22.1%.

The population of Oceania is mainly Christian, adhering to either the Protestant or Catholic branches.

Economy

Economy of Oceania. Donation and economic unions.

Oceania is the name of a region of the world made up of island groups in the central and southern Pacific Ocean. It covers more than 8.5 million km². Some of the countries that make up Oceania include Australia, New Zealand, Tuvalu, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Palau, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Nauru. Oceania also includes several dependent territories such as American Samoa, Johnston and French Polynesia.

Physical Geography of Oceania

In terms of physical geography, the islands of Oceania are often divided into four distinct sub-regions based on the geological processes that played a major role in their physical development. The first one is . It stands out because of its location in the middle of the Indo-Australian Plate, and the lack of mountain building during its development. Instead, the current physical features of Australia's landscape have been shaped primarily by erosion.

The second region of Oceania consists of islands located at the boundaries of the collision between the plates of the earth's crust. They are in the South Pacific. For example, on the line of collision of the Indo-Australian and Pacific plates, and includes places such as New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Northern part The Pacific Ocean also has similar landscape types along the boundary of the Eurasian and Pacific plates. Collisions of tectonic plates are responsible for the formation of mountains, such as those in New Zealand, towering over 3,000 meters above sea level.

Volcanic islands such as Fiji are the third category of terrain type found in Oceania. These islands tend to rise from the bottom of the sea in the hotspots of the Pacific basin. Most of these areas consist of very small islands with high mountain ranges.

Finally, island coral reefs and atolls such as Tuval are the last type of landscape in Oceania. Atolls are specifically responsible for the formation of low-lying land areas, some with enclosed lagoons.

Climate of Oceania

Climate map of Oceania according to Köppen

Most of Oceania is divided into two climatic zones: temperate and. Most of Australia and all of New Zealand is in the temperate zone, while most of the Pacific islands are considered tropical. The temperate regions of Oceania have high rainfall levels, cold winters, and warm to hot summers. The tropical regions of Oceania are hot and humid all year round.

In addition to these climatic zones, most countries in Oceania are subject to continuous trade winds and sometimes hurricanes (called tropical cyclones), which have historically caused catastrophic damage to the countries and islands of the region.

Flora and fauna of Oceania

Because most of Oceania lies in the tropical or temperate climate zone, abundant rainfall supports the growth of humid and temperate rainforests throughout the region. Tropical rainforests are common in some island countries near the tropics, while temperate rainforests are found in New Zealand. In both forest types, there are many animal and plant species, making Oceania one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world.

It is important to note that not all areas of Oceania receive heavy rainfall and some parts of the region are arid or semi-arid. Australia, for example, has large areas of dry land that support little diversity in flora. In addition, El Niño has caused frequent droughts over the past decades in Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea.

The fauna of Oceania, like its flora, is also extremely . Since most of the region is made up of islands, unique species birds, animals and insects have evolved in complete isolation. The presence of coral reefs such as Great barrier reef and Kingman Reef are also areas of high concentration of flora and fauna and are considered biodiversity hotspots.

Population of Oceania

The population of Oceania is about 40 million people, with the bulk of the people (about 30 million people) living in Australia and New Zealand, while Papua New Guinea has a population of about 8 million people. The rest of the population of Oceania is scattered across the various islands that make up the region.

Like population distribution, urbanization and industrialization are also unevenly distributed across Oceania. About 89% of the region's urban areas are in Australia and New Zealand, and these countries also have the most well-developed infrastructure. Australia, in particular, has many mineral and raw energy resources and generates much of the region's economy. The rest of Oceania and, in particular, the island states of the Pacific Ocean are very poorly developed. Some islands are rich but most of them are not. In addition, some of island states lack clean drinking water or food.

Agriculture is also important in Oceania and there are three types that are common in the region. These include subsistence agriculture, plantation crops and capital intensive agriculture. Subsistence farming occurs in most of the Pacific Islands and is done to support local communities. Cassava, taro, yams and sweet potatoes are the most common products of this type of agriculture. Plantation crops are planted on the middle tropical islands while capital intensive agriculture is practiced only in Australia and New Zealand.

And finally, fishing and tourism are important sectors of the Oceanian economy and a stimulus for its development. Fishing is an important source of income because many of the islands have maritime exclusive economic zones that stretch for 370 km. Tourism is also important to Oceania, as tropical islands such as Fiji offer aesthetic beauty, while Australia and New Zealand attract developed cities with modern infrastructure. New Zealand has also become an important tourist region in the sphere.

Oceania countries

Map of countries in Oceania/Wikipedia

Below is a list of 14 independent countries Oceania, ranked in order from largest to smallest country by area:

1) Australia:

Area: 7,617,930 km²
Population: about 25,000,000 people
Capital: Canberra

2) Papua New Guinea:

Area: 462,840 km²
Population: more than 8,000,000 people
Capital: Port Moresby

3) New Zealand:

Area: 268,680 km²
Population: about 5,000,000 people
Capital: Wellington

4) Solomon Islands:

Area: 28,450 km²
Population: about 600,000 people
Capitals: Honiara

5) Fiji:

Area: 18,274 km²
Population: about 900,000 people
Capital: Suva

6) Vanuatu:

Area: 12,189 km²
Population: about 270,000 people
Capital: Port Vila

7) Samoa:

Area: 2842 km²
Population: about 193,000 people
Capital: Apia

8) Kiribati:

Area: 811 km²
Population: about 110,000 people
Capital: Tarawa

9) Tonga:

Area: 748 km²
Population: about 107,000 people
Capitals: Nuku'alofa

10) Federated States Micronesia:

Area: 702 km²
Population: about 105,000 people
Capital: Palikir

11) Palau:

Area: 459 km²
Population: about 21,000 people
Capital: Melekeok

12) Marshall Islands:

Area: 181 km²
Population: about 53,000 people
Capital: Majuro

13) Tuvalu:

Area: 26 km²
Capital: Funafuti

14) Nauru:

Area: 21 km²
Population: about 11,000 people
Capital: No

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

Geographical position

Oceania is the world's largest cluster of islands located in the western and central parts of the Pacific Ocean, between the subtropical latitudes of the northern and temperate southern hemispheres. When all the land is divided into parts of the world, Oceania is usually combined 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 subdivided into Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia; sometimes New Zealand is 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 (Arafur Sea).

Countries and dependent territories

Name of the region, countries	Population	Population density (person/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 (US Dollar)
Kiribati			South Tarawa	AUD (Australian Dollar)
Marshall Islands				USD (US Dollar)
Nauru				AUD (Australian Dollar)
Palau			Melekeok	USD (US Dollar)
Northern Mariana Islands (USA)				USD (US Dollar)
Wake (USA)
Federated States of Micronesia				USD (US Dollar)
Polynesia
American Samoa (USA)			Pago Pago, Fagatogo	USD (US Dollar)
Baker (USA)	uninhabited
Hawaii (USA)			Honolulu	USD (US 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 the point of view of geology, 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 Gondwana. In the past, these islands were a single land, but as a result of the rise in the level of the World Ocean, a significant part of the surface was under water. The relief of these islands is mountainous and strongly dissected. For example, the highest mountains of 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 show 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. Despite the fact that its land area is only 16.32 km² (or 6.3 sq. miles), the area of the lagoon is 2174 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 the atolls there is also a special type - an elevated (or elevated) atoll, which is a limestone plateau up to 50-60 m above sea level. This type of island has no lagoon or traces of its past existence. Examples of such atolls are Nauru, Niue, Banaba.

The relief and geological structure of the bottom of the Pacific Ocean in the Oceania region has a complex structure. From the Alaska Peninsula (which is 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 relief.

There are no minerals on most of the islands of Oceania, only the largest of them are being developed: nickel (New Caledonia), oil and gas (New Guinea, New Zealand), copper (Bougainville Island in Papua New Guinea), gold (New Guinea , Fiji), phosphates (on most of the islands, the deposits are almost or have already been developed, for example, in Nauru, on the islands of Banaba, Makatea). In the past, many of the region's islands were heavily mined for guano, the decomposed dung of seabirds, which was used as a nitrogen and phosphate 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 of Oceania

Oceania is located within several climatic zones: equatorial, subequatorial, tropical, subtropical, temperate. Most of the islands have a tropical climate. The subequatorial climate dominates on 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 - in most of the South Island in New Zealand.

The climate of the islands of Oceania is determined mainly by the trade winds, so most of them experience heavy rainfall. The average annual rainfall varies from 1500 to 4000 mm, although on some islands (due to topographical features and on the lee side in particular) the climate can be drier or wetter. One of the wettest places on the planet is located in Oceania: 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 around 23°C, near the equator - 27°C, with little difference between the hottest and coldest months.

The South Island in New Zealand and the island of New Guinea have glaciers high in the mountains, but due to the process of global warming, their area is gradually shrinking.

Soils and hydrology

Due to the different climatic conditions, the soils of Oceania 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 few organic and mineral substances, with the exception of calcium, sodium and magnesium. The soils of volcanic islands, as a rule, are of volcanic origin and are highly fertile. On large mountainous islands, red-yellow, mountain lateritic, mountain-meadow, yellow-brown soils, yellow soils, and red soils are found.

There are large rivers only on the South and North Islands of New Zealand, as well as on the island of New Guinea, on which the largest rivers of 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 predominantly fed by rain, although in New Zealand and New Guinea, rivers are also fed by water from melting glaciers and snow. On the atolls, there are no rivers at all due to the high porosity of the soils. 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, is 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 faunistic region with the subregion of the Hawaiian Islands. The fauna of New Zealand stands out in an independent region, New Guinea - in 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 of the atolls have bird markets where seabirds nest. Of the representatives 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 (lat. Nestor notabilis, or nestor), kakapo (lat. Strigops habroptilus, or owl parrot), takahe (lat. Notoronis hochstelteri, or wingless sultan). All the islands of Oceania are inhabited by 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 are of a mixed racial type: in their appearance, features of the Caucasoid and Mongoloid races are visible, and to a lesser extent - Australoid. The largest peoples of Polynesia are Hawaiians, Samoans, Tahitians, Tongans, Maori, 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. The characteristic features of the Polynesian languages are a small number of sounds, especially consonants, and an abundance of vowels.

The Papuans inhabit the island of New Guinea and parts of Indonesia. In 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. According to various sources of peoples and languages, the Papuans number from 300 to 800. At the same time, there are difficulties in establishing the difference between a separate 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 position 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 the Maori make up to 15% of the country's population. The proportion 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 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, the share of which is also high in New Caledonia (34%) and French Polynesia (12%). In 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, in the countries of Oceania, the proportion of immigrants from Asia (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 is mainly Christian, adhering to either the Protestant or Catholic branches.