Oceania is the name for the islands and archipelagos of islands lying in the central and southwestern part The Pacific north and northeast of Australia between 28 ° N and 53 ° S; 130 ° East and 105 ° W. This island world includes almost 7 thousand islands. The total area of the island land of Oceania is about 1.3 million km 2. This is only 2% of the Pacific Ocean area.
Geographical location, size and relief the islands are closely related to their origins. According to the genesis, the islands of Oceania belong to four main types: continental, volcanic, biogenic and geosynclinal, which arise in the contact zones of the lithospheric plate - island arcs.
The mainland islands are the most significant in terms of area ( New Guinea, New Zealand). Mountain ranges they combine with vast low-lying plains and plateaus. The Hawaiian Islands are a typical example of volcanic islands. Coral reefs and atolls are of biogenic origin. Atolls are flat, low ring-shaped islands with a lagoon in the middle that communicates with the ocean. Such are, for example, the islands of Central Polynesia (the Tuamotu archipelago is the most grandiose cluster of atolls in the world). Geosynclinal island arcs lie in the western part of Oceania. The relief of this type of islands is a combination of mountains and plains. Such, for example, is the island of New Caledonia, stretched for more than 400 km.
Minerals Oceania is determined by the origin and geological structure of the islands. Thus, New Caledonia is characterized by rich deposits of nickel, chromite, and a number of other metals. Coal, bauxite and oil are mined in New Guinea. Phosphorite deposits have been discovered on the atoll islands.
Climate Oceania islands defined geographic location territory and the softening influence of the ocean. The main archipelagos of the islands lie in the equatorial, subequatorial and tropical zones of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Only New Zealand and the adjacent islands are located in the subtropical and temperate zones. Average monthly temperatures of the warmest month range from + 25 ° C in the north to + 16 ° in the south; the coldest - from + 16 ° in the north to + 5 ° С in the south. The Marshall, Caroline and Mariana Islands, as well as New Guinea, lie in a strip where the temperature is around + 26 ° C all year round. The softening effect of the ocean affects slight fluctuations in temperature over the seasons of the year and during the day - site. There is a lot of precipitation in Oceania, on average 3000-4000 mm. They are especially abundant in the western part of Oceania, where mountains of mainland islands stand in the way of trade winds from the ocean. However, one of the wettest places on Earth is located on Hawaiian Islands where upwind slopes of volcanoes receive up to 12,500 mm of precipitation per year.
Species composition of flora and fauna poor and peculiar due to the remoteness and isolation of the islands of Oceania from the rest of the land. Major islands Oceania is covered mainly by evergreen moist forests (on the windward slopes) or savannas. Here, among the trees, ficuses, pandanuses, bamboos, casuarins prevail. There are many valuable tree species and plants useful for humans: coconut and sago palms, bread and melon trees, rubber plants, bananas and mangoes. There are many endemic species in the forests of New Zealand: special types of tree ferns, pines (cowrie pine is one of the world's giant trees), cabbage tree, New Zealand flax, etc.
The fauna is also peculiar. It is richer and more diverse on the islands closer to Australia. So, in New Guinea, echidna and tree kangaroo are common, crocodiles are found in rivers. In New Zealand, there is not a flying, but a running kiwi bird. Among the land animals on the islands of Oceania, there are almost no mammals, there have never been predators, there are no poisonous snakes. The coastal waters and lagoons of the islands are unusually rich in various forms of life.
Europeans brought livestock (cows, pigs, horses) to Oceania, as well as a number of cosmopolitan animals from other parts of the world. Rats have bred on the islands, cats have run wild; goats and rabbits have destroyed much of the vegetation on many islands, which has led to soil cover being washed away. Irrational use of land, deforestation, pollution of coastal waters, the transformation of some islands into military test sites for nuclear weapons upset the natural balance on the islands of Oceania.
Population Oceania, which makes up about 10 million people, is represented by indigenous people, settlers and a mixed population. Papuans, belonging to the equatorial race, live in New Guinea and the adjacent islands. The indigenous population of New Zealand (Maori) and other islands in Oceania belongs to a special Polynesian group of peoples, occupying an intermediate position between the three main races of mankind. These peoples have lighter skin and wavy hair than the Papuans. It is still not entirely clear where and in what ways the Polynesians settled the main archipelagos of the islands of Oceania many millennia ago. The migrant population is immigrants from Europe, Asia and America. So, the Anglo-New Zealanders make up 3/4 of the population of this country, and the indigenous people - Maori - only 9%. However, on other islands in Oceania, Aboriginal people (as opposed to Australia) make up the majority of the population.
The inhabitants of Oceania are traditionally engaged in agriculture and fishing. In New Zealand, immigrants from Europe raise sheep and cattle; meat, wool and butter are the main export products.
Political Map Oceania was formed as a result of the capture of the islands by European and American colonialists in the 19th and 20th centuries. Three decades ago, there was only one independent state in Oceania - New Zealand. Now there are more than ten politically independent countries: Fiji, Western Samoa, the Kingdom of Tonga, etc. The Hawaiian Islands are part of the United States as a separate state. But many of the islands of Oceania are still colonies.
Zoning Oceania is, to a certain extent, conventionally and historically carried out taking into account not only the peculiarities of natural conditions, but also the ethnographic characteristics of the indigenous population - site. Oceania is usually divided into Melanesia, Polynesia, Micronesia and New Zealand. Melanesia (from the Greek melas - black and nesos - island) includes archipelagos from New Guinea in the west to the Fiji Islands in the east, i.e. a territory with a predominantly Papuan population. Polynesia (“many islands”) includes islands in the central and southern Pacific Ocean east of 177 ° E. The largest archipelago of Polynesia is the Hawaiian Islands, which consists of 24 islands. Micronesia consists of many (more than 1500!) Small islands in the western part of the Pacific Ocean north of the equator (Marianske, Marshalov, Caroline Islands and etc.). New Zealand stands out as a special area of Oceania. And not only in terms of natural and ethnographic conditions, but also taking into account the level of economic development throughout Oceania.
If you look closely at the map of the Pacific Ocean, you will notice some peculiarity of the location of the islands in the southern part of the ocean: the closer to the southwest, to Australia, the thicker the islands cover the ocean and the larger they are in size; the further east from Australia and northeast, the smaller the islands and the wider they are scattered across the ocean. Taking a closer look, we will notice other features in the location of the islands: most of them, and, in particular, large ones, are elongated in a certain direction, and chains of small islands stretch in the same direction, continuing each other. These lines form, as it were, wide concentric arcs covering the Australian mainland from the east and approximately parallel to the mountain range that stretches along east coast of this continent. Three such concentric arcs can be outlined: the first, the inner one, is made up of the largest island - New Guinea (Irian), and its continuation is New Caledonia and New Zealand; the second arc is formed by the Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Islands, Banks and New Hebrides; third arc, outer or less correct, - islands Caroline, Marshall, Gilbert, Ellis, Fiji, Tonga and Kermadec.
This arrangement of the islands is not accidental and is explained by the geological history of Oceania. These three concentric island arcs are likely remnants of mountain ranges from an ancient continent that once occupied a much larger area than what is now Australia. The eastern, outer arc may have been the edge of this continent. Most of the above islands are formed rocks of mainland origin.
Further east and northeast, the picture changes. We are entering the real oceanic space here. Small islets, exclusively of volcanic or coral origin, do not show any connection with any continent.
Volcanic islands are mostly high and mountainous. These are the Mariana Islands and Hawaii in northern Oceania and Samoa G Tahiti, Marquesas and Tubuai in the southern part. They are rich in scenic and varied landscapes. The Hawaiian Islands have active volcanoes- Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Vertex extinct volcano Mauna Kea (4212 m) - highest point throughout eastern Oceania. The crater of the extinct volcano Mauna Halealakala (on the island of Maui) is considered the largest in the world: its circumference is 45 km.
Coral islands are low-lying, they barely rise above the surface of the water. These are the islands (part of the ones mentioned above) Marshall, Gilbert, Ellis, Phoenix, Tokelau, Tuamotu (Paumotu) and Cook. The Tonga and Karolinska groups consist of islands of both categories. Among coral islands there are ring-shaped atolls, with an internal shallow lagoon. These low-lying, treeless islands are not very picturesque and sometimes look dull. The coral polyps, the builders of these islands, cannot live at great depths; therefore, it is suggested that the coral islands are also built on a volcanic pedestal, which gradually sank into the depths. Be that as it may, in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean there is no trace of any ancient continent.
The islands of Oceania are grouped into archipelagos. Within each archipelago, the distances between the islands are not great and are usually measured in tens of kilometers. The distances between the archipelagos are much greater - of the order of hundreds and thousands of kilometers.1 Therefore, the living conditions of a person on the islands of the same archipelago are mostly homogeneous, the connection between them is rather close. The connection between the archipelagos is much weaker ^ and the living conditions on them are different.
However, communication even between individual archipelagos and isolated islands is partly facilitated by the constant sea currents. These currents, associated with the rotation of the earth, have a latitudinal direction - along the equator from east to west, north and south of it - in reverse direction... The currents bring from island to island pieces and whole trunks of trees, fruits and seeds; there were cases when boats with their crews were driven by sea currents (or storms) to distant islands.
Climate
Almost all of Oceania's islands are located between the tropics, hence the hot equatorial climate. Annual temperature fluctuations are very small - usually they do not exceed 5 °. But especially great heat, oppressive to a person, does not happen there, since the ocean tends to moderate the temperature. The average annual temperature ranges from + 23.5 ° (New Caledonia, Hawaii) to + 28 ° (Marshall Islands), average temperature the coldest month does not go below + 20 °. New Zealand alone, located outside the tropical zone (34 - 47 ° S), differs in other climatic conditions... Here the climate is moderately warm, even cool, and the difference between winter and summer temperatures is already quite noticeable: in Christchurch on the South Island, the average January temperature (southern summer) is + 16.2 °, the average July temperature (winter) is + 5.5 ° , the difference is 10.7 °. High mountains New Zealand is covered with eternal snow and glaciers.
Irrigation of the islands of Oceania is quite sufficient, even plentiful, although not everywhere the same. Especially generous tropical rain falls over the western archipelagos - over 200 cm per year; the farther east you go, the fewer there are. The seasons differ - rainy and drier. There are no large rivers, except for a few rivers in New Guinea (Fly, Sepik) and New Zealand. This last island has wonderful hot springs.
On most of the islands, the climate is quite healthy and favorable for humans. Natural conditions are worse only on the western islands. Here, especially in New Guinea, malaria and yellow fever are rampant. On other islands, among the endemic diseases, leprosy and elephantiasis are found.
Vegetation
Most of the islands of Oceania are covered with evergreen tropical vegetation, very rich and lush in the western islands, especially in New Guinea, but the further east, the more uniform and scarce it is. Perhaps this is due to the fact that only a very insignificant part of the vegetation of Oceania has survived from the time when a large continuous continent was supposed to exist here. The seeds and fruits of plants are carried by the sea, wind and birds, and the vast majority of plant species are introduced to the islands from outside. But it is much less likely that they would end up in this way on the small islands of eastern Oceania, located at great distances from one another.
In this sense, the distribution of palm trees is especially indicative: in Indonesia there are up to 200 species, on the Solomon Islands 18, and in Hawaiian only three species. The most important and widespread are: the coconut palm, which is found throughout Oceania, except for the southern part of New Zealand, and is especially characteristic of coral islands; rattan (palm liana), a flexible and durable craft material found in western Oceania; the sago palm, which is especially abundant in New Guinea, has the same area of distribution, as does the arec palm. Pandanus and breadfruit (Artocarpus) are almost ubiquitous. It is difficult to list various types of evergreens: araucaria, rhododendrons, crotons, acacia, ficus, bamboo and many others. Coastal mangroves are common in coastal and marshy areas, in the tidal strip. An important role is played by cultivated plants brought by the person himself: a banana (Musa), papaya (melon tree, Carica papaya), root vegetables - yams (Dioscorea sativa), tarot (Colocasia antiquorum) and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). One of the characteristic features of Oceania's flora is its endemicity and "insularism": each group of islands has its own species, which are not found anywhere else, and the number of such species reaches 30% of the total number of all local plants. Some of them are very archaic; they are, as it were, living fossils of the flora, preserved in peculiar natural museums.
Typical landscape of large western islands- a virgin rainforest covering the mountain slopes and coastline, generated by the hot and humid climate. Giant trees rise up to 40-60 m in height. Solid foliage, intertwining branches, curly rattans and other vines create eternal shadow below. The trunks and branches are covered with epiphytes. It is damp and dark in this forest, and it is almost impossible to walk through the forest without an ax. Many trees release dozens of aerial roots and, resting on the ground, hang in the air like giant spiders.
A completely different type of vegetation on the low-lying coral islands of eastern Oceania. Monotonous thickets coconut trees and the pandanus are humble groves. Among the coral islands there are also completely treeless and overgrown only with bushes.
In New Zealand, the vegetation is somewhat special. Its general nature is subtropical, but the farther south, the fewer tropical species: palms disappear, bamboos disappear. But there is a huge cowrie pine, tree ferns; of herbs typical New Zealand flax ( Phormium tenax) giving good fiber.
Animal world
The fauna is distributed in Oceania similarly to the flora: the farther west - the richer, the further east - the poorer. The fauna of New Guinea is the most diverse, partly similar to the Australian one. Here, in addition to the wild pig, there are egg-laying prochidna and marsupials: tree kangaroos, couscous (Phalangista), marsupial anteater, marsupial squirrel; from placentals - a flying dog and a huge carnivorous bat. Of the birds, parrots (cockatoo) are especially characteristic, birds of paradise(more than 50 species of them are known), interesting is the New Guinea ostrich - casuar. Snakes are numerous, including venomous ones. There are many different insects, among them there are very large butterflies; the all-devouring ants and termites constitute a particular disaster.
On the Bismarck archipelago animal world already poorer, and further to the east - even more. On small coral islands, mammals, apart from the dogs and domestic pigs imported by humans, are represented only by rats and bats. Birds, of course, overcome bodies of water and are found everywhere, but the further to the east, the less of them. Even insects are few in the coral islands, and therefore there are few insect-pollinated flowering plants.
The fauna of New Zealand is so unique that it stands out as a special zoogeographic area. The most characteristic for it are various flightless birds, for example, the wingless kiwi, owl parrot, etc., and in the past, and the giant moa, which reached 4 meters in height; there are no snakes, crocodiles, turtles at all in New Zealand; from mammals there are only the same rats and bats.
The marine fauna is richer and more evenly distributed. In addition to various fish species, it should be noted the presence of marine mammals - dugongs, dolphins, sperm whales, in more southern waters - toothless whales; there are turtles and numerous mollusks, which play an important role in the economy of the population. The large sea worm, palolo, is characteristic for food. In contrast to terrestrial fauna, the marine is richer just near coral islands, in the shallows and in lagoons.
Oceania population
Man inhabits all of Oceania, up to the extreme limits, to the most remote and small islands, and dividing it into regions with the exception of very few. The modern population of Oceania consists of two main elements: indigenous and alien. About the new population - immigrants from Europe, Asia and America, who settled in Oceania over the past century and a half, it is said later. As for the indigenous population, the age of their habitation on the islands is measured in millennia. Through centuries of work and cultural activities, man has influenced the natural environment of Oceania and changed it in many ways. The flora and fauna on many islands is partly man-made.
That is why it is customary to divide the island world of Oceania into regions not so much according to physical and geographical characteristics, but according to the types of population and its culture. Oceania is usually divided into three main cultural and geographical areas: Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia (see map p. 20).
Melanesia, covering the southwestern part of Oceania, is inhabited by the dark-skinned Negroid peoples of the Papuan-Melanesian group, hence its name (Greek "molas" - black, "nosos" - island). It includes the islands: New Guinea with adjacent small islands, the Admiralty, Bismarck, Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz, Torres, Banks and New Hebrides, New Caledonia. The Melanesian archipelago of Fiji constitutes the geographic and cultural transition to Polynesia. The population of Melanesia, anthropologically quite homogeneous, sharply splits in language into two groups: the Melanesians proper and the Papuans. Papuans inhabit the extreme northwestern part of Melanesia, primarily the largest island, New Guinea, except for the coastal strip of its eastern half, and are also interspersed in small groups here and there on other islands: Papuan tribes and languages are known in New Britain, in the Solomon Islands ... The rest of the space is occupied by the Melanesians proper. The difference between the languages of the Papuans and the Melanesians is very great. The Melanesian languages are closely related to the languages of the Polynesians and Micronesians and together with them belong to the large Malay-Polynesian family of languages; the Papuan languages, on the other hand, are completely independent and show no relationship with any other languages of the world; moreover, the Papuan languages and among themselves are very different. The third element of the population of Melanesia can be considered pygmy (small) tribes living here and there in the depths large islands both among the Papuans and among the Melanesians; their relation to both has not yet been sufficiently clarified.
The total number of the indigenous population of Melanesia in 1952 was about 2.5 million. Before the appearance of Europeans, it was estimated that about 2.2 million people lived there.
Polynesia covers a much larger area of the Pacific Ocean, southeast, east and northeast of Melanesia. The word itself means "numerous islands" (Greek "field" - many), and in fact there are a lot of these islands and they are very diverse. South Polynesia is made up of the large double island of New Zealand; western - the archipelagos of Tonga, Samoa and several small islands; central and eastern - Cook Islands, Tubuai, Tahiti, Tuamotu, Marquesas and several isolated islands, including the most distant to the east small island Easter (Rapanui); northern Polynesia is made up of the Hawaiian (formerly called the Sandwich) Islands. Despite the enormous remoteness of the Polynesian islands from one another (between Hawaii and New Zealand, 7.5 thousand km, from Tonga to Easter Island, 5.8 thousand km) and despite the diversity of natural conditions, the population of Polynesia is relatively homogeneous in physical type , language and culture. In particular, the Polynesians are brought together by the language, which in different islands almost the same. It is this unity of the population that makes it possible to classify such remote and different natural conditions archipelagos to one geographic area.
The indigenous population of Polynesia is now about 450 thousand. Before the appearance of Europeans, about 1.1 million people lived here.
Micronesia (which means "small islands", from the Greek "micro" - small) occupies the northwestern part of Oceania, closest to the shores of Asia. It consists of the Gilbert Islands, Marshall Islands (Ralik - Ratak), Caroline Islands, with adjoining the islands of Palau (Pelau), and the Marians ("Robber", according to the old name). The first two archipelagos belong to the eastern, the rest - to western Micronesia. Indigenous population Micronesia is of mixed origin, and its ancestors probably included Polynesians, Melanesians, and Indonesians. In western Micronesia, Indonesian elements are more noticeable, in eastern Micronesia, Polynesian ones. However, despite these local differences, the culture of the Micronesians is basically homogeneous, as are their languages.
Geography of Australia and Oceania
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Oceania is divided into several large regions: Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.
In addition, Oceania includes thousands and thousands of coral islands located along the coasts of the countries in the region. Some definitions include in the region all states and territories in the Pacific Ocean between the North and South America and Asia, in which case Taiwan and Japan would also be part of Oceania, not Asia.
Oceania is not only a geographic region and ecozone, it is also a geopolitical region defined by the United Nations, including Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and others. island states which are not part of the Asian region, as well as the mass of coral atolls and volcanic islets of the South Pacific Ocean, including the Melanesian and Polynesian groups. Oceania also includes Micronesia, a highly scattered group of islands stretching along the northern and southern edge equator.
Oceania, the world's smallest continent, is without a doubt one of the most diverse and amazing regions on the planet.
Oceania islands
Oceania's geographic diversity
Oceania is represented by a variety of landforms, the most significant of which are located in Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. And, since most of the islands of Oceania are represented only by simple points on the map, it is impossible to display their relief and landscape features.
Many of these small islets are the result of ancient volcanic activity, or are coral atolls that surround part or all of the lagoon. Only a few islands have rivers of any significant size, and the same applies to lakes. Therefore, only recognized geographic features and the sights of Australia.
Relief and landscape of Australia
Australia is very arid, only 35 percent of the country's territory receives insignificant precipitation (sometimes not at all). Nearly 20 percent of the country's land area is desert in one form or another.
Lake Eyre Basin
Lake Eyre itself is 16 m below sea level, and is located in the driest part of Australia. It usually contains a little water, but recently, due to the harsh arid conditions in the country, there is no water at all. The Lake Eyre Basin is considered the world's largest internal drainage system, covering an area of one sixth of the total area of the country. Rivers in this region flow depending on precipitation, and because very little of this precipitation falls, isolated water wells are extremely important to life.
Great Sandy Desert
On this arid steppe Western Australia located to the south of the Kimberley Plateau, with an area of almost 300,000 square kilometers, there are scattered shrubs and rocks. It has red sandy ridges (dunes) for miles and is home to very few people.
Great Victoria Desert
Known for its red sand dunes, native wildlife and isolation, the Victoria Desert (nearly 350,000 square kilometers) is almost 750 km wide and is mainly a barren region of red sand hills and ridges. , dry salt lakes, with very large quantity greenery.
Great Artesian Basin
It is one of the largest artesian ground basins in the world and is also life source water for Australian agriculture.
Great Barrier Reef
This picturesque coral reef, approximately 2,000 km long, contains the world's largest coral deposits. It is not a single reef, but rather an unusual mosaic of over 2,800 independent coral reefs. Known all over the world for its beauty and wild nature(there are over 1,500 species of fish alone), it became Australia's first World Heritage Site in 1981.
Great Dividing Range
Located along the eastern / southeastern edge of the country and extending all the way to Tasmania, these mountain ranges and ridges separate the dry Australian hinterland from the coastal regions. The highest point is Mount Kostsyushko (2,228 m) in the Australian Alps. Blue Mountains National Park, a World Heritage Site located in the state of New South wales two hours from Sydney, is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and one of the most visited places in Australia.
Shark Bay
Shark Bay is one of only 14 locations on the planet that meets all four natural criteria for World Heritage Sites. These criteria include outstanding patterns of earth evolution, biological and ecological processes, incredible natural beauty, and a significant number of natural habitats for animals and plants. This bay has the largest number of seagrass species in a single location, and supports a rich aquatic life for dolphins, dugongs, sea snakes, turtles, whales, and of course sharks.
Fraser Island
Located along the Australian Coral sea, north of Brisbane, Fraser Island is Australia's fourth largest island (after Tasmania, Melville, and Kangaroo) and the second largest sandy island in the world. Created thanks to the efforts of the winds over millennia, this island is 120 km long and 15 km wide.
Cape York Peninsula
Considered one of the "last remaining undeveloped areas on Earth", Cape York contains a large number of jagged mountains, rainforests, vast mangroves, grasslands, marshes, and fast-flowing rivers.
Kimberley plateau
Kimberley, most of which is still unexplored, is known for its dramatic red landscapes of cliffs and gorges, and for the very strong ocean tide occurring twice a day, which accelerates rivers to dangerous levels and creates whirlpools. Dozens of islands and coral reefs line the coastline, and access to this region of Australia is very difficult, as there are few roads.
Gibson Desert
Covered with small sand dunes and several rocky hills, this 156,000 sq. km. the desert is home to many Aboriginal reservations. Farming and raising livestock are difficult here due to the lack of rain.
Simpson desert
This desert, 176,500 square kilometers in size, is drifting. Its windswept dunes lack rain, and the summer heat can be fierce. High temperatures in the desert often exceed 50ºC, and although people are advised to exercise extreme caution in this region in summer time years, the desert itself is definitely not lifeless. Tourists are often here in winter time and they frequent spectacular landscapes national park Queensland Simpson Desert.
Desert Tanami
Similarly Large Sandy desert, in this desert there are also many red sandy plains, bush vegetation also prevails in it, and lonely hills are scattered throughout its territory. In general, the desert is uninhabited, with the exception of a few mines and a small livestock farm.
Nullarbor Plain
This sparsely populated area of southwestern Australia is very arid and with very little water. It can only be reached through the Air Hayway intersection, named after the famous explorer Edward John Eyre, who became the first person to cross Australia from east to west in the mid-1800s. Along south coast The local relief of the Great Australian Bight is second to none. The vast stretches of the pure white sand that can be found at the Baxter Rocks, along the Bay, are very impressive.
Darling / Murray River System
The Darling River, 1,879 km long, flows southwest from the banks of the Great Dividing Range to the Murray River. Murray originates in the Australian Alps and flows for 1,930 km. to Spencer Bay, just west of Adelaide. It is the longest river in Australia and is the lifeblood of irrigation for the largest agricultural areas in the country.
Darling Ridge
This low Mountain chain takes place off the southwest coast of Australia. Its highest point is Mount Cook (580 m.).
McDonnell Ridge
Renowned for its Ayrs Rock, and as a favorite hiking and climbing destination, this range of hills, ridges, and valleys is popular for its consistently good weather and beautiful scenery. The highest point is Mount Zil (height - 1,531 m).
Hamersley ridge
A reddish brown low mountain range located in Western Australia, home to many Aboriginal people. This national park is known for its gorges and redstone waterfalls.
Ayrs Rock (Uluru)
Between 28 ° N and 53 ° S; 130 ° East and 105 ° W. This island world includes almost 7 thousand islands. The total area of the island land of Oceania is about 1.3 million km2. This is only 2% of the Pacific Ocean area.
Geographical position, size and relief of the islands closely related to their origin. According to their genesis, the islands of Oceania belong to four main types: continental, biogenic and geosynclinal, which arise in contact zones - island arcs.
The mainland islands are the most significant in terms of area (,). Mountain ranges on them are combined with vast low-lying plains and plateaus. are typical examples of islands of volcanic origin. Coral reefs and atolls are of biogenic origin. Atolls are flat, low ring-shaped islands with a lagoon in the middle that communicates with the ocean. Such are, for example, the islands of Central Polynesia (the Tuamotu archipelago is the most grandiose cluster of atolls in the world). Geosynclinal island arcs lie in the western part of Oceania. The relief of the islands of this type is a combination of mountains and. Such, for example, is the island of New Caledonia, stretched for more than 400 km.
Oceania is driven by the origins and islands. Thus, New Caledonia is characterized by rich deposits of chromites and a number of other metals. , bauxite and oil are mined in New Guinea. Phosphorite deposits have been discovered on the atoll islands.
Oceania islands determined by the geographical location of the territory and the softening influence of the ocean. The main archipelagos of the islands lie in the equatorial and tropical zones of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Only the adjacent islands are located in and around the belt. Average monthly warm month vary from + 25 ° С in the north to + 16 ° in the south; the coldest - from + 16 ° in the north to + 5 ° С in the south. , Caroline and Mariana Islands, as well as New Guinea lie in a strip where the temperature is around + 26 ° C all year round. The softening influence of the ocean affects the slight fluctuations in temperature over the seasons of the year and during the day. There is a lot of precipitation, on average 3000-4000 mm. They are especially abundant in the western part of Oceania, where mountains of mainland islands stand in the way of trade winds from the ocean. However, one of the wettest places on Earth is in the Hawaiian Islands, where upwind slopes of volcanoes receive up to 12,500 mm of precipitation per year.
Species composition and animal world poor and peculiar due to the remoteness and isolation of the islands of Oceania from the rest of the land. The large islands of Oceania are mostly covered with evergreen (on the windward slopes) or. Here, among the trees, ficuses, pandanuses, bamboos, casuarins prevail. There are many valuable trees and plants useful for humans: coconut and sago palms, bread and melon trees, rubber plants, bananas and mangoes. There are many endemic species in the forests of New Zealand: special types of tree ferns, pines (cowrie pine is one of the world's giant trees), cabbage tree, New Zealand flax, etc.
The fauna is also peculiar. It is richer and more diverse on the islands closer to Australia. So, in New Guinea, echidna and tree kangaroo are common, crocodiles are found in. In New Zealand, there is not a flying, but a running kiwi bird. Among the land animals on the islands of Oceania, there are almost no mammals, there have never been predators, there are no poisonous snakes. The coastal waters and lagoons of the islands are unusually rich in various forms of life.
Livestock (cows, pigs, horses), as well as a number of cosmopolitan animals from other parts of the world, were brought to Oceania. Rats have bred on the islands, cats have run wild; goats and rabbits destroyed a significant part of the vegetation, which led to the washing away of the canopy. Irrational use of land, deforestation, pollution of coastal waters, the transformation of some islands into military test sites for nuclear weapons upset the natural balance on the islands of Oceania.
Population Oceania , constituting about 10 million people, represented by indigenous people, settlers and a mixed population. Papuans, belonging to the equatorial race, live in New Guinea and the adjacent islands. The indigenous population of New Zealand (Maori) and other islands in Oceania belongs to a special Polynesian group of peoples, occupying an intermediate position between the three main races of mankind. These peoples have lighter skin and wavy hair than the Papuans. It is still not entirely clear where and in what ways the Polynesians settled the main archipelagos of the islands of Oceania many millennia ago. The migrant population is immigrants from Europe, Asia and America. So, the Anglo-New Zealanders make up 3/4 of the population of this country, and the indigenous people - Maori - only 9%. However, on other islands in Oceania, Aboriginal people (as opposed to Australia) make up the majority of the population.
The inhabitants of Oceania are traditionally engaged in fishing. In New Zealand, immigrants from Europe raise sheep and cattle; meat, wool and butter are the main export products.
Political Map Oceania was formed as a result of the capture of the islands by European and American colonialists in the 19th and 20th centuries. Three decades ago, there was only one independent state in Oceania - New Zealand. Now politically independent Micronesia consists of many (more than 1500!) Small islands in the western part of the Pacific Ocean to the north of (Mariana, Marshalov, Caroline Islands, etc.). New Zealand stands out as a special area of Oceania. And not only in terms of natural and ethnographic conditions, but also taking into account the level of economic development throughout Oceania.
Geographically, Oceania is the world's largest cluster of islands located in the western and central Pacific Ocean. Far from us, between the subtropical latitudes of the Northern and temperate southern hemispheres. Many classifications usually combine Oceania with Australia, although Australia is a continent as we know it.
Oceania is a world of great contrasts, many interesting plants grow here, unique nature and an unforgettable culture.
The total area of the islands is 1.26 million square kilometers (and together with Australia 8.52 million km²). The population is almost 11 million. (for a company with Australia - 32.6 million people).
Oceania is divided into three geographical regions, the names of which inspire thoughts of adventure and virgin nature. Their names are Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia. The islands of Oceania are washed by many seas of the Pacific Ocean - the Coral Sea, Solomon, New Guinea, Tasman Sea, Coro and Fiji, as well as by the Arafura Sea, which belongs to the Indian Ocean basin.
The origin of sushi in Oceania
Geologically, only Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, New Guinea and Tasmania are of continental origin. They were once part of the prototype of Gondwana, which fell apart. Then these islands were solid land, but the waters of the World Ocean rose to a considerable height and part of the surface was flooded. The highest parts of the land that belonged to Gondwana now rise above the water.
The relief of most of the islands is mountainous and highly dissected. Is in Oceania and truly high peaks, including Mount Jaya (mark 5029 m), which is on the island of New Guinea.
Island types
Colossal transformations took place sometime in these places, apparently. It is determined that most of the islands in Oceania have arisen as a result of volcanic activity. Some are the tops of large underwater volcanoes, some of which still show high volcanic activity(for example, in Hawaii). 
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There are also many islands of coral origin in this region. These are atolls that have arisen as a result of the growth of corals around submerged volcanoes (for example, Gilbert Islands, Tuamotu). Such islands often have large lagoons that are protected from open sea numerous islets, the average height of which above the water level does not exceed three meters. 
Oceania has an atoll with the world's largest lagoon - Kwajalein (archipelago Marshall Islands). The ratio of its land area is striking - 16.32 km², but the area of the lagoon is 2174 km². So it is written in the reference books, I had never imagined that the area of the island could be less area bay (lagoon).
There is another record atoll in Oceania. This time the largest in terms of land area. Is called Christmas Island (or Kiritimati) in the Line archipelago, has an area of 322 km². 
Among the atolls, there is also a special type - the raised (or raised) atoll. Such an atoll is a limestone plateau with a height of 50-60 m above sea level. This type of island has no lagoon or traces of its existence in the past. Examples of such atolls are Nauru, Niue, Banaba. 
In the Oceania region, the bottom of the World Ocean has a complex structure. The region is characterized by active volcanism, seismicity and contrasting relief.
Oceania countries
Omniscient Wikipedia gives the following classification:
| Name of region, countries and country flag |
Square (km²) |
Population (estimate as of July 2002) |
Population density (persons / km²) |
Capital | Currency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | |||||
| Australia | 7 692 024 | 21 050 000 | 2,5 | Canberra | AUD (Australian Dollar) |
| Ashmore and Cartier Islands (Australia) | 5 | uninhabited | - | - | |
| Coral Sea Islands (Australia) | 7 | uninhabited | - | - | |
| Norfolk Island (Australia) | 35 | 1 866 | 53,3 | Kingston | AUD (Australian Dollar) |
Melanesia |
|||||
| 12 190 | 196 178 | 16,1 | Port Vila | VUV (Vatu) | |
| Irian Jaya() | 421 981 | 2 646 489 | 6,27 | Jayapura, Manokwari | IDR (Rupiah) |
| New Caledonia (France) | 18 575 | 207 858 | 10,9 | Noumea | |
| Papua New Guinea | 462 840 | 5 172 033 | 11,2 | Port Moresby | PGK (Kina) |
| Solomon islands | 28 450 | 494 786 | 17,4 | Honiara | SBD (Solomon Islands Dollar) |
| Fiji | 18 274 | 856 346 | 46,9 | Suva | FJD (Fiji Dollar) |
Micronesia |
|||||
| Guam (USA) | 541 | 160 796 | 292,9 | Hagatna | USD (USA Dollar) |
| Kiribati | 811 | 96 335 | 118,8 | South Tarawa | AUD (Australian Dollar) |
| 181 | 73 630 | 406,8 | Majuro | USD (USA Dollar) | |
| Federated States Micronesia | 702 | 135 869 | 193,5 | Palikir | USD (USA Dollar) |
| Nauru | 21 | 12 329 | 587,1 | AUD (Australian Dollar) | |
| Palau | 458 | 19 409 | 42,4 | Ngerulmud | USD (USA Dollar) |
| Northern Mariana islands(USA) | 463,63 | 77 311 | 162,1 | Saipan | USD (USA Dollar) |
| Wake Atoll (USA) | 7,4 | - | - | - | |
Polynesia |
|||||
| Baker Island (USA) | 1,24 | uninhabited | - | - | |
| Hawaii (USA) | 28 311 | 1 211 537 | 72,83 | Honolulu | USD (USA Dollar) |
| Jarvis Island (USA) | 4,45 | uninhabited | - | - | |
| Johnston Atoll (USA) | 2,52 | - | - | - | |
| Kingman Reef (USA) | 0,01 | uninhabited | - | - | |
| Kiribati | 811 | 96 335 | 118,8 | South Tarawa | AUD (Australian Dollar) |
| Cook Islands (New Zealand) | 236,7 | 20 811 | 86,7 | Avarua | NZD (New Zealand Dollar) |
| Midway Islands(USA) | 6,23 | - | - | - | |
| Niue (New Zealand) | 261,46 | 2 134 | 8,2 | Alofi | NZD (New Zealand Dollar) |
| New Zealand | 268 680 | 4 108 037 | 14,5 | Wellington | NZD (New Zealand Dollar) |
| Palmyra Atoll (USA) | 6,56 | - | - | - | |
| Isla de Pasqua (Chile) | 163,6 | 5806 | 23,1 | Anga Roa | CLP (Chilean Pesso) |
| Pitcairn Islands (UK) | 47 | 47 | 10 | Adamstown | NZD (New Zealand Dollar) |
| French polynesia(France) | 4 167 | 257 847 | 61,9 | Papeete | XPF (Pacific French Franc) |
| American samoa(USA) | 199 | 68 688 | 345,2 | Pago Pago, Fagatogo | USD (USA Dollar) |
| Samoa | 2 935 | 178 631 | 60,7 | Apia | WST (Samoan tala) |
| Tokelau (New Zealand) | 10 | 1 431 | 143,1 | - | NZD (New Zealand Dollar) |
| Tonga | 748 | 106 137 | 141,9 | Nuku'alofa | TOP (Tongan pa'anga) |
| Tuvalu | 26 | 11 146 | 428,7 | Funafuti | AUD (Australian Dollar) |
| Wallis and Futuna (France) | 274 | 15 585 | 56,9 | Mata-Utu | XPF (Pacific French Franc) |
| Howland Island (USA) | 1,62 | uninhabited | - | - | |
Oceania. Climate
Tropical climate prevails. Oceania is characterized by high rainfall. On the islands located closer to the tropical belt, the average annual temperature is +23 ° C, on the islands in the equatorial region - +27 ° C.
Oceania's climate is influenced by currents such as La Niña and El Niño. Most islands in Oceania are negatively impacted active volcanoes... Tsunamis and typhoons also happen here.
Drastic changes happen here weather conditions- torrential rains give way to droughts.
Oceania population
Although colonialists from Europe and America actively tried to exploit these territories, the majority of the local population are indigenous. Such as Micronesians, Polynesians, Papuans. Polynesians are mixed racial types - they show the features of Caucasians and Mongoloids.
The largest groups of Polynesians are Hawaiians, Maori, Tongans, Tahitians. Each nationality has its own language, a feature of which is the almost complete absence of consonants. 
Among the Melanesians, the linguistic fragmentation of the tribes is very great. Often, residents of even neighboring villages cannot understand each other. Papuans, as in the days of Cook, inhabit some regions of Indonesia and New Guinea. 
All Papuan languages are very similar to each other. But now they are based on the native language of the very same Cook, which, according to legend, was eaten, i.e. English. So if you speak English, you will be able to speak to you easily with a Papuan. 
Flora of oceania
Oceania has a great extent both in latitude and along the meridian. So vegetable world the islands are very diverse. There are representatives here that are quite surprising for us, such as:
- breadfruit,
- coconut palm,
- ferns
- orchids.
Animal world
The fauna of the islands of Oceania is less diverse, because mammals are practically absent.
New Zealand and New Guinea are the most diverse in Okenia. On the small islands of Oceania, first of all, the atolls, mammals are almost never found: many of them are inhabited only by rats, and even then there are few (they are probably guarded there !?).
But the islands are very rich in bird colonies where seabirds nest. Among 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 common bird species are kea (or nestor), kakapo (or owl parrot), takahe (or wingless sultanka).
