Oceania is the name of the largest cluster of large and small islands in the western and central Pacific Ocean on our planet. The islands of Oceania occupy about 1.3 million square kilometers of the Earth's surface and all of them, large and small, are almost 7 thousand.
Oceania Islands Areas
Traditionally, the islands of Oceania are divided by geographers, historians and ethnographers into three groups: Melanesia with the most big island New Guinea, Micronesia, Polynesia with the second largest island in Oceania, New Zealand.
The region of the islands of Oceania Melanesia ("black island")
Melanesia is located in the west of Oceania and, in addition to New Guinea, it includes the Bismarck and Louisiada archipelagos, as well as the D "Anttkastro Islands, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands, New Herbids Islands, New Caledonia Island, Fiji Islands, Loyote and several others. ...
The main share of the territory of Melanesia falls on the island of New Guinea. He owns 829 of the 969 thousand square kilometers occupied by this area of the islands of Oceania.
Islands of Oceania Polynesia ("multi-island")
Polynesia stretches from the southwest to the east of Oceania. The largest islands in Polynesia are New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Wallis, Tokelau, Horn, Cook, Tuvalu, Tubuai, Societies, Marquesas Islands and Easter Island.
265 thousand square kilometers of the total area of Polynesia is in New Zealand, 17 thousand in the Hawaiian Islands and 9 thousand in the rest.
Oceanic Islands Micronesia ("shallow island")
Micronesia is located in the northwest of Oceania. The total area of its islands is only 2.6 thousand square kilometers, but these smallest islands are scattered in the ocean with an area of about 14 million square kilometers.
The main island groups of Micronesia are the Marshalls, Caroline and Mariana islands as well as the Gilbert Islands.
Oceania Islands by Origin
The islands of Oceania differ in their origin and on this basis they are usually divided into four types: volcanic, coral or atoll (biogenic), continental, and geosynclinal.
Volcanic Islands of Oceania
The volcanic islands of Oceania are the tops of dormant or active underwater volcanoes. Among them there are islands ranging from ten square kilometers to several thousand and they are the main type of islands in Oceania.
The most famous of the volcanic islands are Hawaii, Easter Island, Tahiti and Samoa.
Oceania coral islands (biogenic)
Whole colonies of small marine animals - corals - usually settle in shallow ocean waters. For centuries, when corals die off, their skeletons cover the ocean floor, are pressed and form rock formation... Over time, coral reefs and entire islands appear above the surface of the water, and if coral deposits occurred along the contour of the vent of an underwater volcano, then atolls appear - coral islands with a lagoon in the center.
There are hundreds of coral islands (atolls) in Oceania, both single and forming entire archipelagos. These are Caroline, Marian, Marshall Islands as well as the Gilbert and Tuamotu Islands. The largest atoll in Oceania is Kwajalein. Its area is 2.3 thousand square kilometers (including the area of the lagoon) and it belongs to the archipelago of the Marshall Islands.
Oceania mainland
The mainland islands of Oceania were once part of the mainland and became islands as a result of the movement of the earth's crust. So New Guinea Australia is separated from the mainland only by a strait, the bottom of which was land until recently, and New Zealand is part of the huge continent that once existed, which included both Australia and Antarctica.
The mainland islands of Oceania account for 90% of its territory. They have lowlands, mountain systems, and extended mountain plateaus.
- the smallest continent in area, located in the eastern and southern hemispheres. Australia's area is 8 million km2. Extreme points of Australia: North: Cape York (10 ° S, 143 ° E); South: Cape Wilson - (39 ° S, 146 ° E); Western: Cape Steep Point (26 ° S, 113 ° E); Eastern: Cape Byron (28 ° S, 153 ° E). From the west and south, Australia is washed by the waters, from the east - by the waters of the Pacific. In the north and northeast, the shores of Australia are washed by and, in the southeast, by the sea. Coastline in general, not too much cut. In the north there are two large peninsulas: Cape York and Arnhemland, between them is the Gulf of Carpentaria, in the south the Great Australian Bight juts out into the land. In the southeast there is a large island -.
Oceania- a cluster of islands and archipelagos located in the central and southwestern parts. Largest islands Oceania - New and. Oceania has more than 7000 islands with a total area of 1.3 million km2. The relief of Australia is quite flat and monotonous. The center of the mainland is occupied by the Central Plain, the height of which does not exceed 100 m. In the west of the mainland, there is the Western Australian Plateau, 400-500 m in height, in the east - the Great Dividing Range, which owns the highest point of the continent - the city of Kostsyushko (2230 m). These are quite old, heavily destroyed mountains, which descend sharply to the coast, and gradually turn into a plain towards the center of the mainland.
Most of the islands in Oceania have arisen as a result of volcanic activity, the relief of such islands is varied, there are mountains, hills, small ridges. Coral islands are usually flat. There are also islands of mainland origin, for example.
Australia and New Zealand are rich in deposits of iron, manganese, ^ gold, diamonds, oil, etc. On the islands there are reserves of metal ores, phosphorites, however | almost all are poorly developed.
There are no major rivers in Australia. The most big river mainland with a large tributary Darling flows into the Great Australian Bight and belongs to the basin Indian Ocean... There are many screams - empty channels that fill up with water during the rainy season and turn into rivers and streams. There is large lake Air, in summer it is filled with rainwater and can reach 15,000 km2. The rest of the time the lake dries up and breaks up into a number of small ones. Small lakes of volcanic origin.
Most of Australia has a tropical climate. The western edge of the continent is well moistened, since the humid ones from the ocean are retained by the Great Dividing Range. In the central part, the climate is arid, with 250-300 mm of precipitation per year. On the northern coast of the mainland, the climate is humid in summer, rather dry in winter. The southern and eastern parts of Australia are in the zone. It is humid enough in the east, with precipitation throughout the year. On the southern coast it is warm and little rainfall, in the southeast it is hot, and in winter it is also very humid.
All the islands of Oceania, except for, are located in the equatorial and tropical zones, here it is warm, temperature drops and smoothed by the influence of the ocean, so the climate is quite mild. New Zealand has a temperate climate with normal rainfall, mildly warm summers and fairly warm winters.
Australia is located quite isolated from other continents, it was previously separated from the ancient common mainland of Gondwana, therefore it has a unique animal and flora... Many species are endemic here - that is, they are not found on any other continent. In Australia, the last species of oviparous have survived: the platypus and the echidna, there are many marsupials here. Many animals originated from wild domestic animals brought to the mainland from: Dingo dogs, rabbits.
Many plants have adapted to the arid continent, in particular, eucalyptus trees turn their leaves with an edge during the day to reduce evaporation. The bottle tree has a thick trunk in which moisture accumulates.
Savannas are also located in the center of the mainland; red-brown soils are formed here. Here grow eucalyptus trees, evergreen shrubs, ostriches, kangaroos, dingo dogs, wombats. In the northeast, east and west of the mainland, there are zones of humid tropical and subtropical forests, red forests are formed. This zone is home to palm trees, ficuses, beeches, eucalyptus trees, marsupial bears and many birds.
Most of the islands are humid: palms, bananas, breadfruit, etc., there are practically no predators from animals, there are a lot of birds.
Oceania is the name for islands and archipelagos of islands lying in the central and southwestern Pacific Ocean to the north and northeast of Australia between 28 ° N latitude. 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 on them are combined 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 the islands of Oceania are 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, subequatorial and tropical zones of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Only New Zealand and the surrounding 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 in the 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. The large islands of Oceania are 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 natural conditions, but also ethnographic signs 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.
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 coral islands located along the coasts of the countries of 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 and includes Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and other island states that are not part of the Asian region, as well as a mass of coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific, 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 big amount 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 most highest point- 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 famous for its gorges and redstone waterfalls.
Ayrs Rock (Uluru)
Oceania is the name of a region of the world made up of island groups in the Central and South Pacific Ocean. It covers over 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 different sub-regions based on the geological processes that played an important 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, Australia's current physical landscape features have been shaped largely by erosion.
The second region of Oceania consists of islands located at the collision boundaries between the crustal plates. They are found in the South Pacific. For example, on the collision line 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 border of the Eurasian and Pacific plates. Collisions of tectonic plates are responsible for the formation of mountains, such as in New Zealand, which rise more than 3000 m above sea level.
Volcanic islands such as Fiji are the third category of landscape type found in Oceania. These islands tend to rise from the seabed in hotspots in the Pacific Ocean basin. Most of these areas are made up 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 closed lagoons.
Oceania climate
Köppen climate map of Oceania
Most of Oceania is divided into two climatic zones: temperate and. Most of Australia and all of New Zealand is in the temperate zone, and most of the Pacific island territories are considered tropical. The temperate regions of Oceania have high rainfall levels, cold winters, and warm or 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 affected by continuous trade winds and sometimes hurricanes (called tropical cyclones), which historically have caused catastrophic damage to the countries and islands of the region.
Flora and fauna of Oceania
Since most of Oceania lies in the tropical or temperate zone, abundant rainfall helps support the growth of humid and temperate rainforests throughout the region. Rainforests are found in some island countries near the tropics, while temperate rainforests are found in New Zealand. Both types of forest are home to many species of animals and plants, 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 tracts of dry land that support a low flora diversity. In addition, El Niño has caused frequent droughts in recent decades in Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea.
The fauna of Oceania, as well as its flora, is also extremely. Since most of the region is made up of islands, unique species of birds, animals and insects have evolved in complete isolation. The presence of coral reefs such as the Great Barrier Reef and Kingman Reef are also areas of high concentration of flora and fauna, and are considered biodiversity hotspots.
Oceania population
Oceania has a population of about 40 million, with the bulk of the people (about 30 million) living in Australia and New Zealand, while Papua New Guinea has a population of about 8 million. The remainder of Oceania's population 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 best infrastructure. Australia, in particular, possesses many reserves of minerals and raw materials of energy, and also generates most economy of the region. The rest of Oceania and, in particular, the Pacific island states are very poorly developed. Some islands are rich, but most are not. In addition, some of island states are deficient in net drinking water or food.
Agriculture is also important in Oceania and there are three types that are common in the region. These include natural Agriculture, plantation crops and capital intensive agriculture. Subsistence agriculture occurs in most of the Pacific Islands and is carried out to support local communities. Cassava, taro, yams, and sweet potatoes are the most common foods in this type of agriculture. Plantation crops are planted in the middle tropical islands while capital intensive agriculture is practiced only in Australia and New Zealand.
Finally, fisheries and tourism are important sectors of the Oceania economy and a driver of its development. Fishing is an important source of income because many 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 are attracted by developed cities with modern infrastructure. New Zealand has also become an important tourism region in the industry.
Oceania countries
Oceania map / Wikipedia
Below is a list of the 14 independent countries in Oceania, ranked from largest to smallest by area:
1) Australia:
- Area: 7 617 930 km²
- Population: about 25 million 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
