What is the peculiarity of the formation of most of the oceanic islands. Animal world of oceania. On the topic: the nature of the oceanic islands

Island groups and archipelagos of the western and central parts Pacific Ocean combined into a geographical area under common name Oceania. Historically, the division of all the islands into four ethnographic and geographical regions: Polynesia (Tonga, Samoa, Cook, Hawaiian, Easter Island, etc.), Melanesia (O. New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, etc.), Micronesia (Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands, etc.), New Zealand. Most of the islands of Oceania are concentrated in the equatorial belt between 10 ° S. sh. and 20° N. sh.

A great contribution to the study of the nature and population of Oceania was made by the Russian scientist N. N. Miklukho-Maclay. He studied the life of the peoples of the island of New Guinea, left descriptions of the nature of coastal areas. The scientific research of N. N. Miklukho-Maclay was connected with his conviction of the need to protect the backward and oppressed peoples. At the very end of the XIX century. N. K. Sudzilovsky, our countryman, a native of the Mogilev province, lived and worked in the Hawaiian Islands.

Geological structure and relief of Oceania

Remember how the mainland, volcanic and coral islands were formed. The largest mainland islands in Oceania are New Guinea and New Zealand. Volcanism is a characteristic process of this region. In the Hawaiian Islands is Kilauea volcano, one of the most active active volcanoes on Earth. Volcanic islands form giant island arcs. They have an elongated configuration. Oceania is replete with coral islands - reefs and atolls, which form entire archipelagos (Gilbert Islands, Tuamotu).

Climate of Oceania

The islands of Oceania are located mainly in the equatorial, subequatorial and tropical latitudes. Only Northern part Hawaiian archipelago enters the subtropics South part New Zealand is located in the temperate zone. There are two climatic regions in Oceania: trade winds and monsoons. The climate of Oceania is characterized by small temperature fluctuations: from +30 °С during the day to +21 °С at night. Winds from the ocean moderate the heat. It is never too cold or too hot here, so the climate of Oceania is considered the most comfortable in the globe. Main directions sea ​​currents- from east to west. They contribute to the settlement of organisms.

Oceania is dominated by maritime air masses. In areas where monsoon circulation prevails, precipitation is 3000-4000 mm per year. In the Hawaiian Islands, on the windward slopes, more than 12,090 mm of precipitation falls annually. This is one of the wettest places on Earth. The distribution of precipitation is associated with the presence of mountains. There are patches on the island of Hawaii where less than 200mm of rain falls annually.

Among the very dangerous and destructive natural phenomena on the islands of Oceania, tropical hurricanes are noted. They destroy plantations, destroy dwellings, and sometimes the resulting waves wash away all life. Local population beware of settling on the Cook Islands and Tuamotu, where hurricanes are often observed. The subtropical and temperate climate is typical for New Zealand, where in winter there are frosts down to -13 ° C, and snow lies in the mountains.

Flora and fauna of Oceania

The isolation of the island land was most strongly reflected in its flora and fauna. The diversity of the world of plants and animals depends on the age of the islands, their size and distance from the mainland. It is the poorest of all on the coral islands, where the deficit is fresh water and poor soils. Only a few dozen species of plants grow on them. On the islands of Oceania, mainly in Melanesia, the oldest plants, such as tree ferns, reaching 8-15 m in height, have been preserved. The flora of New Zealand is rich and original (pines, palms).

vegetable and animal world Oceania is distinguished by two features. Rare species that are not found on the mainland have been preserved here. At the same time, on many islands, entire groups of organisms common to the mainland are almost completely absent. Many types of flowering plants that are found on land are absent here, but spore plants are widespread. Ancient plants that grew on the mainland in the geological past (podocarpus, agathis (kauri), etc.) have been preserved on the islands.

The fauna of the islands is poor. There are no mammals on many islands, with the exception of rats, mice, goats and cats brought here. There are many seabirds: petrels, albatrosses, gulls that nest here and breed chicks. On the island of New Guinea, there is a weed chicken, a representative of the Australian fauna.

In New Zealand, the oldest flightless kiwi bird, very cautious, living in dense grasses, the Maori shepherd, has been preserved. The kiwi bird is featured on the coat of arms of New Zealand. In New Guinea and New Zealand, rare species of parrots are found - the kakapo, or owl, and the kea parrot with a strong, sharp and curved beak. The first turret lizard has been preserved on one of the islands of New Zealand.

Only 5-7 species of seabirds nest on some islands. At the same time, the number of bird species in New Guinea is more than 100, and the insect fauna of the Hawaiian Islands is rich (more than 3,700 species).

Minerals of Oceania

Mineral resources on the islands of Oceania are distributed extremely unevenly. The economy is carried out where there are valuable minerals. So, in New Caledonia there are up to 25% of the world's nickel reserves, on Christmas Island there are reserves of phosphates. Among the states of Oceania, Papua New Guinea stands out, where there are gold, copper, silver, oil and gas reserves have been explored.

Economic activity of Oceania

The population of Oceania is about 10 million people. There are several hypotheses about the ways of settling Oceania. Most scientists believe that Oceania was inhabited by people from Southeast Asia many millennia ago. According to Thor Heyerdahl's hypothesis, people from America settled in Oceania.

The inhabitants of Oceania were skilled sailors and shipbuilders. They sailed thousands of kilometers from their native islands. Modern inhabitants of Oceania are engaged in agriculture, growing coconut palms, bananas, cocoa, coffee. The traditional trade is fishing. The nature and life of the people of Oceania are largely subject to natural catastrophic disasters (tropical hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanism).

On many islands of volcanic and mainland origin mined ores of non-ferrous metals, coal, develop deposits of phosphorites. Every year the states of Oceania become objects international tourism. The nature of the islands is changing under the influence economic activity person. On the site of the destroyed natural vegetation, plantations have been set up where sugar cane, pineapples, bananas, tea, coffee, rubber and other crops are cultivated.

Political map of Oceania

Modern political map Oceania was formed as a result of the long struggle of the colonial powers for the division of the oceanic archipelagos among themselves. Until the beginning of the 60s. 20th century in Oceania there was one independent state - New Zealand. By the end of the twentieth century. more than 10 independent states were formed in Oceania. A number of islands and archipelagos remain in political and economic dependence on the developed countries of the world. Most of the archipelago of the Hawaiian Islands has been the 50th state of the United States since 1959.

The formation of the nature of Oceania is influenced by the Pacific Ocean, its remoteness from other continents, and its location in tropical latitudes. The basis of the economy of most countries in Oceania is agriculture. Mining is being done on many of the islands.

Geography of Australia and Oceania
Click to enlarge

Oceania is divided into several major regions: Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.

In addition, Oceania includes thousands and thousands of 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 North and South America and Asia, in which case Taiwan and Japan would also be part of Oceania, not Asia.

Oceania is not only geographic region and ecozone, it is also geopolitical region, defined by the United Nations and including Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and others island states, which are not included in the Asian region, as well as a mass of coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific, including Melanesian and Polynesian groups. Oceania also includes Micronesia, a highly scattered group of islands stretching along the northern and southern edge equator.

Oceania, the smallest continent on the planet, is without a doubt one of the most diverse and amazing regions on the planet.

Islands of Oceania

Geographic diversity of Oceania

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 islands are the result of ancient volcanic activity, or are coral atolls surrounding the lagoon in whole or in part. Only a few islands have rivers of any significant size, and the same applies to lakes. Therefore, only recognized geographical features and landmarks of Australia.

Relief and landscape of Australia

Australia is very dry, with only 35 percent of the country receiving little rainfall (sometimes not at all). Nearly 20 percent of the country is desert in one form or another.

Lake Eyre Basin

Lake Eyre itself is located at 16 m below sea level, and is located in the driest part of Australia. It usually contains some water, but recently, due to the harsh arid conditions in the country, it has no water at all. The Lake Eyre Basin is considered the world's largest inland drainage system, covering one-sixth of the country's total area. Rivers in this region flow according to rainfall, and because of the very little rainfall, isolated water wells are essential to life.

Great Sandy Desert

On this dry steppe Western Australia, located south of the Kimberley Plateau, with an area of ​​​​almost 300,000 square kilometers, is represented by scattered shrubs and stones. Red sand ridges (dunes) stretch for miles, and very few people live on its territory.

Great Victoria Desert

Known for its red sand dunes, native wilderness and isolation, the Victoria Desert (almost 350,000 sq. km.) is almost 750 km wide and is mostly a barren area of ​​red sand hills and ridges. , dry salt lakes, with very little big amount greenery.

Great Artesian Basin

It is one of the largest artesian ground basins in the world and is also a lifeblood of 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 throughout the world for its beauty and wildlife(the fish alone is represented by more than 1,500 species), it became the first Australian object world heritage in 1981

Great Dividing Range

Located along the eastern / southeastern region countries, and extending all the way to Tasmania, these mountain ranges and ranges separate the dry Australian interior from the coastal regions. The most highest point- Mount Kosciuszko (2228 m) in the Australian Alps. The Blue Mountains National Park is 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 places on the planet that meet all four natural criteria for the title of World Heritage Site. These criteria include outstanding examples of earth evolution, biological and ecological processes, incredible natural beauty, and a significant amount natural places habitats for animals and plants. This bay has the largest number of seagrass species for a single site, and supports a rich aquatic life for dolphins, dugongs, sea snakes, turtles, whales, and of course sharks.

Fraser Island

Situated 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 sand island in the world. Created thanks to the efforts of the winds over thousands of years, 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, rainforest, vast mangrove forests, meadows, swamps, and fast-flowing rivers.

Kimberley Plateau

The 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 that occurs twice a day, which accelerates the currents in the 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 leading here.

Gibson Desert

covered with small sand dunes and several rocky hills, this 156,000 sq. km. The desert is home to many Aboriginal reservations. Due to the lack of rain, farming and raising livestock are difficult here.

Simpson Desert

This desert, measuring 176,500 square kilometers, is drifting. Its windswept dunes lack rain, and the summer heat can be very brutal. High temperatures in the desert often exceed 50ºC, and while people are advised to exercise extreme caution in this region during the summer months, the desert itself is certainly not lifeless. Tourists often visit here winter time and they often visit impressive landscapes national park Queensland Simpson Desert.

Tanami Desert

Similar to Big sandy desert, this desert also has many red-sand plains, it is also dominated by shrub vegetation, and lonely hills are scattered across its territory. In general, the desert is uninhabited, except for a few mines, and a small ranch.

Nullarbor Plain

This sparsely populated area of ​​southwestern Australia is very dry and has very little water. It can only be reached via the Air Highway crossing, named after the famous explorer Edward John Air, who became the first person to cross Australia from east to west in the mid-1800s. Along south coast The Great Australian Bight has no equal local relief. Vast expanses of pure white sand, which can be found at the rocks of Baxter, along the Gulf, 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. The Murray originates in the Australian Alps and flows for 1,930 km. to Spencer Bay, immediately west of Adelaide. This longest river in Australia, and it is a vital source of irrigation for the country's largest agricultural area.

Darling Ridge

This low mountain range runs off the southwestern coast of Australia. Its highest point is Mount Cook (580 m).

McDonnell Ridge

Made famous for Ayers Rock, and as a favorite destination for hikers and rock climbers, this range of hills, mountain ranges, and valleys is very popular due to the constant good weather and beautiful scenery. The highest point is Mount Zil (height - 1531 m.).

Hamersley Range

A reddish-brown low mountain range located in Western Australia, home to many Aboriginal peoples. This national park known for its gorges and red stone waterfalls.

Ayers Rock (Uluru)

The article talks about Oceania. Provides information about the flora and fauna of the island region. The material includes brief information regarding the climate characteristic of this part of the world. Data on the composition of the population of the region are given, indicating linguistic features.

Geographical position

Oceania is a part of the world, which is a geopolitical region with individual characteristics. The content of the region consists of islands and atolls, which are localized in the western and central parts of the Pacific.

The islands of Oceania are located in the zone of influence of the temperate latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere and the subtropical latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.

There are seven active volcanoes on the island of Hawaii. Among them is Mauna Loa - the world's largest shield-type volcano.

Rice. 1. Mauna Loa volcano.

The height of the volcano from the bottom of the sea to the peak is over a dozen km.

Often in geographical research and scientific works of Oceania to be analyzed together with Australia.

For this reason, it applies geographical name- Australia and Oceania. The total area of ​​the territory is 1.24 million km. sq. The number of inhabitants is 10.6 million people.

Oceania is made up of three geographic regions. Its shores are washed by many seas, including:

• coral sea;
• Solomon Sea;
• New Guinea Sea;
• Tasman Sea;
• the sea of ​​Koro;
• sea ​​of ​​Fiji;
• Arafura Sea.

The geographical concept of "Oceania" was introduced into circulation by the explorer Conrad Malte-Brun in 1812. The name comes from the word "ōkeanós", which literally means "ocean".

Nature and population of Oceania

The majority of the region's islands are indigenous people. The indigenous population includes: Micronesians, Polynesians, Papuans.

Polynesians are a mixed racial group. This is indicated by the features that characterize Caucasians and Mongoloids.

Numerous Polynesian peoples are Hawaiians, Maori, Tongans, Tahitians.

Rice. 2. Hawaiians.

Each of these nationalities has its own language, which practically does not contain consonants.

The racial species of the Melanesians belongs to the type of Australoids. Linguistic diversity is often the reason why residents of neighboring villages simply do not understand each other.

The Papuans inhabit part of the regions of Indonesia and New Guinea.

All Papuan languages ​​are similar to each other. Their base is English. Often, residents of distant regions own English language Ideally.

Oceania is characterized by a greater extent in latitude and meridian. This circumstance had a significant impact on the diversity flora islands. Breadfruit, orchids and ferns grow here.

The fauna of the islands is less rich due to the almost absolute absence of mammals.

Rice. 3. Breadfruit.

The diversity of the animal kingdom is noted only in New Zealand and New Guinea.

But the islands are generous with bird markets, where there are nesting places for sea birds. The most common species of New Zealand are the kiwi birds, which have become the national symbol of the state. Other types of birds such as kea, kakapo, takahe are also common.

What have we learned?

Find out where Oceania is. Get to know the peoples that make up indigenous people main territories. We found out on which of the islands of Oceania the world's largest active volcano is located. Supplemented knowledge from the course of geography of continents and countries for grade 11. We received information about the flora and fauna of the region. We learned about the linguistic features of the peoples inhabiting Oceania.

In addition to the six continents, there are a great many islands in the waters of the oceans. Their nature is varied. Natural complexes Oceania is so unlike the nature of the continents that geographers distinguish it as a special part of the world. What is Oceania? Where is it?

Subject: Continents. Australia

Lesson: Features of the nature of Oceania

Today in class:

You will know what is called Oceania;

You will get acquainted with the geographical position of these islands;

You will see what unique animals live in these parts.

Oceania is the largest cluster of islands located in the central and western parts Pacific Ocean (see Fig. 1).

About 10 thousand islands of Oceania are scattered over a vast territory from the subtropical latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere to the temperate latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. Most of the islands are grouped into archipelagos: New Zealand, Hawaii, Fiji, Tuamotu, etc. This location plays an important role for the nature of the islands.

In Oceania, three parts are distinguished: Melanesia (translated from Greek means "Black Islands"), Micronesia ("small islands"), Polynesia ("Many Islands").

Rice. 1. Map of Oceania

The origin, geographical position and size of the islands of Oceania are closely related to the structure of the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. They are a surface reflection of the underwater oceanic relief, because the islands lie at the bottom of the ocean with their foundations.

The islands of Oceania have different origins: continental, volcanic and coral.

The relief of volcanic islands is mountainous, coral - low-lying. On the vast mainland islands, mountains are combined with plains.

mainland islands formerly were parts of the mainland, and separated from it due to the lowering of land areas below sea level. These islands are located on the shelf.

For example, several tens of thousands of years ago largest island Oceania - New Guinea - was connected to Australia by a 150-kilometer jumper. Its descent is only

30 m led to the formation of the Torres Strait. The islands of New Zealand also have a continental origin (see Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. Mainland Island (New Zealand) ()

Volcanic islands are the surface peaks of the largest underwater volcanoes, whose feet lie on great depths(up to 5 km) (see Fig. 3).

These islands are small, rocky, crowned with cones of extinct or active volcanoes. They are located mainly in groups. For example, the Hawaiian Islands - these are 24 islands - stretched over 2,500 km. They were formed by powerful outpourings of lava from underwater and terrestrial volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. The largest of the islands - Hawaii - was formed by extinct and active volcanoes. Among them is the most high peak in Polynesia - the Mauna Kea volcano (4,210 m).

Rice. 3 Volcanic Island

coral islands formed by marine organisms - coral polyps living inside limestone skeletons (see Fig. 4). Clusters of coral skeletons form reefs- elongated strips - or atolls- small islands ring-shaped.

Rice. 4 Coral Island

The foundation for corals is usually the top of an underwater volcano. Therefore, many volcanic islands are surrounded by coral reefs. All coral structures rise above the water by only a few meters. Therefore, the coral islands are low. They rarely rise above 5 m above sea level and are barely visible among the expanses of water. That is why the legends say that the inhabitants of Oceania "fished" their islands from the ocean floor.

The climate is warm and mild, since most of the islands lie in equatorial and tropical latitudes, only New Zealand enters temperate latitudes.

Air temperatures are high, but the heat is moderated by moist winds from the ocean. They cause heavy rains, so the amount of precipitation is large - more than 4,000 mm per year.

On the windward slopes of the high volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands is the wettest place on Earth, with 12,500 mm of precipitation per year. But on the leeward slopes there is very little precipitation (200 mm). Tropical cyclones originate in Oceania, which are called typhoons in the Northern Hemisphere, and hurricanes in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of them happen in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. They cause great destruction. However, in general, despite these dangerous natural phenomena, the islands are never cold or hot. Therefore, the climate of Oceania is considered the most comfortable on Earth.

The isolation of the islands is the reason for the originality of their organic world. Life is poorest on small and relatively young coral islands; on the mainland it is richer and more diverse.

Due to the difference in moisture (either a lot or a little rainfall), both evergreen wet forests and dry savannas are common.

Coconut and sago palms, melon and breadfruit trees, ficuses, orchids grow in the forests. Among wild plants there are many useful ones - trees with valuable wood (iron and sandalwood), plants with juicy fruits (papaya, mango, bananas); plants that give spices (ginger, nutmeg, pepper). However, the first place undoubtedly belongs to the coconut palm (see Fig. 5).

Rice. 5. Coconut tree

Coral islands with poor soils, lying in a thin layer on coral limestones, have poor grassy vegetation. Their decoration is only groves of coconut palms. Interestingly, the volcanic and coral islands were inhabited by plants with the help of wind, currents, and even birds that carried their pollen, seeds, and nuts.

There are many endemics in Oceania - species of plants and animals that are not found anywhere else. For example, tree ferns and cabbage trees grow only in New Zealand. Now on the islands, natural forests are almost reduced. In their place were plantations of agricultural crops.

Animal world the islands are poor. There are almost no mammals among terrestrial animals (except for mice and rats).

But there are many birds - paradise, pigeons, parrots, weed chickens. The absence of predators led to the appearance of birds without wings - kaguya and kiwi. There are no venomous snakes on the islands either. There are reptiles - geckos, iguanas, lizards, hatteria. The waters surrounding the reefs and islands are home to flying fish, sharks, sea ​​turtles and snakes. Man played an important role in the distribution of animals. The dogs, cats, and pigs he brought in bred heavily and subsequently became feral.

Giant Moa bird, which no longer exists

Before the arrival of man, New Zealand was the kingdom of birds. Mammals, with the exception of a few species of bats, did not exist here. The queen of this feathered state was a giant bird moa ...

Its largest specimens reached two meters at the shoulder and weighed more than 200 kg. The females were almost twice as heavy as the males.

The giant moa had a natural enemy - the giant eagle, the largest bird of prey on the planet (see Fig. 6).

Rice. 6. Image of a Moa bird

Homework

Read § 32. Answer the questions:

1. Into what three groups can the islands of Oceania be divided?

2. What determines the composition of the organic world of the islands?

Bibliography

MainI

1. Geography. Earth and people. Grade 7: Textbook for general education. uch. / A.P. Kuznetsov, L.E. Savelyeva, V.P. Dronov, "Spheres" series. - M.: Education, 2011.

2. Geography. Earth and people. Grade 7: atlas. Series "Spheres".

Additional

1. N.A. Maksimov. Behind the pages of a geography textbook. - M.: Enlightenment.

Literature for preparing for the GIA and the Unified State Examination

1. Tests. Geography. Grades 6-10: Teaching aid / A. A. Letyagin. - M .: LLC "Agency" KRPA "Olimp": Astrel, AST, 2001. - 284 p.

2. Study guide for geography. Tests and practical tasks in geography / I. A. Rodionova. - M.: Moscow Lyceum, 1996. - 48 p.

3. Geography. Answers on questions. Oral exam, theory and practice / V. P. Bondarev. - M.: Publishing house "Exam", 2003. - 160 p.

Thematic tests to prepare for the final certification and the exam. Geography. - M.: Balass, ed. House of RAO, 2005. - 160 p.

1. Russian geographical society ().

3. Study guide for geography ().

4. Geographical directory ().

Composition, geological structure, relief and minerals

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

Definition 1

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

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

The genesis of the islands allows you to select $4 $ of the main types:

• mainland islands;
• Volcanic islands;
• Biogenic islands;
• geosynclinal islands.

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

Definition 2

atolls are flat, low ring-shaped islands in the middle with a lagoon that has a connection with the ocean.

An example atolls are the islands of Central Polynesia - Tuamotu Archipelago, atoll Kwajalein having the largest lagoon in the world in the archipelago Marshall Islands. Coral islands formed in Quaternary the period when there was a subsidence of sections of the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. In the western part of Oceania lie geosynclinal islands. Most of the islands have volcanic origin and some represent peaks underwater volcanoes – Samoa, Cook, Easter, Marquesas Islands. Minerals are distributed over the islands extremely uneven, and on many of them just missing. Developments are carried out only on the largest ones. New Caledonia has nickel reserves, oil and gas are on New Guinea and New Zealand. New Guinea still has reserves copper and gold. Phosphate reserves have been found on atoll islands. As a nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer in the past, many atoll islands were actively developed guano- decomposed droppings of seabirds.

Remark 1

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

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

Climate of Oceania

Remark 2

Oceania lies within the $3$ main and $2$ transitional climatic zones:

• equatorial belt;
• Subequatorial belt;
• Tropical belt;
• Subtropical belt;
• Temperate zone.

Dominant on the islands tropical climate, and subequatorial dominates near Australia and Asia. West of the $180$ meridian, the islands lie in equatorial climate, and in subtropical climate lie islands located north and south of the tropics. Moderate belt ranks most New Zealand. The climate of the islands is determined mainly trade winds, which means that heavy rains fall on them. During the year, the amount of precipitation can vary from $1500$-$4000$ mm. The land features of some islands and its lee sides reduce rainfall and the climate may be drier or wetter. One of the most wet places of the planet is located precisely in Oceania on the eastern slope of the mountain Vaialeale– $11430$ mm per year. The mountain is located on the island Kauai, where $16,916$ mm fell in $ 1982$ - it was an absolute maximum. average temperature+$23$ degrees near the tropics, and +$27$ near the equator. The difference between summer and winter period here is insignificant. two ocean currents El Niño And La Niña have on the climate of Oceania big influence. Flow El Niño due to the fact that the intertropical convergence zone is moving towards equator, i.e. to the north, at La Niña traffic goes south, i.e. from equator A. In the first case, abundant rains, in the second case, there is a strong drought. The river system of the islands is connected with the climate. major rivers is only in New Zealand – the Waikato River and New Guinea - the Sepik and Fly Rivers. Feeding rivers, of course, rainy, and recharge comes from melting glaciers. On the atolls of the river missing at all. lakes, including thermal, are situated in New Zealand, is here and geysers. Lakes on other islands of Oceania are a rarity.

Nature of Oceania

Remoteness from the mainland, the small size of the islands and the huge body of water around to a large extent influenced the nature and life of peoples. The centers of flora formation were major islands, but at the same time, many plant species from Australia migrated to the islands, Malay Archipelago and Southeast Asia.

Remark 3

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

• Malesian floristic subregion;
• Hawaiian subregion;
• New Zealand subregion.

Malesian the subregion is characterized by numerous tropical families - pandanus, ficus, water lily, banana, laurel and widespread legumes. There are many epiphytes - ferns, orchids.

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

For New Zealand In the sub-regions, species of Compositae, ferns, sedges, and grasses will be numerous.

The most common plants in Oceania are coconut and breadfruit trees. Their fruits are used for food, and wood is a source of heat and building material. The endosperm of the coconut palm nuts is the source copra, and it is the basis of the export of the countries of Oceania. Hawaiian Islands and New Zealand there are endemics flora and fauna. coral the islands are very poor species composition. From cultivated plants grow pineapples, bananas, sugarcane. The composition of the fauna has specific features that are associated with the open spaces of the ocean, causing difficulties for the resettlement of animals. Species composition of the fauna poor, complete absence mammals. In this regard, a significant part of Oceania stands out in Polynesian zoogeographic region. Many flying birds - swifts, pigeons. From small animals - bats, dogs, foxes, lizards. Insects are accidentally introduced on the trunks of floating trees. In New Zealand, the representative of the fauna is kiwi is the national symbol of the country. Of the endemics - kea or nestor, kakapo or owl parrot, takahe or wingless sultan.

Remark 4

Oceania developed under conditions of long isolation from mainland land. It determined originality its landscapes, manifested in the geological structure and relief, in high endemism and poverty of species composition of flora and fauna. These reasons give grounds for singling out Oceania as a special part of the world unparalleled on the continents.