Dependent territories of the Oceania. Island States of Oceania

Australia was discovered at the beginning of the 17th century by the Dutch admiral Willem Janszon. Before this significant event, the continent was inhabited by local natives, and after the appearance of Europeans, it began to modern history. Janszon, like Christopher Columbus, did not know until the end of his life what he discovered new mainland. In 1770, the navigator James Cook approached the east coast of Australia and discovered it, according to the official version.

Geographical position

Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. This continent is recognized as the smallest on Earth, the area is 7,659,861 km 2. The length from north to south is approximately 3200 km, and from west to east - 4000 km. Depending on the location, the climate has its own characteristics: in the south it is subtropical, in the central part - tropical, and in the north - subequatorial. The western and southern parts are washed Indian Ocean, and northern and east coasts border on the Coral, Timor, Tasman and Arafura seas.

Across the Bass Strait are the Tasman Islands. At northern shores Australia is the islands of Bathurst, Melville, Groote Island. At south coast within the continental shelf are the islands of Kangaroo, Flinders and King. by the most large islands in the west it is considered Dirk Hartog, and in the east it is Fraser.

Main geographical features

The main territory of the continent is located on the old Australian platform, the former part of the Gondwana mainland in the southern part of the Earth. Plains are the predominant landform. Only 5% of the surface is above 600m above sea level. highest point located in the Australian Alps - Kosciuszko, height 2230m. The lowest mark belongs to Lake Eyre and is located 16m below sea level.

Main landforms:

• The Western Australian Plateau, having elevated edges in the form of the Musgrave Mountains (1440m) and the McDonnell Range (1511m) in the east, the Kimberley Massif (936m) in the north, the Hamersley Sand Range (1251m) in the west and the Darling Range (571m) in the southwestern part;
• Central lowland, the heights of most of which do not exceed 100m;
• The Great Dividing Range, which has flat steep peaks, which in the western parts pass into hilly foothills.

Countries of Australia and Oceania

The federal state of Australia is included in the Commonwealth led by Great Britain. The Commonwealth of Australia is made up of 6 states ( South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania) and 2 territories (the Capital Territory and northern territory). The country's area of ​​7.7 million km 2 is home to 18.2 million people, most of whom preach Christianity. The official language is English. The capital is the city of Canberra. A characteristic feature of the country is its considerable remoteness from other continents, all its borders are washed by the waters of the World Ocean.

Oceania countries

Oceania is the largest and most numerous cluster of islands in the world. In total, it consists of more than 10 thousand islands. It is located on an area of ​​1.26 million km 2 in the Central and Western Pacific Ocean. In this part of the world, in addition to Australia, there are sovereign and not dependent states located on the islands of Oceania. State borders passing through the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Conventionally, all states of the region can be classified according to the degree of independence:

• Absolutely sovereign: Solomon Islands, Nauru, Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati, Palau;
• Practically independent states, which are part of the commonwealth founded by Great Britain: New Zealand, Australia, Western Samoa, Tonga, Popua New Guinea, Tuvalu;
• semi-colonies associated with the United States of America: Micronesia, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands;
• Colonies: French - New Caledonia, French polynesia; American - Eastern Samoa.

List of countries in Australia and Oceania

Major countries in Australia:

(with detailed description)

Nature

Nature, plants and animals of Australia

Australia received the title of the most environmentally friendly continent. Approximately 5% of the land area is occupied national parks and nature reserves, which are of particular importance for the entire population of the planet. Some elements of the Australian ecosystem have similarities with the flora and fauna of South Asia, Antarctica and South America...

The fauna of Australia is not very diverse, especially on the island territory. This is due to the isolated location of the continent, the fauna on which was forced to develop independently of other land areas. In total, there are 235 species of mammals, 720 species of birds, 420 reptiles and 120 species of amphibians on the continent and islands. An interesting fact: in the territory of New Zealand, mammals are completely absent in the wild fauna, 93% of species and subspecies of birds are not found anywhere except in this area.

The visiting card of the animal world of Australia is monotremes and marsupials. Monotremes have been preserved exclusively in this territory in the form of two families: platypus and echidna. Despite the general poverty of animal species, marsupials are represented here in as many as 150 species: marsupial anteaters, predatory, marsupial moles, wombats, couscous, kangaroos and many others.

Climatic conditions

Seasons, weather and climate of the countries of Oceania

The countries of Australia and Oceania are located at latitudes of several climatic zones: moderate (significant part South Island New Zealand), subtropical (in the north and south of the tropics), tropical, subequatorial (skeletons adjacent to Asia and Australia, as well as east of the 180th meridian) and equatorial (west of the 180th meridian) ...

The average annual temperature in the tropics is approximately +23 o C, in the equatorial part - +27 o C. At the same time, the difference between months and seasons is practically not felt. The climate of the skeletons of Oceania is largely determined by the action of the trade winds, therefore local population accustomed to heavy and frequent rainfall. On average, from 1500 to 400 mm of heavy tropical rain falls annually. Here is the wettest place on the planet - the island of Kauai, which is on the Eastern slope of Mount Waialeale. The absolute record of this area was set in 1982: 16,916 mm of precipitation fell here in 365 days. It is worth noting that some islands have an arid climate due to relief anomalies.

Peoples of Australia

The peoples of Australia and Oceania: culture and traditions

The population of the mainland, according to the latest data, exceeds 23.5 million people, of which 95% belong to the Caucasian race. These are the descendants of the Irish, Scots and English, who immigrated here in the 18th-19th centuries. A slightly smaller share is occupied by the descendants of Germans, Dutch, Greeks, Italians, Poles and Scandinavians. The census has determined that some Australians also attribute to themselves Arabic, Chinese and African roots ...

A separate Australoid race is represented by small tribes of the indigenous peoples of Australia - the Aborigines. They live in small settlements in the northern, northwestern and central parts continent. The most widely spoken language on the continent is official language Australia - English. In addition to it, Italian, Arabic, Chinese and Greek speech sounds in the vastness of Oceania.

The article tells about the states that are part of Oceania. Explains which of the countries in the region is located on the mainland. The material explains which peoples inhabit the region and for what reason it is considered sparsely populated.

Where are the countries of Oceania located?

Oceania is a massive cluster of islands that are localized in the southwestern and central Pacific waters. More than 11 million people live in this region. About four dozen states and territories belong to Oceania, almost a dozen (13) of which are classified as sovereign powers. The Oceania region is divided into three sub-regions.

According to the geological specificity and method of formation, the islands of Oceania are divided into:

• mainland-type islands;
• coral islands;
• volcanic islands.

Islands: New Zealand and New Guinea are large continental islands. They cover 87% of the territory. These are islands with a mountainous landscape, which are localized in the southwestern tip of Oceania, the rest of the islands are dispersed in the Pacific.

Rice. 1. Islands of Oceania.

The islands of Oceania occupy a third of the Pacific.

island states Oceania is characterized by a low level of population. The bulk of the population are representatives of the Australoid racial group: Polynesians, Melanesians and Papuans.

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The list of countries in Oceania is as follows:

• Australia;
• Papua New Guinea;
• New Zealand;
• Solomon islands;
• Fiji;
• Vanuatu;
• Samoa;
• Kiribati;
• Tonga;
• Federated States of Micronesia;
• Palau;
• Marshall Islands;
• Tuvalu;
• Nauru.

Countries and capitals of Australia and Oceania

This is the most sparsely populated part of the world. Only 30 million people live here. The area is characterized by a combination unique nature and modern metropolitan areas.

Australia is the largest state in the region.

Rice. 2. Canberra - the capital of Australia at night.

the only state in this territory, which is on the mainland, is Australia.

Many of the islands do not have independence - they belong to the territories of other countries.

The most important tourist attractions in Australia and Oceania are oriented towards the natural specifics of the region. Footprints ancient civilizations are lost here, and the legacy of the European colonizers is not so attractive due to relatively recent history. The colonialists settled here quite recently. Most a prime example can be considered the development of the territories of developed island states in terms of modern architecture and infrastructure.

Rice. 3. Wellington is the capital of New Zealand.4.1. Total ratings received: 79.

On the planet. Associated with the culture and history of Oceania interesting events and facts. For example, it was here that many ghost islands were mistakenly discovered during the Great Geographical Discoveries.

Where is Oceania located

The countries of Oceania are located on islands in the waters of the west and center of the Pacific Ocean. Oceania is a collection of several thousand islands located between Malay Archipelago and Australia. The territory is geographically, since the time of the French navigator Dumont-d'Urville, divided into Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia.

Micronesia includes a number of small islands in northwestern Oceania. Polynesian Islands form a triangle in the east, the top of which is Hawaii. Melanesia is the territory of the southwestern part.

Islands of Oceania

The total land area of ​​the islands of Oceania is 1.26 million square kilometers. is the largest concentration of islands in the world. The climate and relief of each island is unique.

Basically, the islands have coral or volcanic origin. There are those among them that are peaks underwater volcanoes or ridges. Volcanic activity and earthquakes are still observed on the islands. The largest objects are located closer to Australia: New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Zealand.

Oceania countries

On the islands of Oceania are sovereign and the borders of states pass through the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Some of the islands are the possessions of Europe and America.

In foreign geographical literature Australia and Oceania united under common name Oceania. Given this feature, one can also note such a sovereign state as Australia with

There are states in Oceania associated with European countries and USA.

Among the islands of Oceania there is also the Chilean province of Isla de Pascua, which includes several islands, including the famous West Side Oceanic is a territory of Indonesia. Thus, the countries of Oceania are as unique as the cardinal direction on which they are located. Here is the smallest non-European state in the world. Nauru - in Oceania, the number of inhabitants of which is about 13 thousand.

Oceania Tourism

Oceania, following the Malaysian archipelago, in last years actively developing the tourism market. Some islands, in particular Hawaii, have become world famous resorts. and Oceania pay great attention to the development tourism business, improving the quality of service, developing tourist routes. Of course, the most developed are Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand and the islands, country-owned Europe and America. There are many tourists from Japan, South Africa, Canada, and the USA in Oceania. From Europe, a flight to Oceania takes an average of 22 hours. Such a long flight and, accordingly, the cost of the flight are perhaps the only reasons that may be an obstacle to visiting the countries of Oceania.

The countries of Oceania are attractive for tourists, first of all, with oceanic nature and beaches.

Oceania offers a wide range of spa treatments. There are enough places for decent shopping. Active tourist will find something to his liking. Open in Australia and New Zealand ski resorts with different levels. Diving and snorkelling in the waters of the Pacific Ocean is varied and exciting.

Most popular resorts Oceania are Lahaina, Honolulu, Wailea (Hawaii), Bora Bora, Tahiti, Fiji.

The history of discovery and the culture of the countries of Oceania are associated with interesting facts. For example, the first to Australia on permanent residence exiles left Europe. Europeans reached the Fiji Islands in the 17th century, but a colony was formed here only in the 19th century, since the natives of Fiji were cannibals. 10% of the population Solomon Islands are blondes: scientists could not give an explanation for the appearance of a special gene in their DNA. The only country in the world that is located in four hemispheres at once is Kiribati. With over 800 languages ​​coexisting in Papua New Guinea, it is the most multilingual country in the world. Previously, in the Yap island group, money was huge stones, with a diameter of up to 3 meters.

Oceania is a part of the world, which consists of the largest cluster of islands and atolls in the world, located in pacific ocean. Quite often, Australia is attached to this part of the world.

The countries of Australia and Oceania include 4 regions:

1. Australia;
2. Melanesia;
3. Micronesia;
4. Polynesia.

Independent and dependent states are located on the territory of each of the regions.

The Australian continent can be briefly described as follows:

Melanesia

The Melanesia region consists of the following countries:

The country is part of the British Commonwealth. The entire economy of Vanuatu is built on the agricultural sector. It is in agriculture that more than 80% of all working residents of this island republic are employed.

micronesia

Micronesia is made up of the following states:

1. . The capital is the city of Hagatna. The island of Guam is known in the world as a resort. More than 20 hotels with a high level of service have been built on the territory of the state. Most Vacationers on Guam are Japanese.

   Guam is the largest of the Mariana Islands located in the Western Pacific Ocean.

2. Kiribati is an island nation resembling lost World. For many centuries indigenous people country adheres national traditions. Kiribati is an exceptional place where there is no TV and Internet.
3. The Marshall Islands cover only 181 sq. km. This archipelago is famous for growing coconut trees, breadfruit and exotic tropical fruits. The capital of the republic is the city of Majuro. Not in the archipelago a large number natural resources and developed industry. The entire budget of the country is formed by foreign financial assistance and income from the tourism sector.
4. Nauru is a country without a capital. This state is striking in its miniature size. The area of ​​Nauru is only 21 square meters. km. The island is not in demand among vacationers because of the very hot climate. This dwarf country is located almost on the equator. During the day the air temperature reaches +40. Today, this state can hardly be called developed. Phosphorites were previously mined on the territory of Nauru, but today the extraction of this natural resource suspended.
5. Palau is an archipelago of over 200 small islands. But people live only on 8 of them. The population does not exceed 19,000 people. Palau is one of the most famous resorts diving.
6. - This administrative territory who did not join America. This community occupies only 477 square meters. km. It is famous for highly developed tourism and colorful national traditions.

   Mariana Islands - a paradise for tourists

7. Atoll Wake. total area The territory of the island is only 6.5 sq. km. This small state is subordinate to the United States of America. An American military base, so it is practically closed to tourists.