Oh wa oceania. Basic characteristics of Oceania. Great Artesian Basin

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

What is Oceania?

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

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

Papua New Guinea

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

Fiji

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

New Zealand

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

Solomon islands

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

Animal and plant world

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

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

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

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

ETHNOMIR, Kaluga region, Borovsky district, Petrovo village

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

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

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

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 group Oceania with Australia, even though Australia is a continent as we know it.

Oceania is a world of great contrasts, many interesting plants grow here, unique nature and 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 people. (for the company with Australia - 32.6 million people).

Oceania is divided into three geographic regions, whose names alone evoke thoughts of adventure and wilderness. Their names are Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia. The islands of Oceania are washed by many seas of the Pacific Ocean basin - the Coral Sea, Solomon, New Guinea, Tasman Sea, Koro and Fiji, as well as the Arafura Sea, which belongs to the Indian Ocean basin.

Origin of land in Oceania

Geologically, only Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, New Guinea and Tasmania are of continental origin. Once they were part of the Gondwana proto-mainland, which broke 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. Now the highest parts of the land that belonged to Gondwana protrude above the water.

The relief of most of the islands is mountainous and heavily dissected. There are truly high peaks in Oceania, including Mount Jaya (mark 5029 m), on the island of New Guinea.

Island types

Collosal transformations took place once in these places, apparently. It is determined that most of the islands of Oceania arose 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 the Hawaiian Islands).

There are also many islands of coral origin in this region. These are atolls that arose as a result of the growth of corals around submerged volcanoes (for example, the Gilbert Islands, Tuamotu). On such islands, large lagoons are often found, which are protected from the open sea by numerous islets, the average height of which does not exceed three meters above the water level.

In Oceania, there is an atoll with the world's largest lagoon - Kwajalein (the archipelago of the Marshall Islands). The ratio of its land area is striking - 16.32 km², but the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe lagoon is 2174 km². So it is written in reference books, I had not imagined before that the area of ​​the island could be less than the area of ​​the bay (lagoon).

There is another record-breaking atoll in Oceania. This time the largest in terms of land area. It is called Christmas Island (or Kiritimati) in the Line archipelago, has an area of ​​322 km².

Among the atolls, a special type is also found - an elevated (or elevated) atoll. Such an atoll is a limestone plateau with a height of up to 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

The all-knowing Wikipedia gives the following classification:

Oceania. Climate

Tropical climate prevails. Oceania is characterized by high rainfall. On the islands located closer to the tropical zone, the average annual temperature is +23 °C, on the islands near the equator - +27 °C.

The climate of Oceania is influenced by currents such as La Niña and El Niño. Most of the islands in Oceania are exposed to the negative effects of active volcanoes. Tsunamis and typhoons also happen here.

There are sharp changes in weather conditions here - heavy rains are replaced by droughts.

Population of Oceania

Although the colonialists from Europe and America actively tried to exploit these territories, the majority of the local population are indigenous people. Such as Micronesians, Polynesians, Papuans. Polynesians are mixed racial types - they show features of Caucasians and Mongoloids.

The largest groups of Polynesians include 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 large. Often, residents of even neighboring villages cannot understand each other. The Papuans, as in the time 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 same Cook, who, according to legend, was eaten, i.e. English. So if you speak English, you can easily speak with a Papuan.

Flora of Oceania

Oceania has a large extent both in latitude and along the meridian. Therefore, the flora of the islands is very diverse. There are representatives here that are absolutely amazing 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.

The most diverse in Oceania are New Zealand and New Guinea. On the small islands of Oceania, primarily atolls, mammals are almost never found: many of them are inhabited only by rats, and even then few (they are probably guarded there!?).

But the islands are very rich in bird markets, where sea birds nest. Of the representatives of the fauna of New Zealand, the most famous are the kiwi birds, which have become the national symbol of the country. Other common bird species are kea (or nestor), kakapo (or owl parrot), takahe (or wingless sultan).

What else is abundant on all the islands of Oceania is lizards, snakes and insects.

During the European colonization of the islands, alien species of plants and animals were introduced to many of them, which negatively affected the local flora and fauna.

The region has a large number of protected areas, many of which occupy large areas. For example, the Phoenix Islands in the Republic of Kiribati have been the world's largest marine reserve since January 28, 2008 (the area is 410,500 km²).

Describe how to get to the countries of Oceania I don’t see the point here, because the region is very remote from our country, it’s most realistic to get there only by plane and how exactly it depends on the country you choose.

If you look at the map of the Pacific Ocean, you can see the largest cluster of islands on our planet - Oceania. Islands - and large, and small, and very tiny - there are more than ten thousand. They are divided into Polynesia (in Greek it means "many islands"), Micronesia and Melanesia.

Many islands in Oceania are coral atolls. However, most of them are just the tops of underwater volcanoes.

Easter Island in Oceania is known for its amazing moai statues with elongated heads and short bodies that reach twenty meters in height.

What is Oceania? wikipedia
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Oceania is the largest cluster of islands on Earth located in the central and western parts of the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are scattered from the subtropical latitudes of the Northern to the temperate latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere.

Oceania includes more than 7 thousand islands with a total area of ​​1.3 million km2. Most of the islands are grouped into archipelagos: New Zealand, Hawaii, Fiji, Tuamotu, etc.

(see map).

Oceania became known to Europeans in the 16th century, since the first round-the-world voyage of F. Magellan.

A special chapter in the history of its discovery and research is the voyages of J. Cook and the campaigns of Russian navigators V. M. Golovnin, F. P. Litke, S. O. Makarov and others. Only in the 19th century. More than 40 Russian expeditions visited the Pacific Ocean, which collected valuable scientific information.

A great contribution to the study of the nature and population of Oceania was made by N.

Map of Australia and Oceania

N. Miklukho-Maclay. He not only studied the life and way of life of the peoples of the island of New Guinea, but also compiled interesting descriptions of the shores of the tropical sea. The Russian names on the map testify to the contribution of our compatriots to the study of Oceania: the Maclay Coast, the Russian Islands, the atolls of Suvorov, Kutuzov, Lisyansky, etc.

Features of nature. The islands of Oceania are very picturesque. The bizarre outlines of green mountainous islands that have arisen on the horizon, the view of flat atolls overgrown with slender palm trees, with a coastal strip of white coral or black volcanic sand amaze the human imagination.

Most of the islands of Oceania are surrounded by coral reefs, which take on the blows of formidable ocean waves and extinguish their gigantic strength.

The physical and geographical position, size and origin of the islands are closely related to the structure of the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

Most of the islands of Oceania are volcanic and coral, some of them are the tops of underwater ridges. There are also mainland islands. The islands in the west of Oceania lie in the region of island arcs formed at the boundary of lithospheric plates (see Fig.

The position in the vast expanse of water, the small size of the land and remoteness, the isolation of the islands from the mainland land and from each other had a significant impact on the nature of the islands and on the life of the peoples of Oceania.

Most of the islands are located in the equatorial, subequatorial and tropical zones.

Only New Zealand and its adjacent islands are subtropical and temperate. The climate of Oceania is warm, even, mild, especially favorable for human life. Due to the position of the islands on either side of the equator, air temperatures are high, but winds from the ocean moderate the heat considerably.

Temperature fluctuations by season and during the day are insignificant. The change in air pressure over the expanses of the ocean leads to frequent hurricanes.

The isolation of the islands most strongly affected their flora and fauna.

He is very idiosyncratic. Life is poorest on small and relatively young coral islands, while on the mainland it is somewhat more diverse and richer. There are no predators or poisonous snakes in the animal world of the islands. The coastal waters of the islands and especially the atolls are rich in life.

Therefore, islands in the ocean are, as it were, oases in the middle of a water desert.

Along with common features in the nature of the islands, there are differences.

High mountainous mainland islands alternate with flat atolls, some lie on the equator and have a hot climate, others are located in the subtropical zone, where it is hot only in summer.

The natural complexes of coral islands are most closely connected with the ocean. They are inhabited by marine animals leading an amphibian lifestyle, such as crabs. Many atolls are breeding grounds for seabirds. Coconut palms and shrubs grow on these islands, adapted to strong winds saturated with moisture and sea salt.

Maps of Oceania

A) Fiji B) Western Samoa C) New Zealand D) Tonga E) Papua New Guinea

2. People of the equatorial race are different

A) yellow skin color and wide open eyes B) an elongated skull and light skin C) a narrow nose, a narrow slit of the eyes D) dark skin color, curly hair E) a narrow nose and curly hair

3. Earth's deepest ocean

A) Atlantic B) South C) Indian D) Pacific E) Arctic

4. Frequent movements of the earth's crust at the bottom, great depths, many volcanoes and islands are features

A) Indian Ocean B) Arctic Ocean C) Pacific Ocean D) Southern Ocean E) Atlantic Ocean

"Homeland" of the Papuans

A) Tasmania B) Australia C) New Zealand D) New Guinea E) Madagascar

6. Navigator who made the first trip around the world

A) A. Vespucci B) H. Columbus C) J. Cook D) F. Magellan E) M. Polo

7. The deepest place, the Mariana Trench, is in the ocean

A) Arctic B) South C) Atlantic E) Pacific E) Indian

8. The area of ​​​​the smallest continent with islands (million km²)

A) 7.7 B) 30.3 C) 9 E) 24.2 E) 17.8

9. More than 90% of Australians are

A) Germans B) Dutch C) Aborigines D) Anglo-Australians E) Peoples of the Slavic group

10. Tasmania is part of

A) New Zealand B) Papua New Guinea C) Commonwealth of Australia E) Fiji E) Indonesia

11.Australia major exporter

A) Bauxites, coal B) Gas, nickel C) Automobiles, equipment D) Forests, building materials E) Oil, tin

12. The main wheat areas in Australia are located on

A) South and north B) West and central C) North and northeast D) Southwest and southeast E) Northeast and south

13. Oceania is called

A) The science that studies the oceans B) The totality of the oceans C) Artificial breeding of fish E) The islands and archipelagos of the Pacific Ocean E) All coastal zones

14. New South Wales is in

A) Australia B) Argentina C) Canada D) Great Britain E) Brazil

15. The world's largest sheep breeding area is considered

A) The Great Plain of China B) The Great Plains of the United States C) The Mississippi Lowland D) The deserts and semi-deserts of Australia E) Patagonia

16. The world's largest bauxite mining area is located in

A) Australia B) France C) Argentina D) Saudi Arabia E) Japan

17. The east coast of Australia was opened

A) Vespucci B) Columbus C) N.N. Miklukho-Maclay D) Cook E) Livingston

18. The leading place in terms of coal reserves is occupied by

A) Australia and the USA B) Kazakhstan and Ukraine C) China and Russia E) Great Britain and Germany E) South Africa and Nigeria

19. Capital of Australia

A) Sydney B) Melbourne C) Canberra D) Bronan Hill E) Adelaide

A)4228 B)2528 C)2228 E)3778 E)3528

21. The first place in the number of sheep is

A) New Zealand B) South Africa C) Australia D) China E) India

22. All points of mainland Australia have a latitude

A) Western B) Eastern C) Northern D) Southern E) Northern and southern

23. Australia has the same natural areas as

A) Central Africa B) North Africa C) South Africa E) West coast of Africa E) East coast of Africa

24. The indigenous inhabitants of Oceania build houses and boats from this plant, and eat the fruits

A) bottle tree B) coconut palm C) eucalyptus D) baobab E) shrubs

25. Mainland, on which there are no active volcanoes and modern glaciation

A) America A) Australia C) Africa D) Eurasia E) Asia

26. Permanent residence of the Papuans

A) New Guinea B) Australia C) New Zealand D) Madagascar Island E) Tasmania Island

27. The state of Oceania, which is called "three times open"

A) Australia B) New Zealand C) New Guinea E) Polynesia E) Philippines

28. Part of Australia that is a mountainous country

29. Part of Australia, located in the subequatorial belt

A) northern B) southern C) eastern D) western E) central

30. The largest lake in Australia

A) Murray B) Pennong C) Leonora D) Air E) there are no lakes in Australia

Homenbsp> nbsp Wiki tutorialnbsp> nbsp Geography> nbsp7 classnbsp> nbspOceania and its geographic location: climate and population of Oceania

Geographical position

Oceania lies between the temperate latitudes of the southern hemisphere and the subtropical latitudes of the northern hemisphere.

Oceania is often considered a geography along with Australia.

There is even a geographical name - Australia and Oceania.

The total area of ​​the ocean is 1.24 million km. 2. The population is 10.6 million km.

Map - Oceania (Oceania)

Oceania is divided into three geographical regions - Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia. Oceania is washed by many seas - sea coral, Solomon, New Guinea, the Tasman Sea, Koro and Fiji, belonging to the Pacific Ocean basin and the Arafura Sea (Indian Ocean).

Climate Oceania

Most oceans have a tropical climate.

For most of the islands of Oceania, there are heavy rains. On the islands closer to the tropical zone, the average annual temperature is 23 ° C, on the islands around the equator - 27 ° C.

The ocean climate is affected by the La Niña and El Niño currents. Most of the islands in Oceania are subject to the negative effects of active volcanoes, tsunamis and typhons.

The region is characterized by a strong change in weather conditions - droughts are replaced by rainstorms.

Population Oceans

The majority of the population on the islands of Oceania is represented by natives, including Micronesians, Polynesians, Papuans.

Polynesians are mixed racial types - they look at the characteristics of Europeans and Mongoloids.

The largest peoples of Polynesia are Hawaiian, Maori, Tongan and Tahiti. Each nation has its own language, which is the almost complete absence of unanimous sounds.

The racial species of melanezan are the australolides.

The spread of the languages ​​of the Melanes tribes is very large - it is common for the inhabitants of neighboring villages to not understand each other. Papuans live in some regions of Indonesia and New Guinea.

All Papuan languages ​​are very similar.

They are based on English, so people from remote regions know English well.

economy

The vast majority of countries in Oceania have a very weak economy. The reasons for this are factors such as the distance of the islands from the developed superpowers, limited resources and lack of personnel.

Many countries are completely dependent on Australia and the United States of America. The basis of the economy is agriculture.

Among the most common crops are coconut palm, small fruits and bananas. Some countries have a fishing fleet.

Industry is developing in only three regions - New Guinea, New Caledonia and New Zealand.

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Oceania is a part of the world, which is a separate geopolitical region, which consists of many islands and atolls located in the western and central Pacific Ocean.
Geographical position

The islands of Oceania are located between the temperate latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere and the subtropical latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Often in geography, Oceania is considered together with Australia.

There is even a geographical name Australia and Oceania.

History of Oceania

The total area of ​​Oceania is 1.24 million km 2. The population is 10.6 million people.

Oceania is divided into three geographical regions - Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia.

Oceania is washed by the numerous seas of the Coral, Solomon, New Guinea, Tasman Seas, the Koro and Fiji Seas, which belong to the Pacific Ocean, as well as the Arafura Sea (Indian Ocean).
Climate of Oceania

Most of Oceania has a tropical climate. Most of the islands in Oceania are characterized by heavy rainfall.

On the islands that are located closer to the tropical zone, the average annual temperature is 23 C, on the islands near the equator 27 C.

The climate of Oceania is also influenced by currents such as La Niña and El Niño. Most of the islands of Oceania are exposed to the negative effects of active volcanoes, tsunamis and typhoons.

This region is characterized by a sharp change in weather conditions, droughts are replaced by heavy rains ...

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ht+tp://w+ww.nado5.ru/e-book/okeaniya

Between 28°N and 53°S; 130°E 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 area of ​​the Pacific Ocean.

Geographical position, size and relief of the islands closely related to their origin. By genesis, the islands of Oceania belong to four main types: continental, biogenic and geosynclinal, which occur 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. The Hawaiian Islands are a typical example 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, connected to the ocean. Such, for example, are 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. Such, for example, is the island of New Caledonia, stretched for more than 400 km.

Oceania is due to the origin and islands. So, 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 atoll islands.

islands of Oceania determined by the geographical position 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 islands adjacent to it are in and belts. The average monthly periods of the warmest month range from +25°С in the north to +16° in the south; the coldest - from + 16 ° in the north to + 5 ° С in the south. , the Caroline and Mariana Islands, as well as New Guinea, lie in a band where the temperature is around + 26 ° C all year round. The moderating influence of the ocean affects the slight fluctuations in temperature throughout 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 the mountains of the mainland islands stand in the way of the trade winds from the ocean. However, one of the wettest places on Earth is in the Hawaiian Islands, where up to 12,500 mm of precipitation per year falls on the windward slopes of volcanoes.

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 covered mainly with evergreen (on windward slopes) or. Ficuses, pandanuses, bamboos, casuarinas predominate among the trees here. There are many valuable trees and plants useful for humans: coconut and sago palms, breadfruit and melon trees, rubber plants, bananas and mangoes. The forests of New Zealand contain many endemic species: special species of tree ferns, pines (kauri pine is one of the giant trees of the globe), cabbage tree, New Zealand flax, etc.

The animal world is also unique. It is richer and more varied 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, predators have never been found, there are no poisonous snakes. The coastal waters and lagoons of the islands are unusually rich in various forms of life.

They 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 destroyed a significant part of the vegetation, which led to the erosion of the cover. The irrational use of land, deforestation, pollution of coastal waters, the transformation of some islands into military testing grounds for nuclear weapons disrupt the natural balance on the islands of Oceania.

Population Oceania , amounting to about 10 million people, represented by indigenous people, immigrants and a mixed population. In New Guinea and the adjacent islands live Papuans belonging to the equatorial race. The indigenous population of New Zealand (Maori) and other islands of 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 from where and in what ways many millennia ago the Polynesians settled the main archipelagos of the islands of Oceania. The newcomers are immigrants from Europe, Asia and America. Thus, the Anglo-New Zealanders make up 3/4 of the population of this country, and the indigenous people - the Maori - only 9%. However, on the other islands of Oceania, indigenous people (as opposed to Australia) make up the majority of the population.

The inhabitants of Oceania are traditionally engaged in fishing. In New Zealand, settlers 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 XIX-XX centuries. Three decades ago, there was only one independent state in Oceania - New Zealand. Now politically independent Micronesia consists of many (there are more than 1500!) small islands in the western part of the Pacific Ocean to the north of (Marian, Marshall, Caroline Islands, etc.). New Zealand stands out as a special region of Oceania. And not only in terms of natural and ethnographic conditions, but also taking into account the level of economic development throughout Oceania.

Australia and Oceania on a hemisphere map

Australia and Oceania on the world map

Oceania- the collective name for a vast cluster of islands and atolls in the central and western parts of the Pacific Ocean. The boundaries of Oceania are conditional. The western border is considered to be the island, the eastern -. As a rule, Oceania does not include Australia, as well as the islands and archipelagos of Southeast Asia, the Far East and North America. In the section of geography, regional studies, Oceania is studied by an independent discipline - ocean studies.

Geographical position

Physical map of Australia and Oceania (English)

Regions of Australia and Oceania

Political map of Australia and Oceania

Oceania is the world's largest cluster of islands located in the southwestern and central parts of the Pacific Ocean, between the subtropical latitudes of the northern and temperate southern hemispheres. When all the land is divided into parts of the world, Oceania is usually combined with Australia into a single part of the world Australia and Oceania, although sometimes it is separated into an independent part of the world.

Geographically, Oceania is divided into several regions: (in the northwest), (in the west), and (in the east); sometimes isolated.

The total area of ​​the islands of Oceania, the largest of which is, is 1.26 million km² (together with Australia 8.52 million km²), the population is about 10.7 million people. (together with Australia 32.6 million people). Excluding Australia, Oceania is comparable to an African state in terms of total area and total population.

The islands of Oceania are washed by numerous seas of the Pacific (Coral Sea, Tasman Sea, Fiji Sea, Koro Sea, Solomon Sea, New Guinea Sea, Philippine Sea) and Indian Oceans (Arafur Sea).

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

sea ​​currents

Through the whole of Oceania, along the equator, there are warm North trade winds and South trade winds and the Inter-trade countercurrent. The warm East Australian Current passes through the southwestern part of Oceania. Characteristic of Oceania is the absence of cold sea currents (with the exception of the Pacific Ocean southeast of New Zealand), which largely determines the climate of this region.

Independent States

Dependencies and Trust Territories

Geology

Mount Jaya in Western New Guinea (Indonesia) - the highest point in Oceania

From the point of view of geology, Oceania is not a continent: only Australia, and are of continental origin, having formed on the site of the hypothetical continent Gondwana. In the past, these islands were a single land, but as a result of the rise in the level of the World Ocean, a significant part of the surface was under water. The relief of these islands is mountainous and strongly dissected. For example, the highest mountains of Oceania, including Mount Jaya (5029 m), are located on the island.

Most of the islands of Oceania are of volcanic origin: some of them are the tops of large underwater volcanoes, some of which still show high volcanic activity (for example, the Hawaiian Islands).

Other islands have their origin, being atolls, which were formed as a result of the formation of coral structures around submerged volcanoes (for example, the Gilbert Islands, Tuamotu). A distinctive feature of such islands are large lagoons, which are surrounded by numerous islets, or motu, the average height of which does not exceed three meters. In Oceania, there is an atoll with the largest lagoon in the world - Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands archipelago. Despite the fact that its land area is only 16.32 km² (or 6.3 sq. miles), the area of ​​​​the lagoon is 2174 km² (or 839.3 sq. miles). The largest atoll in terms of land area is Christmas Island (or Kiritimati) in the Line Archipelago (or Central Polynesian Sporades) - 322 km². However, among the atolls there is also a special type - an elevated (or elevated) atoll, which is a limestone plateau up to 50-60 m above sea level. This type of island has no lagoon or traces of its past existence. Examples of such atolls are Banaba.

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

There are no minerals on most of the islands of Oceania, only the largest of them are being developed: nickel (), oil and gas (island,), copper (Bougainville island in), gold (New Guinea,), phosphates (on most islands, deposits are almost or already developed, for example, in, on the islands of Banaba, Makatea). In the past, decomposed seabird droppings were actively mined on many islands in the region, which was used as nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer. On the ocean floor of the exclusive economic zone of a number of countries there are large accumulations of iron-manganese nodules, as well as cobalt, but at the moment no development is being carried out due to economic inexpediency.

Climate

Space image of Kwajalein Atoll

Coast of Caroline Atoll (Line Islands, Kiribati)

Oceania is located within several climatic zones: equatorial, subequatorial, tropical, subtropical, temperate. Most of the islands have a tropical climate. The subequatorial climate dominates on islands near Australia and Asia, as well as east of the 180th meridian in the equator zone, equatorial - west of the 180th meridian, subtropical - north and south of the tropics, temperate - in most of the South Island in New Zealand.

The climate of the islands of Oceania is determined mainly by the trade winds, so most of them experience heavy rainfall. The average annual rainfall varies from 1500 to 4000 mm, although on some islands (due to topographical features and on the lee side in particular) the climate can be drier or wetter. One of the wettest places on the planet is located in Oceania: on the eastern slope of Mount Waialeale on the island of Kauai, up to 11,430 mm of precipitation falls annually (the absolute maximum was reached in 1982: then 16,916 mm fell). Near the tropics, the average temperature is around 23°C, near the equator - 27°C, with little difference between the hottest and coldest months.

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

Most of the islands of Oceania are subject to the destructive effects of natural disasters: volcanic eruptions (Hawaiian Islands, New Hebrides), earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones accompanied by typhoons and heavy rains, droughts. Many of them lead to significant material and human losses. For example, the tsunami in July 1999 killed 2,200 people.

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

Soils and hydrology

Stream on the island of Efate (Vanuatu)

Due to the different climatic conditions, the soils of Oceania are very diverse. The soils of the atolls are highly alkaline, of coral origin, and very poor. They are usually porous, which is why they retain moisture very poorly, and also contain very few organic and mineral substances, with the exception of calcium, sodium and magnesium. The soils of volcanic islands, as a rule, are of volcanic origin and are highly fertile. On large mountainous islands, red-yellow, mountain lateritic, mountain-meadow, yellow-brown soils, yellow soils, and red soils are found.

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

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

Flora and fauna

Kiwi - a symbol of New Zealand

Oceania is included in the Paleotropical region of vegetation, while three sub-regions are distinguished: Melanesian-Micronesian, Hawaiian and New Zealand. Among the most widespread plants of Oceania, the coconut palm and breadfruit stand out, which play an important role in the life of local residents: the fruits are used for food, wood is a source of heat, a building material, copra is produced from the oily endosperm of coconut palm nuts, which is the basis of the export of countries of this region. A large number of epiphytes (ferns, orchids) also grow on the islands. The largest number of endemics (both representatives of flora and fauna) was registered in New Zealand and the Hawaiian Islands, while from west to east there is a decrease in the number of species, genera and families of plants.

The fauna of Oceania belongs to the Polynesian faunistic region with a subregion of the Hawaiian Islands. The fauna of New Zealand stands out in an independent region, New Guinea - in the Papuan subregion of the Australian region. New Zealand and New Guinea are the most diverse. On the small islands of Oceania, primarily atolls, mammals are almost never found: many of them are inhabited only by the small rat. But the local avifauna is very rich. Most of the atolls have bird markets where seabirds nest. Of the representatives of the fauna of New Zealand, the most famous are the kiwi birds, which have become the national symbol of the country. Other endemics of the country are kea (lat. Nestor notabilis, or nestor), kakapo (lat. Strigops habroptilus, or owl parrot), takahe (lat. Notoronis hochstelteri, or wingless sultan). All the islands of Oceania are inhabited by a large number of lizards, snakes and insects.

During the European colonization of the islands, alien species of plants and animals were introduced to many of them, which negatively affected the local flora and fauna.

The region has a large number of protected areas, many of which occupy large areas. For example, the Phoenix Islands in the Republic of Kiribati have been the world's largest marine reserve since January 28, 2008 (the area is 410,500 km²).

Story

Pre-colonial period

Island and nearby islands Names of Russians on the map of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Source:.

Letter from N. N. Miklukho-Maklai to the Head of the detachment of ships in the Pacific Ocean with a proposal to acquire areas on the islands of the Pacific Ocean, convenient for coal depots, March 30, 1873.

In the Russian Empire, after the discovery of the northwestern coast of America by V. Bering in 1741, merchant companies, with the support of the Siberian administration, organized about 90 fishing expeditions to the Pacific Ocean until the end of the 18th century. The state established the Russian-American Company (1799-1867), which dealt with administrative issues and trade in Alaska and the Pacific Ocean. In May 1804, two ships Nadezhda and Neva approached the Hawaiian Islands. These were the first Russian ships to circumnavigate the world. In the heart of the tropical part of the Pacific Ocean there are atolls and islands of the Russians, Suvorov, Kutuzov, Lisyansky, Bellingshausen, Barclay de Tolly, the Krusenstern reef and many others. Another distinctive side of all the trips that took place is mutual friendliness in the history of meetings between Russians and the peoples of the Pacific Ocean.

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

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

As the first European who settled on the shores of the Astrolabe Bay in New Guinea and explored this area, N. N. Miklukho Maclay repeatedly made a proposal to peacefully occupy or take under the protection of Russia a number of islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Russian scientist sent letters to the Naval Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, personally to Emperor Alexander III.

colonial period

The ships of the English traveler James Cook and the canoes of the natives in Matawai Bay on the island of Tahiti (French Polynesia), artist William Hodges, 1776

In the period from the 16th to the 18th centuries, the period of exploration of Oceania by Europeans continued, which gradually began to populate the islands. However, the process of European colonization was very slow, since the region did not arouse much interest among foreigners due to the lack of natural resources, and negatively affected the local population: many diseases were introduced that had never been in Oceania, and this led to epidemics, in which resulted in the death of a significant part of the natives. At the same time, there was a Christianization of the inhabitants, who worshiped numerous deities and spirits.

In the XVIII-XIX centuries, the islands of Oceania were divided between the colonial powers, primarily the British Empire, and (later the German Empire joined them). Of particular interest to Europeans was the possibility of creating plantations on the islands (coconut palm for the production of copra, sugar cane), as well as the slave trade (the so-called "blackbird hunting", suggesting the recruitment of islanders to work on plantations).

In 1907 it became a dominion, but formally it became a fully independent state only in 1947. After the First World War, the first political organizations began to emerge ("May" in Western Samoa, "Fiji Youth" in Fiji), which fought for the independence of the colonies. During the Second World War, Oceania was one of the theaters of war, where many battles took place (mainly between Japanese and American troops).

After the war, there were some improvements in the economy in the region, but in most colonies it was one-sided (the predominance of the plantation economy and the almost complete absence of industry). Since the 1960s, the process of decolonization began: in 1962 it gained independence, in 1963 - West Irian, in 1968 -. Subsequently, most of the colonies became independent.

Post-colonial period

After gaining independence, most of the countries of Oceania have retained serious economic, political and social problems, the solution of which is carried out with the participation of international organizations (including the UN) and within the framework of regional cooperation. Despite the process of decolonization in the 20th century, some islands still remain dependent to some extent: New Caledonia Portrait of a representative of the indigenous people of New Zealand - the Maori

The indigenous inhabitants of Oceania are Polynesians, Micronesians, Melanesians and Papuans.

Polynesians living in the countries of Polynesia have a mixed racial type, combining features of the Australoid and Mongoloid races. The largest peoples of Polynesia are Hawaiians, Samoans, Tahitians, Tongans, Maori, Marquesans, Rapanui and others. Native languages ​​belong to the Polynesian subgroup of the Austronesian family of languages: Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, Tongan, Maori, Marquesan, Rapanui and others. The characteristic features of the Polynesian languages ​​are a small number of sounds, especially consonants, and an abundance of vowels.

Micronesians live in the countries of Micronesia. The largest peoples are Carolinians, Kiribati, Marshallese, Nauru, Chamorro and others. Native languages ​​belong to the Micronesian group of the Austronesian family of languages: Kiribati, Caroline, Kusaie, Marshallese, Nauruan and others. The Palauan and Chamorro languages ​​belong to the Western Malayo-Polynesian languages, while Jap forms a separate branch within the Oceanic languages, which includes the Micronesian languages.

Melanesians live in the countries of Melanesia. The racial type is Australoid, with a small Mongoloid element, close to the Papuans of New Guinea. Melanesians speak Melanesian languages, but their languages, unlike Micronesian and Polynesian, do not form a separate genetic group, and the linguistic fragmentation is very large, so that people from neighboring villages may not understand each other.

Papuans inhabit the island and some areas. In anthropological type, they are close to the Melanesians, but differ from them in language. Not all Papuan languages ​​are related to each other. The national language of the Papuans in Papua New Guinea is the English-based Tok Pisin Creole. According to various sources of peoples and languages, the Papuans number from 300 to 800. At the same time, there are difficulties in establishing the difference between a separate language and a dialect.

Many languages ​​of Oceania are on the verge of extinction. In everyday life, they are increasingly being replaced by English and French.

The position of the indigenous population in the countries of Oceania is different. If, for example, in the Hawaiian Islands their share is very low, then in New Zealand the Maori make up to 15% of the country's population. The proportion of Polynesians located in Micronesia is about 21.3%. The majority of the population is made up of numerous Papuan peoples, although there is also a high proportion of people from other islands in the region.

In New Zealand and the Hawaiian Islands, the majority of the population is European, whose proportion is also high in (34%) and in French Polynesia (12%). On the islands, 38.2% of the population is represented by Indo-Fijians, descendants of Indian contract workers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century.

Recently, in the countries of Oceania, the proportion of people from (mainly Chinese and Filipinos) has been increasing. For example, in the Northern Mariana Islands, the share of Filipinos is 26.2%, and the Chinese - 22.1%.

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

Economy

Economy of Oceania. Donation and economic unions.