Australia is the smallest mainland in the world, which is entirely occupied by one state. New Guinea, New Zealand and thousands of small islands are usually united under common name- Oceania.
Political map of the region
According to the level of political independence, all states of the region can be conditionally divided into several groups:
1. States that have received full political independence (Fiji, Palau, Nauru, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu).
2. States within the commonwealth, led by Great Britain. These are practically independent states, but formally the head of the country is the Queen of England. (Union of Australia, Western Samoa, New Zealand, Popua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu.
3. States freely associated with the United States (semi-colonies) (Marshall Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia)
4. Colonies: US possessions (Eastern Samoa), “overseas departments of France (New Caledonia, French polynesia).
Australia and Oceania do not represent a single whole, either in natural, cultural or socio-economic terms. Oceania is formed by several thousand islands located on a vast area (60 million square kilometers) in the central and southwestern parts of the Pacific Ocean, between 29 ° N. NS. and 53 ° S. NS. and 130 ° east. d. and 109 ° W e. The total land area of Oceania is relatively small and is only about 1.3 million square meters. km (six times less than the area of Australia). At the same time, its two largest islands - New Guinea (area 829 thousand sq. Km) and New Zealand (265 thousand sq. Km) occupy almost 90% of its land area and only 10% (i.e., about 200 thousand sq. Km) . km) - the remaining several thousand islands.
The islands of Oceania, located in the tropical and subtropical zone of the Southern Hemisphere, have a warm, mild climate (one of the most comfortable the globe) with a temperature regime and an amount of atmospheric precipitation sufficient for growing crops cultivated in these latitudes - coconut palm, bananas, cocoa, coffee, tea, tobacco, sugar cane, cotton, tubers (containers, sweet potatoes, meat, cassava) and dr. Natural conditions allow you to harvest several crops per year.
Oceania is also rich in various minerals: deposits of coal (New Zealand), combustible gas, iron ore, copper and manganese ores, platinum, silver (New Guinea), nickel (New Caledonia), gold (Fiji), phosphate raw materials (Nauru ) and etc.
Oceania - the area of settlement of the Papuans, Melanesians, Micronesians and Polynesians, was discovered by Europeans at the beginning of the 16th century. (The Mariana Islands in 1521, during the voyage of Fernando Magellan around the world in 1519-1522). The most numerous groups of the modern population are formed by aborigines (Papuan peoples and peoples speaking the languages of the Austronesian family) and immigrants and their descendants (Anglo-Zealanders, Americans, British, Indians, French, Anglo-Australians, Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese, etc.). Most countries in Oceania are characterized by high fertility, natural increase and low mortality. In most countries, men numerically prevail over women, there is a high proportion of young people, the bulk of the population is employed in agriculture, mining, services (tourist services). Migration flows of people between countries are significant. By the average population density (8.1. People per 1 sq. Km.), Oceania is almost four times larger than Australia. The population is unevenly distributed - along with densely populated islands (Tumaku, Nauru, Mau, etc.), there are also uninhabited islands.
In socio-economic terms, all the countries of Oceania are developing, mainly agricultural, with a specialization of the economy - tropical agriculture (growing various vegetables and fruits, cotton, coffee, cocoa, etc.) and animal husbandry (raising cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry ). The industry is characterized by the dominant position of mining industries (on Nauru Island - mining of phosphorites, on New Caledonia - nickel, etc.) and industries processing agricultural products (production of coconut oil, tea, tobacco products, sugar, juices, fruit canning, fish processing industry, etc.). The products of these industries and agriculture determine the nature of the participation of most oceanic states in foreign trade. In terms of per capita GDP, Oceania countries are differentiated into states where this indicator reaches $ 15,000 (Nauru), $ 1,500 (Fiji), $ 900 (Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu), from $ 400 to $ 600 (Western Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu).
Australia (Commonwealth of Australia)
Australia was "discovered" by Europeans twice - the first time at the beginning of the 17th century. Dutch navigator V. Janson (her north coast), somewhat later, in the second half of the same century, by the English navigator James Cook (east coast). At first, this continent was the site of a convict settlement (criminals from England) and only in the second half of the 19th century, after the discovery of rich gold deposits, it became an area of mass free immigration.
Australia is a federal state within the Commonwealth led by Great Britain.
The Commonwealth of Australia consists of six states: New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania, as well as two territories - the Northern Territory and the Capital Territory.
The country is located in the Southern Hemisphere and occupies the territory of the entire Australian continent and adjacent islands (Tasmania, King, Kangaroo. Flinders, Barrow, etc.).
Australia's area is 7.7 million square meters. km, population - 18.2 million people. The capital is Canberra. The state language is English. The majority of the population is Christian.
Australia is one of the economically developed countries of the world, but its economy is mainly inherent in raw materials. In the international division of labor, Australia plays a leading role in the production and export of wheat, meat, sugar, wool, various types of mineral raw materials (bauxite, semimetals, iron ore, coal, etc.).
Geographical position ... A distinctive feature of the geographical position of Australia is its considerable distance from other continents. The country is surrounded on all sides by the waters of the World Ocean, its northern and eastern shores are washed by the Pacific Ocean, western and southern - by the Indian.
Population ... The main core of Australia's population is made up of Anglo-Australians (descendants of immigrants from Great Britain and Ireland) and immigrants from different countries the world. Australian Aborigines make up less than 1% of the country's population.
Australia is characterized by significant immigration, which gives up to 20% of population growth. The average population density in Australia is 2 people per sq. km. Most of the population (over 2/3 of the country's inhabitants) is concentrated on the eastern and southeastern coasts, which are naturally favorable (here the density in some places reaches 10-50 people per 1 sq. Km). The rest of the territory is poorly populated.
Australia is one of the most urbanized countries of the world: more than 85% of its population is city dwellers. The largest cities are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Newcastle. Almost all of them are ports.
Natural conditions, their economic assessment
The relief of Australia is predominantly flat. Mountains occupy less than 5% of the territory of this continent. The Dividing Range stretching along its eastern edge (the highest point is Mount Kostsyushko - 2230 m) does not represent an insurmountable obstacle for economic development. The climate in most of Australia is unfavorable for agriculture. Sufficient precipitation (500 mm per year) falls only on the elevated eastern and southeastern outskirts of the continent. Areas of vast deserts (they occupy 2/5 of the country's area) of Central and Western Australia have insufficient moisture and can only be used as pastures for sheep.
The river network is poorly developed. The only high-water river Murray with a tributary Darling.
Household. Among the industries, the most essential for the Australian economy has the mining, metallurgical and food industries. The products of these industries are not only widely used domestically, but are also exported in large quantities.
Australia occupies a prominent place in the world for the reserves and production of bauxite, iron, lead, zinc, copper, manganese, tungsten and uranium ores, and coal. Non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy is closely connected with the mining industry, the main branches of which are the aluminum industry, smelting of copper, tin, lead and zinc, special steels and alloys.
The leading branches of the food industry - meat, dairy, flour, sugar, fruit and vegetable canning - process local agricultural raw materials. The enterprises of these industries are mainly located in port cities in the southeast of the country (Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle, Adelaide).
Mechanical engineering(production of trucks and cars, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, various devices, etc.) oil refining, chemical (production of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers, plastics and chemical fibers, etc.) and light (production of footwear, fabrics and knitwear) industry mainly have local significance.
Agriculture Australia has a livestock bias. The leading branches of animal husbandry are sheep and meat and dairy cattle breeding. The country ranks first in the world in terms of sheep population, production and export of wool, lamb, beef and veal. Horse breeding, camel breeding and poultry breeding are developed. In connection with the livestock focus of agriculture in general, the cultivation of forage crops is of great importance in crop production (up to 49% of the arable land is occupied).
The main export crops of Australia are wheat, sugar cane, and cotton. The main area of their cultivation is the east and southeast of the country. For the production and export of wheat, Australia is one of the first places in the world. Important branches of plant growing are horticulture, viticulture, and vegetable growing.
Transport ... In the transportation of goods, a great role (up to half of the cargo turnover) is played by sea transport, passengers - by automobile and aviation. The length of the railways is short. There is almost no inland waterway transport.
The main export items are mineral raw materials (iron ore, coal, bauxite, etc.) and agricultural products (wool, wheat, meat, sugar). Australia imports mainly manufactured goods.
Internal differences. Different parts of Australia differ in the level of development and specialization of the economy. Four economic regions are distinguished:
1. Southeast (includes the states of New South Wales, Victoria and the southeast of South Australia, the territory of the federal capital) - the leading region of the country. More than 70% of the population, about 80% of manufacturing products, almost half of mining, more than half of agriculture, about the same length are concentrated in its relatively small territory (20% of the country's area). railways... Here are the largest centers of Australia - Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide.
2. Northeastern (Queensland with the administrative center of Brisbane) is distinguished by the cultivation of sugar cane and tropical fruit crops (bananas, papayas, pineapples, etc.), cattle breeding (half of the country's livestock), the production of meat, sugar, bauxite and alumina , oil production.
3. West-Central (covers the states of South (except for the southeast) and Western Australia and the Northern Territory) - the largest in area (half of the country's territory) and the driest (the Great Sandy Desert, the Gibbon Desert and the Great Victoria Desert are located here), the least populated (one tenth of the country's population lives) and economically developed region of the country. It is distinguished by the mining industry (takes a leading place in the country in the extraction of gold, iron ore, nickel, copper, uranium, manganese) and agriculture (production of wheat, oats, barley, cotton; extensive beef cattle breeding). Major centers - Perth (state Western Australia) and Darwin (Northern Territory).
4. Tasmania, due to its island position, favorable climate (warm, even, humid), richness of hydro resources and minerals (copper, tin, tungsten, zinc, iron ore, coal, etc.), a region of developed tourism and agriculture (vegetables , fruits, dairy farming), hydropower and non-ferrous metallurgy (production of copper, aluminum, zinc, etc.). The main administrative center of the state of Tasmania is Hogarth.
Australia and Oceania is a part of the world, consisting of the continent of Australia and hundreds of islands and atolls washed by the waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Australia is a small mainland, it can be crossed in 4 hours by plane or in a week by car. But, despite its modest size, the continent has a stunning variety of landscapes.
Gold Coast city
Rainforests line the coastal areas, and penguins from Antarctica inhabit the southern tip of the mainland. Red sand dunes in the west and in the center of Australia they coexist with steppes scorched by the sun. To the east is the Great Dividing Range, overgrown with jungle, eucalyptus groves and alpine meadows. In the local forests, koalas, kangaroos, lyre birds, parrots are found, and platypuses dig holes along the banks of the reservoirs.
Limestone Rocks - Twelve Apostles
Previously, mainland Australia was inhabited by marsupial devils, but today they can only be found in Tasmania, an island reserve, where 44% of the territory is covered with rain forests, and the lakes are teeming with trout. Along east coast Australia stretches another world - the underwater kingdom of the Great Barrier Reef.
In the seas around the continent, natural disasters have formed thousands of islands and atolls of all shapes and sizes. They form a huge island arc, stretching from New Guinea in the north across the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand in the south.
Blue Mountains National Park
In Oceania, three large groups of archipelagos are distinguished: Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia - an island paradise where the most beautiful islands the world - Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea.
Australia - harmony of nature and civilization
The first settlements of Australian aborigines appeared in Australia between 40,000 - 60,000 BC. In the caves of the Uluru rock, there are drawings made by the aborigines 30,000 years ago. The Europeans reached the shores of Australia only in 1606, but scientists had guessed about the existence of the mysterious continent even earlier.
Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera House view
Claudius Ptolemy (II century) believed that the southern tip of Africa naturally turns into a huge continent. Medieval geographers called him "Terra australis incognita", that is, "Unknown southern land". In the 10th century, the Arab historian Al-Masoudi described an animal that "lives for years in the womb and leaves there only for food." Probably meant a kangaroo. In 1814, British explorer Matthew Flinders proposed modern name continent - "Australia". It comes from the word "australis", which means "southern" in Latin. Today Australia is a highly urbanized part of the world, where more than 80% of the population lives in cities, while the harmony of man and nature has been achieved. Megalopolises, built up with skyscrapers, merge together with the surrounding shrub areas.
On the planet. Interesting events and facts are associated with the culture and history of Oceania. 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 The Pacific... 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 large islands in northwestern Oceania. The Polynesian Islands form a triangle in the east, with Hawaii at the top. Melanesia is the territory of the southwestern part.
Oceania islands
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 topography of each island is unique.
Basically, the islands are of coral or volcanic origin. Among them there are those that are the tops of underwater volcanoes or ridges. Volcanic activity and earthquakes are still observed on the islands. The largest are objects located closer to Australia: New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Zealand.
Oceania countries
The sovereign islands are located on the islands of Oceania 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 are united under the general 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 the United States.
Among the islands of Oceania, there is the Chilean province of Isla de Pasqua, which includes several islands, including the famous Western Oceanic is the territory of Indonesia. Thus, the countries of Oceania are as unique as the side of the world on which they are located. The smallest non-European state in the world is located here. Nauru is in Oceania, the population of which is about 13 thousand.
Oceania Tourism
Oceania, following the Malaysian archipelago, has been actively developing its tourism market in recent years. Some islands, in particular Hawaii, have become worldwide famous resorts... and Oceania pay great attention to the development of the tourism business, improving the quality of service, developing tourist routes... Of course, the most developed are Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand and the islands, owned by countries Europe and America. There are many tourists in Oceania from Japan, South Africa, Canada, and the USA. 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 can be an obstacle to visiting the countries of Oceania.
The countries of Oceania are attractive for tourists, first of all, by their oceanic nature and beaches.
Oceania offers a wide variety of spa treatments. There are plenty of places for some decent shopping. The active tourist will find something to do. Open in Australia and New Zealand ski resorts with multilevel tracks. Diving and snorkeling 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 culture of the countries of Oceania is associated with many interesting facts... For example, exiles were the first to leave Europe for permanent residence in Australia. The Europeans reached the Fiji Islands in the 17th century, but the colony was formed here only in the 19th century, since the natives of Fiji were cannibals. 10% of the population of the Solomon Islands are blond: scientists could not give an explanation for the appearance of a special gene in their DNA. The only state in the world that is located in four hemispheres at once is Kiribati. V Papua New Guinea more than 800 languages coexist - it is the most multilingual country in the world. Earlier, in the Yap island group, huge stones with a diameter of up to 3 meters were money.
Geographical position of Oceania Group of islands and archipelagos of the western and central parts The Pacific Ocean is united into a geographic area under the general name Oceania. Historically, all the islands were divided into four ethnographic and geographical regions: Polynesia (Tonga, Samoa, Cook, Hawaiian, Easter Island, etc.), Melanesia (New Guinea Island, Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, etc. ), Micronesia (Marshalls, Mariana Islands and [...]
Australia is the smallest and most amazing continent. Australia was discovered later than America. The entire continent is occupied by one state - the Australian Union. The Australian continent is the flattest of all continents and the driest. One of the features of the nature of the continent is the absence of young mountains, glaciers and active volcanoes... Australia separated earlier than other continents, about 150 million years ago [...]
If you look at the map of the Pacific Ocean, you can see the largest cluster of islands on our planet - Oceania. There are more than ten thousand islands - both large and small and very tiny. They are divided into Polynesia (in Greek it means "many islands"), Micronesia and Melanesia. Many of Oceania's islands are coral atolls. However, most of them are [...]
New Zealand lies on two islands next to Australia. Formally, Queen Elizabeth II of England is considered its ruler, since the country is part of the British Commonwealth. New Zealand was one of the last inhabited by people and still remains a beautiful clean land with dense forests and high mountains... The indigenous people of New Zealand were the Maori, who appeared here at the beginning [...]
Willandra Lake District (Australia) is located in the west of New South Wales. It includes five large and fourteen small dry lakes, the bottom of which is covered with salty clay. Fossilized remains of more than 55 animal species have been found in this area, incl. giant marsupials and mammals. These lakes are unique place to study the human civilization of the Australian continent. In the center […]
Australia and Oceania are considered by us as a potential tourist macro-region, which is divided into three tourist mesoregions: Australia, New Zealand and Oceania (including Papua New Guinea). Australia is characterized by both the exotic nature and culture of the indigenous population, as well as rich recreational resources. New Zealand is distinguished, first of all, by the diversity and uniqueness of its nature. Oceania is popular for its recreational resources and cultural [...]
The oldest area on South Island and his main city- Nelson. At the northern tip of Tasman Bay in 1642, the first meeting of Europeans with Maori took place. One of the boats sent by Abel Tasman to the shore was attacked by Maori warriors, as a result of which four sailors were killed. The Dutch navigator made no further attempts to land and christened the inhospitable place the Bay of the Assassins. […]
Wellington is located on North Island in Port Nicholson Bay. The Hutt River Valley begins in the northern part of the Cook Strait. In 1840, the first English settlement arose at its mouth. Frequent floods forced him to move to the west bank of the river. the main street the city where the New Zealand parliament is located is Lambton Key. From it, short streets go down straight to the embankment. Favorite place recreation […]
Mountains and the sea are two main elements of the landscapes of New Zealand, which is located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, one and a half thousand kilometers east of the Australian mainland. New Zealand consists of two large islands: North and South, as well as smaller ones - Stuart, Chatham, Campbell, Kermadec, Solander, Bounty and others. New Zealanders are jokingly called "kiwi", after a rare bird. Her feathers [...]
In the Pacific Ocean, on an area of about 2 million square kilometers(larger than the area of Europe) scattered 130 islands and atolls, which have the status overseas territory France and are called French Polynesia. These are several archipelagos: Society Islands, Tubuai Islands, Tuamotu Islands and Marquesas Islands. Most of the islands are of volcanic or coral origin. Polynesian beliefs have their own version of the Flood: the main god Taaroa, angry at [...]
In the middle of the Pacific Ocean there are two beautiful islands belonging to French Polynesia - Tahiti and Moorea. Both are of volcanic origin. Beautiful nature, a mild tropical climate and clear ocean water have made this place attractive to tourists from all over the world. Tahiti is the most big Island French Polynesia. Its capital is Papeete - The largest city located to the north west coast... Island area [...]
Bora Bora is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 240 km north-west of Tahiti. It belongs to French Polynesia, one of the countries of the French Overseas Community, and is a mountain range. In its center there are two twin peaks - Pachia and Otemanu. The height of the latter reaches 727 m.Bora Bora is surrounded by small coral islands called motu. On one [...]
Perhaps nowhere else in the world can you find so many natural parks for every taste, concentrated on such an insignificant area as in New Zealand. Moreover, each park offers its own "set" of activities. Tourists, for example, can admire geysers, go skiing, wander in the rainforest among tree ferns and feel like a 19th century gold digger. Bird Lovers [...]
The Franz Joseph and Fox Glaciers are located on the west coast of South Island, one of New Zealand's two large islands. Here in the mountain range of the Southern Alps are largest glaciers countries - Tasmana, Franz Joseph and Fox, They "flow" to the west coast through huge glacial valleys. The humid wind, rising from the surface of the Tasman Sea to the tops of the mountains, cools and brings [...]
The fjord is located on the west coast of South Island in the Southland region. The length of this narrow bay is 20 km. It was formed during the last ice age, when the ice, moving to the sea, squeezed out deep depression in rocky ground. About 10 thousand years ago, the glacier retreated, and the Tasman Sea flooded the formed valley. The height of the steep, almost sheer banks of Milford Sound [...]
Rotorua is the most famous tourist centre New Zealand, stretching on the shores of the lake of the same name. Here history and modernity merged into a single whole, rich historical heritage Maori and modern culture of the country. The unique natural geysers of Rotorua, located in the zone of geothermal activity near the city, make this region truly unique. Today it is one of the most popular places recreation […]
The total area of Oceania is 1.3 million km2, and 90% of the territory is occupied by two islands - New Guinea (its Eastern) and New Zealand. Oceania became known to Europeans in the 16th century, from the time of the first round the world F. Magellan. A special chapter in the history of its discovery and research is made up by the voyages of Russian seafarers. Only in the 19th century. on the islands of Oceania [...]
Australia and Oceania include the state proper Australia and 37 more independent island states... The most characteristic ones will be described below. Australia The state of Australia occupies the entire mainland and the island of Tasmania. The country has access to the Indian and Atlantic oceans... The area is 7.7 million km2, the population is 19.8 million, the capital is Canberra (320 thousand inhabitants). Australia ranks 6th [...]
Oceania is the name given to islands and archipelagos of islands lying in the central and southwestern Pacific to the north and northeast of Australia between 28 ° N latitude. and 53 ° S; 130 ° East and 105 ° W. This island world includes almost 7 thousand islands. The total area of the island land of Oceania is about 1.3 million km2. This is only 2% of the water area [...]
New Zealand is located 1500 km east of Australia between parallels 34 and 47 ° S. NS. It is the only group of islands in Oceania lying in subtropical and temperate latitudes. The area includes two large islands- North and South, separated by the Cook Strait and several small islands. Their total area is 268.7 thousand square meters. km, it is somewhat [...]
Australia and Oceania
AUSTRALIA
VANUATU
KIRIBATI
MARSHALL ISLANDS
MICRONESIA
NEW ZEALAND
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
SOLOMON ISLANDS
The Oceania region in the Pacific Ocean begins southeast of the Malay (Indonesian) archipelago. The total area of the islands is 1.26 million square kilometers. The largest of them are New Guinea (829 thousand sq. Km), South (150.6 thousand sq. Km) and North (114.7 thousand sq. Km). The western part of the island of New Guinea has been occupied by Indonesia since 1969, which we have already considered in the section "Asia", and the South and North islands, separated by the Cook Strait, are part of the state of New Zealand.
Most of the islands of Oceania are of coral origin. These are small to medium sized atolls, shaped like a solid or broken ring, very beautiful when viewed from space. Many atolls are not inhabited, while others, on the contrary, are overpopulated. For example, on Nauru atoll, where the state of the same name is located, the population density is one of the largest in the world - 619 people per square kilometer... There are also islands of mainland and volcanic origin.
Oceania consists of three regions - Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Islands Melanesia, or the Black Islands, stretching from northwest to southeast from the equator to the Tropic of Capricorn. The main ones are New Guinea, New Hebrides, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Fiji and the Bismarck archipelago. Micronesia located in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator. These are, first of all, the Mariana, Marshall and Caroline Islands, as well as Nauru Island, the Gilbert Islands, Ocean Island, which was practically destroyed as a result of phosphorite mining - only about 1,500 land areas protruding above the water surface. Polynesia is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and includes the islands of Tonga, Hawaii, Ellis Islands, Phoenix, Tokelau, Cook Islands, Samoa, Line, Tubuai, Marquesas Islands, Society Islands, Tuamotu and some others. The islands of New Zealand and Easter Island are also part of Polynesia.
Oceania is inhabited by numerous peoples, differing from each other not only in historical, cultural, linguistic, but also in racial terms. The largest group is represented by the Papuans (from Malay. papuwa- curly), which, by their anthropological type, belong to the Melanesian race, and the smallest are the Pitcairns, who inhabit Pitcairn Island in Polynesia (the island's area does not exceed five square kilometers). The non-indigenous population of Oceania includes immigrants from Asia (mainly Japanese, Indians and Filipinos), Europeans (mostly French and British) and the Americans who controlled a significant part of the region for a long time.
The pioneer of Oceania is the Portuguese navigator Fernand Magellan (Magalhães - that is how his surname sounded in his native language), who, having entered the service of the Spanish king and finding the funds necessary for the expedition, in November 1520 went to the world's largest ocean - the Pacific. Following Magellan, who explored the Mariana Islands, the ships of Alvaro de Saavedra (discovered the Marshall and Caroline Islands), Alvaro Mendanha de Neira (discovered the Solomon and Marquesas Islands, as well as the Santa Cruz archipelago), Pedro Fernández Váeros de (New Hebrides, Torres Strait), Dutchman Abel Yanezon Tasman (Tasmania, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji Islands), English pirate William Dampier (chain of islands north of New Guinea), another Dutchman - Jacob Roggeven (Easter Island and Samoa ). In 1767, the British citizen Samuel Wallis discovered the island of Tahiti, and in 1768 the French navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville reached the islands of Melanesia. In the same 1768 on the ship "Endeavor" went to his first circumnavigation English captain James Cook. This was followed by two more expeditions - in 1772-1775, on the ship "Resolution", and in 1776-1779, on the ship "Discovery", as a result of which New Zealand was explored in detail, as well as islands in the archipelagos of the Society were discovered, Tuamotu, New Hebrides, island
New Caledonia as well Hawaiian Islands in the North Pacific Ocean. It was there, in Hawaii, on February 14, 1779, that Cook's tragic clash with the aborigines took place, which ended the life of a successful (before that) navigator. Contributed to the exploration of Oceania and Russian sailors. In particular, the expedition of O. E. Kotsebue discovered several previously unknown atolls in the group of the Marshall Islands, and the expedition of F. F. Bellingshausen - M. P. Lazarev mapped a number of islands in the Tuamotu archipelago.
When dividing land into parts of the world, Oceania is usually united Australia. Australia is the mainland, the smallest of the six available, with an area of 7,631.5 thousand square kilometers (almost half the size of Antarctica). Obviously, the mainland was discovered by Portuguese navigators in the 16th century, but there is no reliable data confirming this fact. But history has retained the name of the Dutch admiral Billem Janszon, who in 1606 on the ship "Duifken" reached the Cape York Peninsula, in the north-east of Australia, laying the foundation for the development of new territories for Europeans.
Today the region comprises fourteen sovereign states. With the exception of recognized leaders, the Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand, most of them gained independence in the foreseeable past: in 1968 - Western Samoa (Eastern Samoa is still owned by the United States) and Nauru, in 1970 - Tonga and Fiji, in 1975 - Papua New Guinea, 1978 - Tuvalu and Solomon islands, in 1979 - Kiribati, in 1980 - Vanuatu, in 1986 - the Marshall Islands, in 1991 - the Federated States of Micronesia, in 1994 - Palau. The possessions of other countries, besides the already named Eastern Samoa, are the island of Guam in the group of the Mariana Islands, the so-called Minor Pacific Islands (Baker, Johnston, Jervis, Howland, Kingman, Midway, Palmyra, Wake), all - the USA; Great Britain owns the island of Pitcairn in Polynesia with the uninhabited atolls Oeno, Ducie and Henderson adjacent to it; France - a group of islands in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, united under the name New Caledonia (in 1961, the Wallis and Futuna Islands separated from New Caledonia, which, nevertheless, are the possession of France), and a group of islands in the eastern part of the Pacific the ocean, known as French Polynesia (Society Islands, including the largest of them Tahiti, the Marquesas Islands, Tuamotu, Tubuai, etc.); New Zealand owns the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau; under the control of Australia are two islands - Norfolk and Christmas (the latter is already outside the region, in the eastern part Indian Ocean) and, finally, Chile owns the mysterious (because of the huge, twenty-meter stone statues, which have become a kind of symbol of Oceania) Easter Island, or, as the aborigines call it, Rapanui.
Separately, it should be said about Commonwealth Mariana Islands, a state that, while not officially independent, is in a political alliance with the United States. The Commonwealth, which united fourteen islands, arose in March 1976 in the process of dividing the Pacific Islands Trust Territory of the United Nations. The islands are governed by the islanders themselves (the head of state is the governor, who is directly elected for a term of four years; the legislature is a bicameral parliament, the Commonwealth Assembly), but the United States controls foreign affairs, foreign policy and finance. Agreement on "free association" of the Commonwealth with the United States was concluded in November 1986. Residents of the Commonwealth have US citizenship.
The security of the region is largely ensured by the military-political bloc of Australia, Zealand and the United States. ANZUS(Australia, New Zealand, United States; ANZUS), created in September 1951 (an unlimited treaty entered into force on April 29, 1952). In 1986, the United States abandoned its obligations to ensure the security of New Zealand due to the fact that the state stopped admitting American ships with nuclear weapons on board into its ports. Nevertheless, bilateral agreements still work.
Organizations significant for the region include United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific(United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; ESCAP), existing since 1947. It currently has sixty-two members.
Since 1947 there is also Pacific community(The Pacific Community; PC or TC), uniting fourteen independent states of Oceania; USA, Guam, American, or Eastern, Samoa, Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands; France, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna; Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau and Pitcairn. The organization is called upon to promote the development of cooperation in the economic and social spheres.
In 1971, in order to deepen cooperation between the independent states of the region, South Pacific Forum(Pacific Islands Forum; UTP). In 2000 it received a new name - Pacific Islands Forum. Today, all the states of Oceania, Niue and the Cook Islands are full members of the UTP. In 2006, French Polynesia and New Caledonia received the status of associate members.
Another organization - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum(Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum; APEC) was founded in 1989 at a meeting of heads of state in Canberra (Australia). The main goal of APEC is to develop integration ties between the countries of the Pacific basin. The organization includes 21 countries (from Oceania - Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea; from Asia - Brunei, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, South Korea, Japan, as well as two Special Administrative Regions of China - Hong Kong and Taiwan; from North America- USA and Canada, from Central America- Mexico; from South America- Peru and Chile). Russia is a member of APEC.
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