An orthographic projection of Oceania
Oceania ( OH -s(h)ee-AH -nee-ə, -AY - , OH -shee-A(H)N -ee-ə ) is a geographical region including Australasia , Melanesia , Micronesia , and Polynesia . Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Australia is regarded as an island or a continental landmass contained inside of the larger continent of Oceania. Spanning the Eastern and Western Hemispheres , at the centre of the water hemisphere , Oceania is estimated to have a land area of about 9,000,000 square kilometres (3,500,000 sq mi) and a population of around 44.4 million as of 2022. When compared to the continents (which it is often compared to, not including Australia), Oceania is the smallest in land area and the second-least populated after Antarctica .
Oceania has a diverse mix of economies from the highly developed and globally competitive financial markets of Australia , French Polynesia , Hawaii , New Caledonia , and New Zealand , which rank high in quality of life and Human Development Index , to the much less developed economies of Kiribati , Papua New Guinea , Tuvalu , Vanuatu , and Western New Guinea , while also including medium-sized economies of Pacific islands such as Fiji , Palau , and Tonga . The largest and most populous country in Oceania is Australia, and the largest city is Sydney . Puncak Jaya in Highland Papua , Indonesia , is the highest peak in Oceania at 4,884 m (16,024 ft).
The arrival of European settlers in subsequent centuries resulted in a significant alteration in the social and political landscape of Oceania. The Pacific theatre saw major action during the First World War with the Japanese occupying many German territories. During the Second World War , Allied powers the United States , Philippines (a U.S. Commonwealth at the time) and Australia fought against Axis power Japan across various locations in Oceania. (Full article... )
Bougainville and neighbouring islands
Bougainville Island (Tok Pisin : Bogenvil ) is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville , which is part of Papua New Guinea . Its land area is 9,300 km2 (3,600 sq mi). The population of the whole province, including nearby islets such as the Carterets , is approximately 300,000 (2019 census). The highest point is Mount Balbi , on the main island, at 2,715 m (8,907 ft).
The much smaller
Buka Island ,
c. 500 km2 (190 sq mi) , lies to the north, across the 400–500 m (1,300–1,600 ft) wide
Buka Strait . Even though the strait is narrow, there is no bridge across it, but there is a regular ferry service between the key settlements on either side. The main airstrip in the north is in the town of Buka. Buka has an outcropping that is 175 km (109 mi) from
New Ireland . Among the large islands of Papua New Guinea, New Ireland is the closest to Buka. (
Full article... )
List of geographic articles
Fijians (Fijian : iTaukei , lit. 'Owners [of the land]') are a nation and ethnic group native to Fiji , who speak Fijian and English and share a common history and culture.
Fijians, or
iTaukei , are the major indigenous people of the
Fiji Islands of
Melanesia . Indigenous Fijians are believed to have arrived in Fiji from western
Melanesia approximately 3,500 years ago and are the descendants of the
Lapita people. Later they would move onward to other surrounding islands, including
Rotuma , as well as settling in other nearby islands such as
Tonga and
Samoa . They are indigenous to all parts of Fiji except the island of
Rotuma . The original settlers are now called "
Lapita people" after a distinctive pottery produced locally. Lapita pottery was found in the area from 800 BCE onward. (
Full article... )
List of selected articles
The following are images from various Oceania-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1 Polynesian (Hawaiian) navigators sailing multi-hulled
canoe , c. 1781 (from
Polynesia )
Image 2 The arrival of
Abel Tasman in
Tongatapu , 1643; drawing by
Isaack Gilsemans (from
Polynesia )
Image 3 A pan flute from
Solomon Islands , 19th century (from
Melanesia )
Image 4 Carving from the ridgepole of a
Māori house, ca 1840 (from
Polynesia )
Image 5 Mount Marpi in
Saipan . (from
Micronesia )
Image 6 Kili Island is one of the smallest islands in the
Marshall Islands . (from
Micronesia )
Image 7 Chronological dispersal of
Austronesian peoples across the
Indo-Pacific (from
Melanesia )
Image 8 Melanesia is one of three major cultural areas of the
Pacific Ocean islands , along with
Micronesia and
Polynesia . (from
Melanesia )
Image 10 A depiction of a royal
heiau (Hawaiian temple) at
Kealakekua Bay , c. 1816 (from
Polynesia )
Image 12 Languages of Micronesia. (from
Micronesia )
Image 13 King
Kamehameha I receiving the Russian naval expedition of
Otto von Kotzebue . Drawing by
Louis Choris in 1816. (from
Polynesia )
Image 14 On February 14, 1779, Capt.
James Cook was killed on the island of Hawaii (from
Polynesia )
Image 15 Moai at Ahu Tongariki on
Rapa Nui (from
Polynesia )
Image 17 Polynesia is generally defined as the islands within the
Polynesian Triangle . (from
Polynesia )
Image 18 Canoe carving on
Nanumea atoll, Tuvalu (from
Polynesia )
Image 19 Micronesia is one of three major cultural areas of the
Pacific Ocean islands , along with
Melanesia and
Polynesia . (from
Micronesia )
Image 20 An illustration of the Cross Spikes Club of the US Navy on
Bikini Atoll , one of several Marshall Islands used for
atomic bomb tests . (from
Micronesia )
Image 22 Grinding stones discovered from
archaeology in Samoa (from
Polynesia )
Image 23 Chronological dispersal of
Austronesian peoples across the
Indo-Pacific (from
Micronesia )
Image 24 Outline of sovereign (dark orange) and dependent islands (bright orange) (from
Melanesia )
Image 25 Māori
war canoe drawn after
James Cook 's voyage to New Zealand. (from
Polynesia )
Image 26 A
Melanesian child from
Vanuatu (from
Melanesia )
Image 27 Image of the
Castle Bravo nuclear test, detonated on 1 March 1954, at
Bikini Atoll (from
Micronesia )
Image 28 German New Guinea before and after the German-Spanish treaty of 1899 (from
Micronesia )
Image 29 Outline of sovereign (dark orange) and dependent islands (bright orange) (from
Polynesia )
Image 30 A common fishing canoe
va'a with outrigger in
Savaiʻi island,
Samoa , 2009 (from
Polynesia )
Image 31 Outline of sovereign (dark orange) and dependent islands (bright orange) (from
Micronesia )
Image 32 Subregions (
Melanesia ,
Micronesia , Polynesia, and
Australasia ), as well as sovereign and dependent islands of
Oceania (from
Polynesia )
Image 34 Map of Melanesia, showing its location within Oceania (from
Melanesia )
Image 35 Sailors of Melanesia in the
Pacific Ocean , 1846 (from
Melanesia )
Image 36 Cook's Bay on
Moorea ,
French Polynesia (from
Polynesia )
Image 37 Chamorro people in 1915 (from
Micronesia )
Image 38 The Polynesian spread of colonization in the Pacific (from
Polynesia )
Image 39 Painting of
Tahitian Women on the Beach by
Paul Gauguin —
Musée d'Orsay (from
Polynesia )
Image 40 German trading station at
Jaluit Atoll with a Marshallese
korkor outrigger canoe in the foreground (from
Micronesia )
Image 42 Polynesians with
outrigger canoes at
Waikiki Beach ,
Oahu Island , early 20th century (from
Polynesia )
Image 43 Polynesia is one of three major cultural areas of the
Pacific Ocean islands , along with
Melanesia and
Micronesia . (from
Polynesia )
Image 44 Mokoliʻi Isle near
Oahu ,
Hawaii (from
Polynesia )
Image 45 Subregions (
Melanesia ,
Micronesia ,
Polynesia and
Australasia ), as well as sovereign and dependent islands of
Oceania (from
Micronesia )
Image 46 Australia's concept of Australasia, which includes Australia, New Zealand and, in this case,
Melanesia (from
Australasia )
Image 47 Beach scenery at
Laura ,
Majuro , Marshall Islands (from
Micronesia )
Image 49 Map showing the migration and expansion of the
Austronesians which began at about 3000 BC from
Taiwan . The Polynesian branch is shown in green. (from
Polynesia )
Image 50 Aerial view of
Solomon Islands (from
Melanesia )
Image 51 Cinder plain of
Mount Yasur in
Vanuatu (from
Melanesia )
Australasia Melanesia Micronesia Polynesia
Adamstown , Pitcairn Islands 6
Alofi , Niue 7
Apia , Samoa
Avarua , Cook Islands 7
Fakaofo , Tokelau 8
Funafuti , Tuvalu
Mata Utu , Wallis and Futuna (de facto)2
Nukuʻalofa , Tonga
Pago Pago , American Samoa 4
Papeete , French Polynesia 2
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