Oceania has 14 countries and 2 regions, the details of which are shown in the table below:
serial number | country | English | capital | English | Population (million) | Area (km²) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Australia | Australia | Canberra | Caberra | 2544 | 7,682,300 |
2 | New Zealand | New Zealand | Wellington | Wellington | 378 | 270,534 |
3 | Palau | Palau | Melekaeok | Melekeok | 2 | 458 |
4 | Micronesia (Federated States of). | Micronesia | Palikir | Palikir | 11 | 705 |
5 | Marshall Islands | Marshall Islands | Majuro | Majuro | 6 | 180 |
6 | Nauru | Nauru | Aaron | Yaren | 1.1 | 21.1 |
7 | Papua New Guinea | Papua New Guinea | Port Moresby | Port Moresby | 450 | 462,840 |
8 | Solomon Islands | Solomon Islands | Honiara | Honiara | 40.4 | 28,369 |
9 | Vanuatu | Vanuatu | Port Vila | Port Vila | 20 | 12,190 |
10 | Tuvalu | Tuvalu | Funafuti | Funafuti | 1 | 26 |
11 | Fiji | Fiji | Suva | Suva | 80.9 | 18,272 |
12 | Samoa | Samoa | Apia | Apia | 17 | 2,934 |
13 | Kiribati | Kiribati | Tarawa | Tarawa | 8.2 | 811 |
14 | Tonga | Tonga | Nuku'alofa | Nuku'alofa | 9.8 | 699 |
15 | Cook Islands | Cook Islands | Avarua | Avarua | 1.3 | 240 |
16 | Niue | Niue | Alofi | Alofi | 0.16 | 260 |
Note: The territory of the Republic of Indonesia spans Asia and Oceania. 、
Oceania introduction
Oceania, with a total land area of about 8.97 million square kilometers, accounts for about 6% of the world's total land area, making it the smallest continent in the world. It is the least populous continent in the world except Antarctica, located in the vast sea area north and south of the equator in the central and south-central Pacific Oceans, between Asia and Antarctica, bordering the Indian Ocean to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east, and facing North and South America.
The English name of Oceania is Oceania, which means "land surrounded by ocean", where "Ocean" means "sea" and the suffix -ia means land. The name appeared in 1812 and was coined by the Danish geographer Malte-Brun. The English word "Australia" is sometimes used as a continental name, but it refers to a smaller area than Oceania and does not include the Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia regions.
Oceania spans the northern and southern hemispheres, from 47° south latitude to 30° north latitude, across the eastern and western hemispheres, from 110° east longitude to 160° west longitude, with a distance of more than 10,000 kilometers from east to west and more than 8,000 kilometers from north to south; It consists of a continent and countless islands scattered in the vast sea, including Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea (Irian Island), and the three major island groups of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Oceania has 14 independent countries, and the remaining 10 regions are still under the jurisdiction of the United States, Britain, France and other countries, and the economic development level of each country varies significantly. Australia and New Zealand are developed countries, while other island countries are mostly agricultural countries and have relatively backward economies. Industry is also mainly concentrated in Australia, followed by New Zealand. Geographically, it is divided into six regions: Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.
Population
Oceania has a total of about 29 million people, making it the least populous continent in the world outside of Antarctica. It is about 0.5% of the world's population. 65% of the continent's population is located in mainland Australia. Population densities vary significantly between island countries. Papuans, Australians, Tasmanians, Maori , Melanesian, Micronesian and Polynesian residents account for about 20% of the total population, and European descendants account for more than 70% of the population, in addition to mestizos, Indians, Chinese and Japanese. The indigenous inhabitants are yellow (Polynesians, etc.) and brown (Australian Aboriginals).
Climate
Oceania has a small land area, but there are many islands, scattered in the vast Pacific Ocean, and the latitudes of north and south are therefore obviously different in climate, and the types are diverse.
The western part of Oceania is the source of tropical cyclones, and its occurrence centers are two, one is annexed by the Caroline Islands to the southeast coast of Asia; One occurred near Samoa, Tonga and Fiji and intruded into northeastern Australia.
Climatic characteristics
Australian climate
1. Wide range of tropics and subtropics: Although the continents and islands of Oceania are widely distributed, most of them are between 30 degrees south and north latitudes, and most of them belong to tropical and subtropical: although most of the areas are vertically illuminated by the sun, the average annual temperature is mostly between 25 ° C and 28 ° C because of the vast ocean. The continental part and archipelago part of Oceania in the tropical and subtropical range, due to the huge difference in area, latitude position and distance from the sea, coupled with the influence of topography and atmospheric circulation, so the temperature difference between the mainland and the archipelago part of Australia is obvious. Due to the small size of each island, the archipelago can be fully regulated by the oceanic climate, and although it has a tropical and subtropical climate, the temperature is not too high, and the oceanic nature is obvious. The average annual temperature of Oceania islands is between 26°~28°C, except for a few islands, the average annual temperature rarely exceeds 29°C or is lower than 24°C.
2. The proportion of arid areas in land area is large: Oceania accounts for 30% of the total area with annual precipitation of less than 250 mm, and 28% of the area with annual precipitation of 250 mm and 500 mm, which together account for 58% of the total area. More than half of Oceania's land area is arid. Oceania has more arid zones as a proportion of the continent's land area than Asia and Africa compared to other continents. The average annual precipitation in Oceania is about 700 mm, which is only close to that of Africa, which has little rainfall, and is less than 1/5 of the average precipitation of all continents.
3. Regional distribution of precipitation is significantly different: from the distribution of precipitation, the precipitation in the eastern archipelago of Oceania is much greater than that in the western continent, and it has the characteristics of decreasing from east to west and from the equator to the north and south. The central and western regions of mainland Australia have an arid climate with less than 250 mm of annual precipitation and less than 120 mm near Lake Ayr. It has the least precipitation in the continent; The northeastern island of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands receives an average of 12,000 millimeters of precipitation per year, making it one of the wettest areas in the world.
4. Diverse types of tropical climate: the equator passes north-central from the central part of the continent, and the land area between the Tropic of Cancer accounts for about 60% of the total area of the continent, and the tropical area can be compared with Africa and South America. In the tropics, there are both vast continents and numerous islands surrounded by oceans; There are both vast inland areas under the control of the return high pressure, and island groups deeply affected by trade winds; There are both hot and rainy areas near the equator, and dry and wet seasons affected by summer winds. Oceania has 8 climate types, including 4 tropical types. Climate types outside the tropics are not widely distributed.
Climate type zone
1. Tropical marine climate zone: It is the most widely distributed climate type area in the continent. Such as the New Hebrides of the Melanesi Islands, Fiji Islands, Santa Cruz Islands, etc.; Hawaiian Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Society Islands, Tuamotu Islands, etc. in Polynesia; The Marshall Islands, Caroline Islands, and Mariana Islands in the Micronesi Islands all have tropical marine climates. It is surrounded by tropical oceans, and the climate is warm and rainy. The average annual temperature is between 23-26 ° C.
2. Tropical rainforest climate zone: mainly distributed near the equator, such as the northwest and north of Irian Island (New Guinea Island), New Britain Island, Bismarck Islands, parts of the Solomon Islands, and the Gilbert Islands, etc., are tropical rainforest climates. High temperature and rainy all year round, small interannual temperature change, annual average temperature of about 27 °C, annual difference of 1 °C ~ 3 °C, precipitation is bimodal type, annual precipitation 2000-3000 mm, individual areas due to the influence of topography, precipitation up to 5000-6000 mm.
3. Tropical wet and dry season climate zone: mainly distributed in the Kimberley Plateau, Arnhem Land, Cape York Peninsula of the Australian mainland, and the coast north of the eastern latitude of 25°S; and the southern plains of Irian Island. The dry and wet seasons are distinct, and the summer (January) is affected by the tropical marine air masses brought by the northwest monsoon, so it is hot and humid, and the rainfall is abundant as the wet season; The winter (July) is dry due to the influence of southeast trade winds from the continental high pressure, and it becomes the dry season. The temperature in this area is high throughout the year, and the annual average air and tears are generally above 25°C. Annual precipitation is abundant, and the amount of rainfall and the length of the rainy season vary according to the geographical conditions of each place. [8]
4. Tropical arid and semi-arid climate zone: This area is the most extensive climate zone in Oceania: distributed in the central and western parts of the Australian continent, where the climate is arid and desert is extensive. The average annual temperature is 18-25°C; Summer is hot, with an average temperature of 21-30°C in January; Mild winter, the average temperature in July is 13~17 °C; Precipitation is scarce, evaporation is strong, the annual precipitation in the inland area is less than 200 mm, is the desert area of the mainland, from the inland to the north or south, the annual precipitation is 250~500 mm, belonging to the semi-desert area.
5. Subtropical humid climate zone: distributed in the southeast coastal zone of New South Wales and Victoria on the Australian mainland, and the northern part of New Zealand's North Island, where the climate is mild and humid. The average temperature in the hottest month (January) is generally 18-20°C, and the coldest month (July) is above 8°C. The annual precipitation is 700~1500 mm, the precipitation season is evenly distributed, and the easterly wind from the ocean in summer is mostly formed, and topographic rain is formed when the higher the ground is blown; In winter, there are mostly westerly winds and cyclonic rain. Precipitation distribution decreases from coastal to inland.
6. Subtropical continental arid and semi-arid climate zone: located in the southeastern inland of the Australian continent, between the subtropical humid climate zone and the tropical arid and semi-arid climate zone. Annual precipitation gradually decreases from about 500 mm in the east to below 250 mm in the west. Temperatures range from hot summers above 25°C to mild winters with coldest months above 9°C.
7. Subtropical summer dry climate zone: located in the southwest corner of the Australian continent, and the area centered on Adelaide. Under the control of the Indian Ocean high pressure in summer, hot and dry, winter is affected by the northward westerly wind belt, and cyclone activity is frequent, mild and humid. The hottest month in summer (January or February) has an average temperature of 18-24°C, and the coldest month of winter is above 12°C in July. The annual precipitation is about 500-1000 mm, and summer precipitation only accounts for 4%~9% of the annual precipitation, and the precipitation decreases from west to east and from south to north.
8. Temperate maritime climate zone: including New Zealand's South Island and the southern North Island, Tasmania, etc. Under the control of the warm and humid westerly wind all year round, there is neither scorching heat nor severe winter. The average annual temperature is 10~15 °C, the average temperature in January varies from north to south at 19.14 °C, and the average temperature in July is 11 °C in the north and 5 °C in the south, and the annual difference is small. Precipitation is abundant throughout the year, mainly frontal precipitation. It is the only area in Oceania where snowfall is visible in winter.
Water system
Oceania rivers appear to be very rare, short and small in water, with water swelling during the rainy season and sometimes stopping during the dry season, mostly unfavorable to navigation. The main rivers are the Murray River and its tributaries the Darling River and the Marambiji River, the Roper River, the Gilbert River, the Flinders River, the Cruza River and the Waikato River in New Zealand, and the Sepik, Fry and Manbramo Rivers in New Guinea.
There are about 146 lakes in the world with an area of more than 1,000 square kilometers, of which Oceania accounts for 4. The total amount of freshwater resources is 2,390 km³, or 267,000 cubic meters per square kilometer. Oceania has fewer lakes than other continents, and most of the lakes on the continent are saltwater. At altitudes above 20m above sea level, the number of lakes is 186, of which more than 54% are located in Australia, New Zealand has 43 lakes, accounting for 23.1% of the total number of lakes, followed by Papua New Guinea with nearly 21% of the number of lakes.
The largest lake in Oceania, Lake Eyre in Australia, is 9,500 square kilometers at its largest (when filled), which is divided into North Ayr and South Ayr, and between the two lakes is the narrow Goid waterway, the amount of which varies with precipitation; Oceania's deepest lake, Lake Manapouri in the mountains of New Zealand's southwestern South Island, is 443 metres deep.
Geological geomorphology
Oceania straddles the three major plates of the Indo-Australian Plate, the Pacific Plate and the Eurasian Plate, and the region has experienced a long history of tectonic evolution from the Archean to the present. According to the regional geological characteristics, the area can be divided into three primary structural units, namely the Precambrian craton in central and western Australia, the Paleozoic orogenic belt in eastern Australia and the Cenozoic island arc area in the Pacific Rim, with 12 secondary structural units and 40 tertiary structural units.
The geological structure characteristics of Oceania are mainly manifested in the relatively stable crust of the ancient continent, the frequent tectonic activity of the islands formed in the new period, and the development of the earth body from west to east from old to new.
Oceania is made up of the smallest Australian continent in the world and more than 10,000 islands of varying sizes, the largest number of islands. The island area accounts for 13.8% of the continent's total area, and its proportion is the second highest in the world after North America. Oceania is not only numerous islands, but also of all types. According to its cause, it can be divided into four types: continental, volcanic, coral and mixed. If combined with the subdivision of appearance morphology, the volcanic type can be divided into Hawaiian and Vesuvius, and the coral type can be divided into three forms: Taiwan reef, atoll and skirt (barrier) reef.
Oceania, except for some mountainous areas with altitudes above 2,000 meters, is generally below 600 meters. The plains below 200 meters above sea level account for about 1/3 of the continent's area, and the hills and terraces of 200-600 meters account for more than 1/2 of the continent's area. It is a continent with low terrain in the world. The central and western parts of the Australian continent are vast, the climate is arid, the vegetation is scarce, the wind is strong, and the surface is widely distributed with wind erosion and aeolian landforms. In the western desert and the central Ayr Lake area, there are many sand dunes, sand and saucers formed by wind accumulation. Wind-eroded sandstone columns and typical Yadan terrain can be seen near the MacDonnell Mountains.
The formation of islands in Oceania is mostly related to volcanism, and the basements of coral islands and atolls are also composed of volcanic materials, so volcanic landforms are widely distributed and diverse. For example, New Zealand has clusters of volcanic craters and lava bend hills: Hawaii and Polynesia have shield-shaped volcanic landforms with large volume and small slopes.
The geomorphological structure of Oceania has five distinct geomorphological units from west to east: the erosion plateau in the western part of the continent (Western Australian plateau), the subsidence plain in the central part of the continent (China-Australia Plain), the faulty mountains in the eastern part of the continent (Dongao Mountains), the New Fold Island Arc (continental islands) on the eastern side of the continent, and the volcanic-coral island group further east (oceanic islands).
Name: Oceania.
Location: Located in the vast sea area north and south of the equator in the southwest and south of the Pacific Ocean. Its narrow range refers to the three island groups of Polynesia in the east, Micronesia in the central region and Melanesia in the west. In the broad sense, it includes Australia, New Zealand and the island of New Guinea (Irian) in addition to the three island groups mentioned above.
Area: Oceania has a total land area of about 8.97 million square kilometers, accounting for about 6% of the total land area of the earth, making it the smallest continent in the world.
Geographical area: Oceania has 14 independent countries, and the remaining dozen regions are still under the jurisdiction of the United States, the United Kingdom, France and other countries. Geographically, it is divided into six regions: Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.
Inhabitants: Residents represent approximately 0.5 per cent of the world's total population. Apart from Antarctica, it is the least populous continent in the world. The urban population accounts for more than 60% of the total population, the largest proportion of the urban population among the continents. More than 70% of the inhabitants are descendants of European immigrants; The local population accounts for about 20% of the total population, mainly Melanesian, Micronesian, Papuan, Polynesian; Indians make up about 1% of the total population; In addition, there are mestizos, Chinese, overseas Chinese, and Japanese. The vast majority of the inhabitants believe in Christianity, a few are Catholic, and most Indians believe in Hinduism. English is spoken by the vast majority of the population, and local residents of the three Pacific island groups speak Melanesian, Micronesian and Polynesian languages.
Natural resources: In addition to Australia, the main minerals are nickel, bauxite, gold, chromium, phosphate, iron, silver, lead, zinc, coal, oil, natural gas, uranium, titanium, etc., nickel reserves of about 46 million tons, ranking first in all continents. Guano is also abundant on the islands. Oceania has about 76 million hectares of forest, or 9% of its total area. 2% of the world's forest area.
Economic summary: The economy is mainly based on agriculture and mining, and is rich in coconuts, sugar cane, pineapple, natural rubber, etc. for export. The main food crops are wheat, potatoes, corn, rice, etc., and the food production of most countries and regions cannot be self-sufficient. Animal husbandry is developed, mainly sheep raising. The number of sheep accounts for about 20% of the world's total sheep, and wool production accounts for about 40% of the world's total wool production. Industry is mainly mining, processing of agricultural and livestock products. Australia and New Zealand are the most developed heavy industries, New Caledonia ranks second in the world in nickel production, and Fiji has gold and Nauru phosphate mining is more developed.