the main Carp Features of the development of Oceania. Report - Oceania

Features of the development of Oceania. Report - Oceania

Geographical position of Oceania, countries and dependent areas of Oceania

Geology and Climate Oceania, Soil and Hydrology Oceania, Economics and Culture of Oceania, Melanesia, Micronesia, New Zealand and Polynesia

Section 1. Main characteristics of Oceania.

Section 2. Oceania Physico-Geographical Countries.

Oceania - this is part of the world; Geographic, often the geopolitical region of the world, consisting mainly of hundreds of small islands and atolls in the central and western parts of the Pacific.

The main characteristics of Oceania

Oceania is the world's largest cluster of the islands located in the western and central parts of the Pacific Ocean, between the subtropical latitudes of the Northern and moderate southern hemispheres. When the all sushi is divided into part of the light of oceania, it is usually combined with Australia into a single part of the Light Australia and Oceania, although sometimes it is released into an independent part of the world.

Oceania is a large number of islands (about ten thousand), located in the center and the south - the West of the Pacific Ocean. Oceania is located between the Malay Archipelago and Australia. It is divided into Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia, sometimes allocate new Zealand. The total area of \u200b\u200bthe islands is about 1.25 million square kilometers. These islands are populated about 18 million people.

The basis of Oceania is New Zealand (South and North Islands), and New Guinea. These islands make up the 4 / 5/5th of the entire territory. Islands Western Micronesia and Melanesia is a large mountain range rising from the bottom of the ocean, the tops are above the water. These islands of crater of underwater volcanoes: Samoa, Cook, Easter, Hawaiian, Marquis.

In Hawaii: Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, if you count with the bottom of the ocean reach nine thousand meters. But mostly Micronesia and Polynesia of the island of animal origin (atoll) coral. They rose from underwater crater volcanoes.

Oceania is a kind of natural miracle, every island is your world, with your charms. Flora is very diverse. Some of the islands have vegetation of all climatic zones. Characteristic Wood Oceania is a palm tree coconut. Her wood goes to construction, ropes fly from the palm fibers. Coconut oil is on the preparation of soap, margarine.

The total area of \u200b\u200bthe islands 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). Geographically, Oceania is divided into Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia; Sometimes a new Zealand is distinguished.

In the Pacific Ocean, in its central and western parts is the largest cluster of the islands on the globe, with a total area of \u200b\u200babout 1.26 million km2, most of which are grouped into archipelagoes. All islands are combined under the name Oceania. Oceania's development occurred in conditions of long-term isolation from the mainland sushi, which determines the deep peculiarity of its landscapes. It manifests itself both in geological structure and relief and in high endemism and povelties of the species composition of flora, fauna, especially at the most remote eastern islands. These reasons provide the basis for the allocation of oceania into a special part of the light with the domination of oceanic landscapes that have no analogues on the mainland. The geological structure of Oceania islands is in direct connection with the structure of the Pacific DNA. Almost all islands of coral or volcanic origin. In the central part of Oceania (in Polynesia and Eastern Micronesia), they are vertices of underwater volcanoes, crowning underwater ridges, erected by powerful Izdnesses of basalt lava at the end of the neogene and in the Quaternary period along the lines of faults of the ancient oceanic platform of the Pacific Ocean. The formation of coral islands occurred in a quarterly period due to ecstatic fluctuations in the level of the Pacific Ocean and the defaults of the sections of its bottom. The islands focused on the western outskirts of Oceania lie in the zones of geosynclinal structures framing the central platform, and are (according to V. V. Belousov) vertices of the grand submarine ridge-advanced geosynclinal areas. With the external (oceanic) side, these islands are framed by deep-sea depressions, extremely distinct in the terrain of the bottom of the ocean due to extremely slow motion and precipitation processes. Slabs in the peripheral Pacific geosyncline were actively manifested in the Mesozoic and Alpine cycles, but they were not over and now, as evidenced by frequent and strong earthquakes and active volcanism on the islands. Islands of West Oceania are the largest and mountainous. Among them, new Zealand and New Guinea are allocated among them, which account for 80% of Sushi Sushi area. The islands are scattered in latitudes from subtropicals in the northern hemisphere to moderate in the southern (lying between 28 ° 25 "s. Sh. And 52 ° 30" Yu. Sh. And 130 ° C. d. And 105 ° 20 "z. D.) But most of them are concentrated in the subequatorial belts, which determines the main features of the temperature and humidification mode. The effect of sushi affects the climate closest to Australia and Southeast Asia islands.

For the rest, small daily and seasonal amplitudes of high temperatures are characterized, constantly high relative air humidity and a large amount of precipitation, due to the exclusive domination of the sea air. The average temperatures of the warmer months (August in the northern hemisphere, February in South) vary from 25 ° C in the north to 16 ° C in the south, the coldest (February and August) from 16 ° C to 5 ° C. Sharp fluctuations in seasonal and daily temperatures are characteristic only for the mountainous islands, on which the high-altitude climatic explanancy appears on New Zealand and the new Guinea, high-altitude climatic belts end with the nival climate. The average annual rainfall norms vary extremely strongly depending on the orography. Wet winds (mainly the Passats of both hemispheres) are freely rush over low small islands, but rising from the highlighted slopes of high mountainous islands, on which abundant orographic rains fall out (in some places up to 9000 mm or more). This creates harsh climatic and landscape contrasts of slopes of various exposure. An evergreen wet forests grow on the onward slopes, a thick network of full-flow rivers develops, erosion and chemical weathelation of rocks are actively flowing, a variece of latice type of soil occurs. Mixed (leaf-old-evergreen) forests, xerophytic parel and peculiar ocean savannas with rigid cereals, pandanus, coarse palm trees predominantly dominate on the lessurated slopes. Low islands, where the cyclonic sediments fall out mainly, covered with ocean savanses, coconut trees and pandanus forests, mangrove thickets (mainly on the coral islands) and even semi-desert vegetation, the exits of dense unlucky basalts are completely bare. The major islands of Oceania were the centers of formation of the flora. At the same time, many species of plants migrated to the islands from Australia, and mainly from the Malay Archipelago and Southeast Asia, as a result of which almost all of the Oceania is included in the Male Floristic Paleotropic Paleotropikov, extremely poor on the species composition and highly endemic. The question of the spread of organisms in Oceania remains unresolved. It is usually believed that migration occurred by temporary sushi bridges. On the other hand, it is impossible to underestimate the role of winds, flows, birds, and, finally, people, even in ancient times who have committed long-term swimming between the archipelagoes. The greatest endemism of the flora possesses New Zealand and the Hawaiian Islands allocated to special subsequent. Among the plants of Oceania are a lot of coconut and saga palms for humans, bananas, rubberos, mango, melon and bread trees.

Many tropical cultures of pineapples, bananas, sugar cane, etc. Oceanic expanses are grown on the islands, are of great difficulties for animal resettlement, therefore the composition of the fauna in Oceania is very specific, is characterized by a latter, primarily due to the almost complete absence of mammals. For this reason, most of the Oceania stands out to the Polynesian zoogeographic area. On the islands there are a lot of good flying birds (haircuts, pigeons, etc.) and there are some small animals (mainly bats, dogs and foxes, lizards), as well as insects that were accidentally brought on the trunks of floating trees. The brought animals and birds were great harm to the fauna of Oceania, many of which were taken by empty ecological niches, found a favorable medium for breeding and sometimes aimed was destroyed not only by local animals, but also vegetation cover. Regional landscape differences allow to allocate four physical and geographic countries in Oceania: Melanesia, Micronesia, New Zealand and Polynesia.

Oceania islands are washed by numerous seas of quiet (coral sea, Tasmanovo Sea, Sea Fiji, Sea Coro, Solomono Sea, Novogvinsky Sea, Philippine Sea) and Indian Oceans (Arafur Sea).

From the point of view of oceania geology is not the continent: only Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, New Guinea and Tasmania have continental origin, formed at the site of the hypothetical mainland Gondwan. In the past, these islands were a single land, however, as a result of raising the level of the world's 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 the Jaya Mountain (5029 m), are located on New Guinea Island.

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

Other islands have coral origins, being atolls that have formed as a result of the formation of coral buildings around the volcanoes immersed under the water (for example, Gilbert Islands, Tuamotu). A distinctive feature of such islands are large lagoons, which are surrounded by numerous islands, or a moto, 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 Archipelago of Marshall Islands. Despite the fact that its land area is only 16.32 km² (or 6.3 square meters. Miles), Lagoon Square - 2174 km² (or 839.3 square meters. Miles). The largest atoll of Sushi Square is the Island of Christmas (or Kirithmatima) in the Line Archipelago (or Central Polynesian Sporades) - 322 km². However, among the atolls there is a special type - raised (or elevated) atoll, which is a limestone plateau with a height of up to 50-60 m above the ocean level. This type of lagoon island has no traces of its past existence. Examples of such atolls can serve Nauru, Niue, Banaba.

The relief and the geological structure of the bottom of the Pacific Ocean in the Oceania area has a complex structure. From the Alaska Peninsula (part of North America) to New Zealand there is a large number of kitrooms of the outskirts of the seas, deep-water oceanic chutes (Tonga, Kermadek, Bougainvillean), which form a geosynclinal belt, characterized by active vulcanism, seismicity and contrasting relief.

On most Oceania islands, minerals are missing, only development is underway on the largest of them: nickel (New Caledonia), oil and gas (New Guinea Island, New Zealand), Copper (Bougainville Island in Papua - New Guinea), Gold (New Guinea , Fiji), phosphates (on most of the islands of the field almost or have already been developed, for example, to Nauru, on the Islands of Banaba, Makata). In the past, the many Islands of the region was actively developing guano, laid out the litter of seabirds, which was used as nitrogen and phosphoric fertilizer. On the oceanic day of the exceptional economic zone of a number of countries there are large accumulations of iron-manganese concretions, as well as cobalt, but at the moment there are no development due to economic inappropriateness.

Oceania is located within a few climatic belts: Equatorial, subequatorial, tropical, subtropical, moderate. In most of the islands, the tropical climate is dominated. The subequatorial climate dominates the islands near Australia and Asia, as well as to the east of 180 meridian in the equator zone, Equatorial - west of 180 meridian, subtropical - to the north and south of the tropics, moderate - most of the southern island in New Zealand.

The climate of Oceania islands is determined mainly by the trade winds, therefore, at most of them, abundant precipitation falls. The average annual precipitation varies from 1500 to 4000 mm, although on some islands (in particular, due to the design features and on the leeward side), the climate may be more arid or more wet. In Oceania, one of the most wet places of the planet is located: on the eastern slope of the Vaileal Mountain on the island of Kauai, up to 11,430 mm of precipitation drops each year (the absolute maximum was reached in 1982: then 16,916 mm fell). Near the tropics, the average temperature is about 23 ° C, at the equator - 27 ° C, with a slight difference between the hottest and most cold months.

At the climate of Oceania islands, such anomalies as the currents of El Niño and La Niña also have a great influence. During El Niño, the interdropic convergence zone moves to the north towards the Equator, with La Nier - south away from the equator. In the latter case, a strong drought is observed on the islands, in the first - strong rains.

Most Oceania islands are subject to the destructive effects of natural cataclysms: volcanic eruptions (Hawaiian Islands, new hebrides), earthquakes, tsunami, cyclones, accompanied by typhoins and strong rains, droughts. Many of them lead to essential material and human losses. For example, as a result of Tsunami in Papua - 2,200 people died in July 1999.

On the South Island in New Zealand and on the island of New Guinea high in the mountains there are glaciers, however, due to the global warming process, there is a gradual reduction in their area.

Because of the various climatic conditions of the soil Oceania are very diverse. The soil of the atolls is highly riveted, coral origin, very poor. Usually they are porous, due to which moisture is very poorly delayed, and also contain very few organic and mineral substances with the exception of calcium, sodium and magnesium. Soils of volcanic islands, as a rule, have volcanic origin and are distinguished by high fertility. On large mountainous islands there are red-yellow, mining varnisses, mountain-meadow, yellow-brown soils, yellow-glazes, reds.

Large rivers are only on the South and North Island of New Zealand, as well as on the island of New Guinea, on which the largest oceania rivers, sepik (1126 km) and Flace (1050 km) are located. The largest river of New Zealand - Whicato (425 km). Nutrition rivers predominantly rain, although in New Zealand and on New Guinea, the rivers are also fueled by the waters from the melting glaciers and snow. The river's atolls are not at all due to the high soil porosity. Instead, rainwater, leaking through the soil, forms a lens slightly stray water, to get to which you can, dig a well. On the larger islands (as a rule, volcanic origin) there are small streams of water that flow in the side of the ocean.

The greatest number of lakes, including thermal, is in New Zealand, where there are also geysers. On other islands Oceania, the lake is a great rarity.

Oceania is included in the Paleotropic region of vegetation, while three subdomains are distinguished: Melanesian-Micronesian, Hawaiian and New Zelaland. Among the most widespread rich plants of Oceania, coconut palm trees and breadwinners are distinguished, which play an important role in the life of local residents: the fruits are used in food, wood is a source of heat, construction material, from the oily endosperm of coconut palm nuts produce a copp, which is the basis for exporting countries of this Region. On the islands also grows a large number of epiphytes (ferns, orchids). The largest number of endemics (both representatives of flora and fauna) are registered in New Zealand and in the Hawaiian Islands, while from the West to the East there is a decrease in the number of species, childbirth and plants.

The animal world of Oceania refers to the Polynesian faunistic area with the subsection of the Hawaiian Islands. The Fauna of New Zealand stands out to an independent area, New Guinea - to the Papuaski subland of the Australian region. New Zealand and New Guinea are distinguished by the greatest variety. On the small islands of Oceania, first of all, the atolls, mammals almost do not meet: only a small rat is inhabited for many of them. But the local ornithofaun is very rich. On most atolls there are bird bazaars, where sea birds nest. From representatives of the fauna of New Zealand, birds of Kiwi, who have become the national symbol of the country are the most famous. Other endemics of the country - Kea (lat. Nestor Notabilis, or Nestor), Cocoapo (Lat. Strigops Habroptilus, or Sovic Parrot), Taka (Lat. Notoronis Hochstelteri, or Outless Sultanka). In all Oceania islands, a large number of lizards, snakes and insects live.

In the course of European colonization of the islands on many of them, foreign species of plants and animals were delivered, which had a negative impact on the local flora and fauna.

In the territory of the region there is a large number of protected areas, many of which occupy significant areas. For example, Phoenix Islands in the Republic of Kiribati from January 28, 2008 are the world's largest marine reserve (area of \u200b\u200b410,500 km²).

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

Polynesians living in Polynesia countries have a mixed racial type: their appearance are viewed by the features of the Europeanoid and mongoloid races, and to a lesser extent - Australoid. The largest peoples of Polynesia are Hawaiians, self-suicide, Taitians, Tongsans, Maori, Markizers, Rapanuitsa and others. Native languages \u200b\u200bbelong to the Polynesian subgroup of the Austronesian Languages: Hawaiian, Samanevsky, Taitian, Tongan, Maori, Marquis, Rapanoisky and others. The characteristic features of Polynesian languages \u200b\u200bare a small number of sounds, especially consonant, abundance of vowels.

Micronesians live in the countries of Micronesia. The largest peoples are Carolins, Kiribati, Marshall, Nauru, Chamorro and others. Native languages \u200b\u200bbelong to the Micronesian group of Austronesian Languages: Kiribati, Carolinsky, Kusayan, Marshall, Naurouan and others. Languages \u200b\u200bof Palau and Chamorro refer to West Malaysian-Polynesian, and Yappan forms a separate branch in the composition of the oceanic languages, which also include Micronesian languages.

Melanesians live in Melanesia countries. Race type - Australoid, with a small mongoloid element, close to the Papuas of New Guinea. Melanesians speak Mellanesian languages, but their languages, unlike Micronesian and Polynesian and Polynesian, do not form a separate genetic group, and the language fragility is very large, so people from neighboring villages can not understand each other.

Papuans inhabit the island of New Guinea and some areas of Indonesia. According to anthropological type, they are close to melanesians, but differ from them by language. Not all Papua Russian languages \u200b\u200bare related to each other. The national language of Papuans in Papua - New Guinea is the Creole Tok-Pisin language on an English basis. According to various people of the peoples and languages \u200b\u200bof Papuans, there are from 300 to 800. At the same time, there are difficulties in establishing the difference between a separate language and dialect.

Many ocean languages \u200b\u200bare on the verge of extinction. In everyday life, they are increasingly crowding out 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 Maori make up to 15% of the country's population. The share of Polynesians on the Northern Mariana Islands located in Micronesia is about 21.3%. In Papua - New Guinea, the majority of the population make up numerous Papuan peoples, although the share of immigrants from other islands of the region is also high.

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

Recently, the share of immigrants from Asia (mostly Chinese and Philipins) increases in Oceania countries. For example, on the Northern Mariana Islands, the share of Philipps is 26.2%, and the Chinese are 22.1%.

Oceania's population mainly professes Christianity, adhering to either Protestant or the Catholic branch.

The island of New Guinea and the nearby islands of Melanesia were, presumably populated by immigrants from Southeast Asia, sailing at about 30-50 thousand years ago. About 2-4 thousand years ago, most of Micronesia and Polynesia were settled. The process of colonization ended in about 1200 of our era. By the beginning of the XVI century, the peoples of Oceania were experiencing a period of decomposition of the primitive communal system and the formation of a early grade society. Crafts were actively developed, agriculture, navigation.

In the period from the XVI to the XVIII century, the period of studying Oceania with Europeans, who gradually began to settle the islands. However, the process of European colonization was very slow, as the region did not cause much interest among the aliens due to the lack of natural wealth, and had a negative impact on the local population: many diseases were transported, which were never in Oceania, and this led to epidemics, The result of which the residue is a significant part of the natives. At the same time, a Christianization of residents who worshiped numerous deities and spirits were worshiped.

In the XVIII-XIX centuries, the section of Oceania islands between colonial powers, primarily the British Empire, Spain and France (subsequently, the US and the German Empire also joined them). Of particular interest among the Europeans caused the possibility of creating plantations on the islands (coconut palm trees for the production of copper, sugar cane), as well as slave trade (the so-called "hunt for black droinds", which assumed the recruitment of the islanders to work on plantations).

In 1907, New Zealand became a dominion, but formally, she became a completely independent state in 1947. After the First World War, the first political organizations began to be emerged ("May" on Western Samoa, "Fijian Youth" for Fiji), which fought for the independence of the colonies. During World War II, Oceania was one of the theaters of hostilities, where many battles occurred (mainly between Japanese and American troops).

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

After obtaining independence in most Oceania countries, serious economic, political and social problems have survived, which they are trying to decide thanks to the help of the world community (including the UN) and through regional cooperation. Despite the process of decolonization in the 20th century, some of the islands of the region still remain in one extent dependent: New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna from France, Pitcairn Islands from Great Britain, Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau from New Zealand, row Islands (all external small islands, except for Navassa Island) from the United States.

Most countries of Oceania have a very weak economy, which is associated with several reasons: the limitness of natural wealth, remoteness from the world market sales markets, a deficit of highly qualified specialists. Many states depend on the financial assistance of other countries.

The basis of the economy of most Oceania countries is agriculture (production of copers and palm oil) and fishing. Among the most important crops, coconut palm trees are distinguished, bananas, breadcrumbs. Possessing huge exclusive economic zones and without having a large fishing fleet, the governments of the Oceania countries issue licenses for the right of fish to the courts of other states (mainly Japan, Taiwan, USA), which significantly replenishes the state budget. The mining industry is most developed in Papua - New Guinea, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand.

A significant part of the population is occupied in the public sector. Recently, measures are being taken to develop the tourist sector of the economy.

The art of Oceania has developed a distinctive style, which gives the uniqueness of local culture.

In the pictorial art of Polynesians, the main place is owned by carving on wood and sculpture. Maori has a high-level thread reached, they decorated the boats, details of the houses, cut out the statues of gods and ancestors, such a statue stands in every village. The main motive of the ornament is a spiral. Stone statues of the MOAI created on the island of Easter and in the Marquis Islands. From the crafts, the most important was the construction of boats, as they allowed to engage in fishing and traveling to long distances (in this regard, the Polynesians developed astronomy). Among the Polynesians, a tattoo was widely widespread. The tap served as a clothing, which was made from the bark of the trees of the Family Family. In Polynesia, the myths, legends, fairy tales, singing and dancing were developed. Writing was probably only on Easter Island (Rongo-Rongo), the folklore was transmitted to other islands.

Micronesians from the art of art are popular singing and dancing. Each tribe has its own myths. In everyday life, the main place was held by the court - boats. There were boats of different types: Dibenil - sailing, Wab - a large junior boat. Megalites meet on the islands. Of particular interest is Nan-Madol, known as "Micronesian Venice". This is a whole city on the water, in the lagoon on the island of Ponap. Stone structures are built on artificial islets.

The melanesians of a special heyday reached a wood carving. Unlike Polynesians, Melanesians were not so tied to the sea, they were more like sushi residents. The main musical instrument is a drum, or tames. Papuans are common folklore, songs, dances, myths. Songs and dances are very simple. Singing is called Moon, the melody varies very weakly. The cult of ancestors and skulls is important. Papuats manufactures Corvara - images of ancestors. Well developed wood carving.

Physico-geographical countries of Oceania

Regional landscape differences allow to allocate four physico-geographical countries in Oceania: Melanesia, Micronesia, New Zealand and Polynesia.

Melanesia.

Melanesia includes new Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Louizaida, Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz, New Hebrides, New Caledonia, Fiji and a number of small islands. The islands of Melonezia lie in the Alpine geosyncline zone and are created by typical processes of non-beam and early quaternary period. Their crystal intrusions and folded sedimentary sediments. In the complex of crystalline rocks there are ore fossils: nickel, gold, iron ores, chromites. Oil pools are confined to sediment suits.

Volcanic activity continues and today. Frequent and strong earthquakes occur.

The relief of the islands is predominantly mountainous. The islands received modern outlines in the quaternary period, previously they were interconnected, with Australia, with the Malay archipelago of land bridges, for which the migration of flora and fauna occurred. In this regard, the vegetable and animal world includes many Austral Malay species.

The mountains rise to 2000 m and above on New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and the Bismarck Archipelago, which are united under the name of Northern Melanesia. The climate here is constantly hot and very wet, most of the islands cover evergreen wet forests.

The climate of southern melanesia is hot, seasonal-wet, hyiley forests cover only the winding slopes of mountains, savannah appear on dry, leeward slopes.

The largest island of Melanesia and Oceania is a new Guinea with an area of \u200b\u200b829300 km2. This island is fully located in equatorial latitudes. Flora island is rich in species and includes 6872 species of plants, of which 85% endemics. Through the entire island, the middle ridge is stretched, the height of which increases to the west to the peak of Jay (5029 m). In its slopes, a huge amount of moisture, brought by winter southeast trade winds, is condensed, and in the summer - North-West Monson. At high peaks of the mountains, the sediment falls in solid form. The snow line lies at a height of 4420 m. On the tops of the mountains there are small glaciers.

Below the eternal snow and stony stamps, high-fat meadows are spread with rhododendron shrubs, even lower - the belt of mountain guils, which at an altitude of 900 m are replaced by the finish of typical guilt.

In the south of the middle ridge, there is a wide lowland, at the base of which the crystalline foundation lies, blocked by marine and alluvial sediments.

At lowlands, up to 4000-5000 mm of precipitation falls, but its southern regions are very dry. A characteristic type of vegetation is savanna with bunches of rigid cereals and Australian species of trees - banksis, eucalyptus and acacia.

In the floodplains of the Play rivers and digging a lot of reed swamps. In the mouths of rivers and along the lowland shores grow mangrove forests.

New Zealand

New Zealand consists of two large islands - northern and southern - and a number of small. It occupies the most southern position in Oceania. The islands of New Zealand extend from the southwest to the northeast and follow the large line of the fault that continues along the deep-water depression of Kermadek and Tonga.

New Zealand structures began to be formed in the upper Paleozoa. The most important plotting movements took place in the Mesozoic era and in Paleogen, after which the period of tectonic peace and poisonment occurred. In Pliocene, there was a new folding and differential vertical movements, crushing an ancient land and determined the modern outlines of the shores.

The development of the organic world occurred mainly without replenishing from the outside. Flora islands by 74% consists of endemic plants and relatively poor views. There are tree ferns (cyatia, diksonia), coniferous, peaceful, etc. Fauna New Zealand is also characterized by high endemism and deep antiquity. Local mammals are represented by two types of volatile mice and one type of rats. There are non-flying (kiwi, owl parrot) and flying (Nestor's parrot) birds. The only representative of the oldest reptiles (first-person) - Gatter has been preserved.

The nature of the Northern and South Islands is diverse.

Southern Island (area of \u200b\u200b150 thousand km2) has a mountain relief. Southern Alps stretched along the Western half of the island. Their height reaches 3764 m. They have up to 50 glaciers with a total area of \u200b\u200babout 1000 km2. From the south to the mountains adjoins the plateau of Otago (1200-1800 m). In the southwest of Otago lie large lakes. Along the Western slopes of the Southern Alps there is a narrow coastal lowland, coastal plains of Canterbury are adjacent to the eastern slopes.

Almost the entire South Island lies in a zone of moderately warm, very humid climate. The average winter temperature is 5-7 ° C. Sometimes it falls below 0 ° C. Western winds prevail. In summer, Western circulation is preserved in a weakened form. Temperature 14 ° in the south and 17 ° C in the north. The sediments fall as in winter and in the summer, but the maximum falls on the summer. On lowlands, the annual precipitation amount is 2500 mm, on the slopes of the mountains - 3500 mm. Oriental slopes are obtained only 700 mm per year.

Rivers are full-flowered with uniform drain and snow, glacial and rain nutrition. They are widely spilled in spring and summer.

The Western slopes of the mountains are covered with thick mixed forests, in which evergreen trees (laurel and coniferous) penetrate the south. Above 600 m and up to 1000 m lies the belt of evergreen beech forests. Above it is the belt of low-spirited tight shrubs and mountain meadows. Oriental slopes are covered with thickets of evergreen shrubs and beech forests.

North Island (area of \u200b\u200b115 thousand km2) is separated from the South Graben of the Cook Strait. The relief is dominated by the average plateau, lowlands are widely developed at the edges. Ridge Ruakhin is stretched along the east coast. The central part of the island occupies a volcanic plateau, over which volcanic cones rise. Among them are acting: Rupeju is the highest in New Zealand, Tarara. There are many lakes on the plateau, often thermal. The biggest one is lake Taupo.

The climate of the North Island is subtropical, moderately warm, with very wet winter. Summer precipitation falls less. Vegetation is represented by mixed subtropical forests, more rich in the species composition than on the southern island. Evergreen shrubs are dominated on the lava plateau, forests appear only on the weathered lavs.

Micronesia

The micronesia includes about 1,500 islands: Cadzan Archipelago, Mariana, Caroline, Marshall, Gilbert and Islands Nauru. All islands are small; The largest of them GUAM has an area of \u200b\u200b583 km2.

Western archipelagoes are located in the belt of geosynclinal structures of the Pacific Ocean and are vertices of volcanoes. Relief islands mountainous (height from 400 to 1000 m). Islands of Eastern Micronesia Coral. They rarely rise over water by more than 1.5 - 2.5 m. Many of them have the form of typical atolls.

Islands lie in latitudes from Equatorial to subtropical. The climate of the northern islands is as hot and humid as southern. The greatest amount of precipitation (1500-2000 mm) falls on the eastern slopes of the mountainous islands, visited in relation to the Northeast Passyats. Previously, the slopes were covered with thick wet evergreen tropical forests, but at present these forests are greatly reduced by area. The weathered slopes of the islands occupy cereal savanna. Internal lagows framed mangrove thickets.

Polynesia

Polynesia combines the islands lying in the general east of 180 meridian, between 30 ° C. sh. and 30 ° Sh.: Hawaii, Archipelars of Phoenix and Tokelau, Samoa, Cook Islands, Tubouau, Tahiti, Tuamot, and others. Islands - vertices of basalt volcanoes, mostly decapitated weatherallation and abrasion, blocked by reef limestones. There are coral islands - the Ocean Product, Mad Paren corals and limestone algae.

The name "Polynesia" means a lot of islands, first used by Charles de throw in 1756, and was originally applied to all the islands of the Tych Ocean. Jules Dirm D'Yurville In 1831, in a lecture to the geographical society of Paris, he proposed a restriction on its use, and also introduced the terms of Micronesia and Melanesia. This division into three different Pacific subregions is used today.

Geographically, Polynesia can be described as a triangle with angles in Hawaii, Aoteaore (New Zealand) and Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Other major island groups located within the Polynesian Triangle - Samoa Islands, Tonga, various island chains that form Cook Islands and French Polynesia. NIUE is a rare secluded island state near the center of Polynesia. The group of the island outside this large triangle includes Tuvalu and French territory of Volyns and Futun. There are also small enclaves of Polynesia inhabitants isolated part in Papua New Guinea, Solomons and Vanuatu. However, mostly, this is an anthropological term applied to one of three oceans (others called micronesia and melanesia), whose population generally belongs to one ethnocultural family as a result of centenary maritime movements.

Polynesia is divided into two excellent cultural groups, Eastern Polynesian and Western Polynesia. The culture of Western Polynesia is due to the large population. It has strong marriage institutions, and well-developed judicial, monetary and trade traditions. It includes groups of Tonga, Niue, Samoa Islands and Polynesian sections beyond the boundaries. Eastern Polynesian cultures are highly adapted to smaller islands and atales, including Cook Islands, Taiti Island, Tuamotus, Marquez, Hawaii and Easter Island. However, the big isons of New Zealand were first populated by the eastern inhabitants of Polynesia, which adapted their culture towards the netropic environment. Religion, agriculture, fishing, weather prediction, canoeing (similar to modern catamarans) Construction and navigation were highly developed skills, because the population of the whole island depended on them. Trade was divided into two types: luxury and household items. Many small islands could be transferred a serious hunger if their gardens were poisoned with salt from the hurricane storm wave. In such cases, fishing, the primary source of protein, would not weaken the loss of food energy. Sailors, in particular, were very respected, and each island supported the house of navigation, with the area of \u200b\u200bthe Kanoa Building. Polynesia residents had two categories, villages and towns. The size of the populated island determined whether or not, the village was built. Large volcanic islands usually had villages, divided into many zones, across the island. Food and resources were more abundant and thus, these settlements of the four - five houses (usually with gardens) were established so that there was no imposition between zones. The villages, on the other hand, were based on the coasts of the smaller islands and consisted of thirty or more buildings. Usually these villages have been strengthened with walls and palisades made of stone and forest. However, New Zealand demonstrates the opposite; Large volcanic islands with fortified villages. Due to the relatively large number of competitive sects of Christian missionaries in the islands, many Polynesian groups adopted Christianity. Polynesian languages \u200b\u200bare all members of the family of ocean languages, a subgroup related to Austronesian language family.

The organic world is represented by rhymatized plants and animals not only sushi, but also the sea. On the outer edge of the atoll, seaweed, foraminifera, sponges, marine hedgehogs and starfish, crabs and shrimps will be treated. Outdoor rabben atoll, on powerful carbonate soils there appears land vegetation: the evergreen xerophytic shrubs, the forests of coconut palms, pandanuses, banana thickets and groves of bread trees.

The largest archipelago of Polynesia - Hawaiian Islands, stretched out at 2500 km. Hawaiian archipelago consists of 24 islands with a total area of \u200b\u200b16700 km2. The largest islands are Hawaii, Maui, Oahu and Kauai. Volcanic activity continues only on the island of Hawaii, on other major islands it stopped at the beginning of the Quaternary period.

Most of the islands are stretched in a tropical climate belt, is under the continuous impact of the Northeastern Passops. The amount of precipitation on the winding slopes exceeds 4000 mm, on the leeward - no more than 700 mm per year. Characterized high air temperatures. Northwestern archipelago islands lie in a subtropical belt. They are removed from the cold California flow, so they have higher average seasonal temperatures. Cyclonic precipitation, maximum winter. The number of annual precipitation is about 1000 mm.

Flora Hawaii is high endemic (up to 93% of species) and monotum, so it is allocated to a special Hawaiian subsection of paleotropics. It has viced, ficuses, epiphytic orchids. Palm trees are represented by three species. For mountains, seasonally wet mixed forests are characterized to a height of 700 m), constantly wet evergreen forests (up to 1200 m), tropical mountain gylya (up to 3000 m). Savannes do not rise across the slopes above 300-600 m.

Ornithofauna (67 genera) is very rich in the islands. More than half leads a settling lifestyle and nest on the islands. In addition to birds there are one type of bat, several types of lizards, beetles.

The current state of nature and its protection

Islands landscapes are extremely vulnerable to people's economic activities. Higher harm is inflicted by a random or deliberate drift on the islands of alien organisms - plants or animals.

The state of the natural environment and the irrational use of land, cutting down the valuables of trees, pollution of coastal reservoirs and the direct destruction of the island sushi.

The most raw nature of the biogenic islands. The vulnerability of their vegetation and animal world, as well as a small amount of freshwater and surface sushi, create great difficulties to preserve the natural environment.

In the conditions of rapid population growth, compliance with the necessary sanitary standards on the islands becomes a difficult task, especially since it is not easy to find a suitable place to remove waste and wastewater.

Large devastation causes phosphate mining on some islands. As a result, people are formed by the desert, the restoration of which is almost inaccessible to young states of Oceania.

Hurry harm island, tourists are applied by the nature of the islands - lovers of underwater hunting and gatherers of living souvenirs. Already, many of the states, prohibiting the breakdown of corals, collecting shells, pearl production, as well as hunting birds and animals.

Groups of Islands

The following is the islands and spark groups, or nation or the substantial territories that have a native Polynesian culture. Some of the islands of Polynesian origin - outside the general triangle, which geographically defines the area.

American Samoa Islands (overseas territory of the United States)

Anuta (in Solomon Islands)

Cook Islands (self-governing state in Association with New Zealand)

Easter Island (part of Chile, called Rapa Nui in Rapa Nui)

EMAI (in Vanuatu)

French Polynesia ("Foreign Country", territory of France)

Hawaii (United States State)

Kapingamaranga (in the United States of Micronesia)

Mel (in Vanuatu)

New Zealand (named Aoteaov in Maori is usually associated with Australazia)

NIUE (self-governing state in a free association with New Zealand)

Nigeria (in Papua New Guinea)

Nukuman (in Papua New Guinea)

Nikoro (in the united states of Micronesia)

Ondong Java (in Solomon Islands)

Pilments (in Solomon Islands)

Renhell (in Solomon Islands)

Rotuma (in Fiji)

Samoa Islands (independent nation)

Sicain (in Solomon Islands)

Rustic guys island (politically part of the American Samoa Islands)

Takuuu (in Papua New Guinea)

Ticopia (in Solomon Islands)

Tokelau (overseas dependence of New Zealand)

Tonga (independent nation)

Tuvalu (independent nation)

Volis and Futun (foreign territory of France).

Sources

Wikipedia - Free Encyclopedia, Wikipedia

oceaniasport.info - Oceania

stranymira.com - Countries

polynesia.ru - Polynesia.

If you look at the map of the Pacific Ocean, then you can notice some feature of the location of the islands in the southern part of the ocean: the closer to the southwest, to Australia, the islands are thick covering the ocean and the more they are in size; The farther from Australia to the East and the North, the smaller the island and the wider they scattered through the windows of the ocean. We look more closely, we note other features in the location of the islands: most of them, and, in particular, large, elongated in a certain direction, and in the same direction the chains of small islands are drawn, continuing each other. These lines form as it were to wide concentric arcs covering from East Australian mainland and approximately parallel mountain chains, which stretches along the eastern shore of this mainland. It is possible to outreach three such concentric arcs: the first, internal, composed of the largest island - New Guinea (Irian), and the continuation of it is new Caledonia and New Zealand; The second arc form the Bismarck archipelago, Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz, Banks and New Hebrides; The third arc, external and less correct, - O-va Caroline, Marshall, Gilbert, Ellis, Fiji, Tonga and Kermadek.

Such a location of the islands is not accidental and explained by the geological history of Oceania. These three concentric arcs are likely to represent the remains of the mountain chains of ancient mainland, which once occupied a much more extensive space than the present Australia. Eastern, external arc, perhaps, was the edge of this mainland. Most of the above-mentioned islands are formed by mountain rocks of continuous origin.

Next to the east and northeast, the picture changes. We enter here in the real oceanic space. Small islands, exclusively volcanic or coral origin, do not detect any connection with any mainland.

Volcanic islands - most advantage of high, mountainous. These are the Marian Islands and Hawaii in the northern part of the Oceania and the Samoa G.Tahiti, Marquis and tubuy in the southern part. They are rich in picturesque and varied landscapes. In the Hawaiian Islands there are operating volcanoes - Mauna Loa and Kilauea. The peak of the extinct volcano Mauna Kea (4212 m) is the highest point in all the Eastern Oceania. The crater of the extinct volcano Mauna Halealakal (on the island of Maui) is considered the largest in the world: its circumference is 45 km.

The coral islands are low, they barely rise above the water surface. These are the islands (part of those mentioned above) Marshall, Gilbert, Ellis, Phoenix, Tokelau, Tuamot (Powmot) and Cook. Tonga and Carolinskaya groups consist of the islands of both categories. Among the coral islands there are ring-shaped atolls, with an inner shallow lagoon. These low-lying islands, deprived of trees, little picturesque, and sometimes pose a dull look. Coral polyps, builders of these islands, cannot live at great depth; Therefore, it is suggested that the coral islands are also built on a volcanic pedestal, which gradually plunged into depth. Be that as it may, in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean there are no traces of any ancient mainland.

Oceania islands are grouped into archipelago. Inside each archipelago, the distance between the islands is not large and is usually measured with tens of kilometers. The distances between the archipelagoes are much more - the order of hundreds and thousands of kilometers 1.-Therefore, the living conditions of a person on the islands of the same archipelago for the most part are homogeneous, the relationship between them is quite close. The link between the archipelagoes is much weaker and the living conditions on them are different.

However, the message even between individual archipelagoes and isolated islands is partly facilitated by constant marine currents. These trends associated with the rotation of the Earth have a latitudinal direction - along the equator from the east to the West, north and south of it - in the opposite direction. Flows bring from the island to the island of pieces and whole trunks of trees, fruits and seeds; There were cases when the boats with their crew were entered by sea currents (or storm) to remote islands.

Climate

Almost all Ocean Islands are located between the tropics, therefore, in the hot equatorial climate. Annual temperature fluctuations are very small - usually do not exceed 5 °. But a particularly large, inhibitory, the heat there does not happen there, as the ocean moderates the temperature. The average annual temperature ranges from + 23.5 ° (New Caledonia, Hawaiian Islands) to + 28 ° (Marshall Islands), the average temperature of the coldest month does not descend below + 20 °. One of the new Zealand, located outside the tropical zone (34 - 47 ° H.), is distinguished by other climatic conditions. Here the climate is moderately warm, even cool, and the difference between the temperature of winter and summer is already quite noticeable: in the city of Christchurch on the South Island, the average temperature of January (southern summer) + 16.2 °, the average temperature of July (winter) + 5,5 ° The difference is 10.7 °. High New Zealand Mountains are covered with eternal snow and glaciers.

Oceania islands irrigation, even abundant, although it is not the same everywhere. Especially generous tropical rains shed over Western archipelagoes - over 200 cm per year; The farther east, the more fewer them. Seasons are distinguished - rainy and more dry. There are no large rivers if not counting several rivers on New Guinea (Fly, Sepik) and New Zealand. At this last island, hot keys are wonderful.

On most islands, the climate is quite healthy and favorable for humans. Only in the Western Islands Natural Conditions worse. Here, especially on New Guinea, make malaria, yellow fever. On other islands from endemic diseases there are leprosy and elefantiasis.

Vegetation

Most Oceania islands are covered by everlasting tropical vegetation, very rich and magnificent in the Western Islands, especially on New Guinea, but the farther to the east, it is monotonous and more meager. Perhaps this is explained by the fact that the vegetation of Oceania only in a very small part remained from the time when it is supposed to be a large solid mainland. Seeds and fruits of plants are transferred by sea, wind and birds, and the overwhelming majority of plant species are listed on the islands from the outside. But much less chance so that they fall in this way on the small islands of East Oceania, removed one from the other for huge distances.

In this sense, the distribution of palm trees is especially indicative: there are up to 200 species in Indonesia, on Solomon Islands 18, and in Hawaiian - only three types. The coconut palm tree, occurring throughout Oceania, except for the southern part of New Zealand, is the greatest value and distribution; and especially characteristic of the coral islands; Rattan (palm liana), giving flexible and durable material for crafts, growing in the western part of the ocean; The same distribution area has a saga palm tree, especially abundant on New Guinea, as well as the arrow palm. Pandanus and breadpage (ArtoCarpus) are found almost everywhere. A variety of evergreen plants are difficult to list: araucaria, rhododendrons, crotones, acacia, ficuses, bamboo and many others. In coastal and swampy areas, in the rolling pin, are characterized by coastal mangroves. Cultural plants, brought by the person himself, play a big role: banana (Musa.), papaya (melon tree, Carica. papaya.), corneflands - Yams. (Dioscorea. sativa.), Tarot (Colocasia. antiquorum.) and Batat (Ipomoea. batatas.). One of the characteristic features of Oceania's flora is its endemic and insulinism: each group of the islands have its own species, there are no more people anywhere, and the number of such species comes to 30% of the total number of all local plants. Some of them are very archaic, it's like living fossils of plant world, preserved in peculiar natural museums.

A typical landscape of large western islands is a virgin tropical forest covering the slopes of the mountains and the coast generated by a hot and humid climate. Giant trees rise to 40-60 m of heights. Solid foliage, intertwing branches, curly rhotans and other lianas create an eternal shadow below. Trunks and branches are covered with epiphyts. In this forest, raw and dark, and it is almost impossible to go through the forest without an ax. Many trees produce dozens of air roots and, resting them to the ground, hang in the air as giant spiders.

A completely different type of vegetable cover on the lowland coral islands of East Oceania. Monotonous thickets of coconut palms and pandanuses represent modest groves. Among the coral islands there are completely devoid of trees and shrubs only by shrubs.

On New Zealand, vegetation is somewhat special. The general nature of it is subtropical, but the farther to the south, the less tropical species: palm trees disappear, no bamboo. But there is a huge pine of Kauri, tree fern; New Zealand Lena is characteristic of herbs ( Phormium. tENAX), giving good fiber.

Animal world

The animal world is distributed in Oceania in analogous to the plant: the more west, the richer, the farther to the east - the poorest. The most diverse fauna of New Guinea, similar in part with Australian. Here are found, besides wild pig, egg-owned prohhidna and sample: wood kangaroo, couscous (Phalangista.), summer Ants, a short protein; From placental - bat and a huge carnivorous bat. From birds are especially characteristic of the parrots (Kakada), the paradise birds (more than 50 species are known), the Novogwinean Ostrich is interesting. Numerous snakes, including poisonous. Many diverse insects, among them there are very large butterflies; A special disaster is all-living ants and termites.

On the bismarck archipelago, the animal world is already poorer, and then east - even more. In the small coral islands, mammals, not considering a dog imported by man and home pig, are represented only by rats and bats. Birds, of course, overcome the aquatic spaces and are found everywhere, but also them, the farther to the east, the less. Even insects are small on the coral islands, and therefore little and pollinated insects of flowering plants.

The animal world of New Zealand is so unlikely that it stands out into a special zoogeographic area. The most characteristic of her various non-flying birds, for example, a looseless kiwi, a sovereign parrot, and others, and in the past and giant Moa, reaching 4-mztrov heights; On New Zealand there is no snake, crocodiles, turtles; From mammals there are only the same rats and bats.

Sea fauna is richer and distributed more evenly. In addition to a variety of fish species, it is necessary to note the presence of marine mammals - Digo, dolphins, coushlots, in more southern waters - toothless whales; There are turtles and numerous mollusks playing a major role in the economy of the population. Characterized by a large sea worm Palo-eater used in food. In contrast to the ground fauna, the sea is richer just near the coral islands, on the marks and in the lagoons.

Oceania population

A person inhabits all Oceania, up to the extreme limits, to the most remote and small sharp and dividing it on the except of very few. The modern population of Oceania consists of two main elements: indigenous and supplied. On the recipient population - comers from Europe, Asia and America, settled in Oceania over the past one and a half centuries, it is said later. As for the indigenous population, his duration of habitat is measured by millennia. A long-term labor and cultural activity of a person influenced the natural environment of Oceania and largely changed it. Flora and fauna on many islands partially created by a person.

That is why Oceania's Island world is customary to divide on the region not so much on physico-geographical signs as by the types of population and its culture. Usually, the Oceania is divided into three main cultural electrographic areas: Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia (see the map page 20).

Melanesia, covering the south-western part of Oceania, populated in the dark-skinned necroid peoples of the Papuaso Mellanesian group, from where its name (Greek. Mölas - black, "Neousos" is an island). It includes the islands: New Guinea with surrounding small islands ,.Ostrov Admiralty, Bismarck, Solomonov, Santa Cruz, Torres, Banks and new hebrides, New Caledonia. The Fiji Archipelago, inhabited by Melanesians, is geographically and culturally transition to Polynesia. The population of Melanesia, anthropologically quite homogeneous, sharply disintegrates in the language into two groups: actually Melanesians and Papuans. Papuans inhabit the extreme northwestern part of Melanesia, first of all - the largest island New Guinea, except for the coastal strip of his Eastern half, and also engaged in small groups in some places in other islands: Papua Russian tribes and languages \u200b\u200bare known on New Britain, on Solomon Islands . The rest of the space is occupied by melanesians. The difference between the languages \u200b\u200bof Papuans and Melanesians is very large. Melanesian languages \u200b\u200bare closely related to the languages \u200b\u200bof Polynesians and Micronesians and are included with them to a large Malay-Polynesian family of languages; Papuass language languages \u200b\u200bare completely independent and do not detect kinship with any other languages \u200b\u200bof the world; Moreover, Papuass Languages \u200b\u200band among themselves differ very much. The third element of the population of Melanesia can be considered the Pigmean (small) tribes living in some places in the depths of large islands, both among Papuans and among Melanesians; The attitude of them to those and the other is not yet quite clarified.

The total number of the indigenous population of Melanesia in 1952 is about 2.5 million before the appearance of Europeans lived there, according to approximate estimates, about 2.2 million people.

N Olinosis occupies a much more extensive space of the Pacific Ocean, to the southeast, East and Northeast of Melanesia. The very word means "numerous islands" (Greek. "Field" - a lot), it is really a lot of these islands and they are very diverse. South Polynesia is a big double island New Zealand; Western - Tonga Archipelago, Samoa and a few small islands; Central and Eastern - Cook, Tubuai, Taiti, Tuamot, Marquis and Several Isolated Islands, including the most East Little East Island (Rapanui); North Polynesia make up Hawaiian (previously called sandwich) islands. Despite the huge remoteness of Polynesia Islands one from another (between Hawaii and New Zealand, 7.5 thousand km, from Tonga to the Easter 5.8 thousand km) and despite the variety of natural conditions, the population of Polynesia is relatively uniformly on physical type , language and culture. It is especially brings the Polynesian language, which is almost the same on different islands. It is this unity of the population forces such remote and various archipelago to the natural conditions of the archipelago to the same geographic area.

Polynesia's indigenous population is now about 450 thousand. Before the appearance of Europeans, about 1.1 million people lived here.

Micronesia (which means "small islands", from Greek. "Micros" - small) occupies the northwestern part of Oceania, just closer to the banks of Asia. It consists of Gilbert Islands, Marshall (Rolly Raphat), Carolinsky, with the adjacent to them Palau (Pelau), and Mariana ("Robbery", by the Old Title). The first two archipelago refers to the eastern, the rest - to Western Micronesia. The indigenous population of Micronesia is mixed by origin, as part of his ancestors, and the Polynesians, and Melanesians, and Indonesians were probably. In Western Micronesia, Indonesian elements in East-Polynesian were more noticeable. However, despite these local differences, the culture of Micronesians is based on homogeneous, as homogeneous and their languages.

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Australia and Oceania on the Hemisphere map

Australia and Oceania on the world map

Oceania - The collective name of the extensive cluster of the islands and the 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, Eastern -. As a rule, in Oceania does not include Australia, as well as the islands and archipelagoes of Southeast Asia, the Far East and North America. In the section of geography, country studies, Oceania studies independent discipline - oceanistry.

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 the islands located in the southwestern and central parts of the Pacific Ocean, between the subtropical latitudes of the Northern and moderate southern hemispheres. When the all sushi is divided into part of the light of oceania, it is usually combined with Australia into a single part of the Light Australia and Oceania, although sometimes it is released into an independent part of the light.

Geographically Oceania is divided into several regions: (in the North-West), (in the West), and (in the East); Sometimes allocated.

The total area of \u200b\u200bOceania islands, the largest of which 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 for a total area and the total population is comparable to the African state.

Oceania islands are washed by numerous seas of quiet (coral sea, Tasmanovo Sea, Sea Fiji, Sea Coro, Solomono Sea, Novogvinsky Sea, Philippine Sea) and Indian Oceans (Arafur Sea).

Through Oceania passes the equator and the International Dat Replacement Line. It is a broken, most of which passes along the meridian 180 °.

Sea currents

Through the whole Oceania, along the equator, the warm Northern Passatoe and South Trading Method and the Interpassatety counterpart are held. In the southwestern part of Oceania, the warm East Australian current is held. Characteristic for Oceania is the lack of cold nautical flows (with the exception of the Pacific Zone to the southeast of New Zealand), which largely defines the climate of this region.

Independent states

Main article: List of states and dependent territories of Oceania

Name of the region, countries and the flag of the country	Area (km²)	Population (Evaluation on July 1, 2002)	Population density (people / km²)	Capital	Currency unit
Australia	7 692 024	21 050 000	2,5		Australian Dollar (AUD)
	12 190	196 178	16,1		cotton (VUV)
	462 840	5 172 033	11,2		Kina (PGK)
	28 450	494 786	17,4		Dollar Solomon Islands (SBD)
	18 274	856 346	46,9		Fijian dollar (FJD)
	811	96 335	118,8		Australian Dollar (AUD)
	21	12 329	587,1	not	Australian Dollar (AUD)
	268 680	4 108 037	14,5		New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
	2 935	178 631	60,7		Tala (WST)
	748	106 137	141,9		Panga (TOP)
	26	11 146	428,7	Funafuti	Australian Dollar (AUD)

Dependent territories and territory under guardianship

Region name, countries and the flag of the country	Area (km²)	Population (Evaluation on July 1, 2002)	Population density (people / km²)	Administrative center	Currency unit
Australia
(Australia)	5	uninhabited	-	-
Islands of the Coral Sea (Australia)	7	uninhabited	-	-
Norfolk (Australia)	35	1 866	53,3	Kingston	australian Dollar (AUD)

Western New Guinea ( )	424 500	2 646 489	6	,	Indonesian Rupee (IDR)
()	18 575	207 858	10,9

()	541	160 796	292,9		US Dollar (USD)
	181	73 630	406,8		US Dollar (USD)
	458	19 409	42,4		uS Dollar (USD)
Northern Mariana Islands ()	463,63	77 311	162,1	Saipan.	uS Dollar (USD)
Wake ()	7,4	-	-	-
	702	135 869	193,5		uS Dollar (USD)

()	199	68 688	345,2	Fugate	uS Dollar (USD)
Baker ()	1,24	uninhabited	-	-
()	28 311	1 211 537	72,83		uS Dollar (USD)
Jarvis ()	4,45	uninhabited	-	-
()	2,52	-	-	-
Kingmen ()	0,01	uninhabited	-	-
()	6,23	-	-	-
()	261,46	2 134	8,2		new Zealand Dollar (NZD)
()	236,7	20 811	86,7		new Zealand Dollar (NZD)
Palmyra ()	6,56	-	-	-
Isla de Paskua ()	163,6	3791	23,1	Anga Roa.	chilean Peso (CLP)
()	47	67	1,4	Adamstall	new Zealand Dollar (NZD)
()	10	1 431	143,1	-	new Zealand Dollar (NZD)
()	274	15 585	56,9		french Pacific Franc (XPF)
French polynesia ()	4 167	257 847	61,9		french Pacific Franc (XPF)
()	1,62	uninhabited	-	-

Geology

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

From the point of view of the geology of Oceania is not the continent: only Australia, and have continental origin, formed at the site of the hypothetical mainland Gondwan. In the past, these islands were a single land, however, as a result of raising the level of the world's 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 the Jaya mountain (5029 m), are located on the island.

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

Other islands are origin, being atolls that have formed as a result of the formation of coral buildings around the volcanoes immersed under water (for example, Gilbert Islands, Tuamotu). A distinctive feature of such islands are large lagoons, which are surrounded by numerous islands, or a moto, 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 Archipelago of Marshall Islands. Despite the fact that its land area is only 16.32 km² (or 6.3 square meters. Miles), Lagoon Square - 2174 km² (or 839.3 square meters. Miles). The largest atoll is the Sushi Area is the Island of Christmas (or Kirithmati.) in the Line Archipelago (or Central Polynesian sprays) - 322 km². However, among the atolls there is a special type - raised (or elevated) atoll, which is a limestone plateau with a height of up to 50-60 m above the ocean level. This type of lagoon island has no traces of its past existence. Examples of such atolls can serve Banaba.

The relief and the geological structure of the bottom of the Pacific Ocean in the Oceania area has a complex structure. From the peninsula (partition) to New Zealand there is a large number of kitrooms of the outskirts of the seas, deep-water oceanic chutes (Tonga, Kermadek, Bougainville), which form a geosynclinal belt, characterized by active volcanism, seismicity and contrasting relief.

On most Oceania islands, minerals are missing, only on the largest of them are developed: nickel (), oil and gas (island,), copper (Bougainville C), gold (New Guinea,), phosphates (on most deposits island almost Or have already been developed, for example, in, on the Islands of Banaba, Makata). In the past, the many islands of the region carried out active development, decopting a litter of seabirds, which was used as nitrogen and phosphoric fertilizer. On the oceanic day of the exceptional economic zone of a number of countries there are large accumulations of iron-manganese concretions, as well as cobalt, but at the moment there are no development due to economic inappropriateness.

Climate

Space picture atoll KVAJALEIN

The coast of Atoll Carolain (Line Islands, Kiribati)

On the South Island in New Zealand and on the island, there are glaciers high in the mountains, but due to the global warming process there is a gradual reduction in their area.

Soil and hydrology

Creek on the island of Efate (Vanuatu)

Large rivers are only on the southern and northern island of New Zealand, as well as on the island, on which the largest rivers of Oceania, sepik (1126 km) and Flace (1050 km) are located. The largest river of New Zealand - Whicato (425 km). Nutrition rivers predominantly rain, although in New Zealand and on New Guinea, the rivers are also fueled by the waters from the melting glaciers and snow. The river's atolls are not at all due to the high soil porosity. Instead, rainwater, leaking through the soil, forms a lens slightly stray water, to get to which you can, dig a well. On the larger islands (as a rule, volcanic origin) there are small streams of water that flow in the side of the ocean.

The greatest number of lakes, including thermal, is in New Zealand, where there are also geysers. On other islands Oceania, the lake is a great rarity.

Flora and fauna

Kiwi - Symbol of New Zealand

The animal world of Oceania refers to the Polynesian faunistic area with the subsection of the Hawaiian Islands. The Fauna of New Zealand stands out to an independent area, New Guinea - to the Papuaski subland of the Australian region. New Zealand and New Guinea are distinguished by the greatest variety. On the small islands of Oceania, first of all, the atolls, mammals almost do not meet: only a small rat is inhabited for many of them. But the local ornithofaun is very rich. On most atolls there are bird bazaars, where sea birds nest. From representatives of the fauna of New Zealand, birds of Kiwi, who have become the national symbol of the country are the most famous. Other endemics of the country - Kea (lat. Nestor Notabilis, or nestor), Kakapapo (Lat. Strigops Habroptilus, or sovic parrot), Takaki (lat. Notoronis Hochstelteri, or outless Sultanka). In all Oceania islands, a large number of lizards, snakes and insects live.

In the course of European colonization of the islands on many of them, foreign species of plants and animals were delivered, which had a negative impact on the local flora and fauna.

History

Main article: Oceania history

Preolonional period

Island and nearby islands names of Russians on a map of the tropical part of the Pacific Ocean. A source:.

Letter N. N. Miklukho-Maclay Chief of Courts of Courts in the Pacific Ocean with a proposal to acquire localities on the Pacific Islands, convenient for coal warehouses, March 30, 1873.

In the Russian Empire, after the opening of V. Bering in 1741, the North-West Coast of America, merchant companies, with the support of the Siberian administration, were organized by about 90 commercial expeditions to the Pacific Ocean. The state was established by the Russian-American company (1799-1867), which was engaged in administrative issues and trade in Alaska and in the Pacific Ocean. In May 1804, two ships "Hope" and "Neva" approached the Hawaiian Islands. These were the first ships of the Russians, which committed around the world. In the heart of the tropical part of the Pacific Ocean, there are atolls and islands of Russians, Suvorov, Kutuzov, Lisyansky, Bellingshausen, Barclay de Tolly, Reef Kruzhenstern and many others. Another distinctive side of all the travels held is mutual friendliness in the history of the meetings of the Russians and the peoples of the Pacific Ocean.

Map of Nikolai Nikolayevich Miklukho-Maclaya alleged territorial acquisitions of Russia in the Pacific Ocean, submitted in a letter to Alexander III, December 1883.

Letter to the Chief Marine Headquarters from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the proposal of N. N. Miklukho-Maclay about the Russian acquisitions in the Pacific Ocean with the resolution "... to consider this case is finally over. Miklouo-Maklau refuse ", December 1886.

At the rights of the first European, settled on the shore of Astrojabia in New Guinea and who studied this area, N. N. Miklukh Maclai repeatedly made a proposal to take peacefully or take a number of islands in the Pacific Ocean under the patronage of Russia. The Russian scientist sent letters to the Maritime Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, personally Emperor Alexander III.

Colonial period

Ships of the English traveler James Cook and Canoeing Natives in Matavai Bay on Tahiti Island (French Polynesia), artist William Khodjes, 1776

In the XVIII-XIX centuries, the section of Oceania islands between colonial powers, primarily the British Empire, and (later the German Empire also joined them). Of particular interest among the Europeans caused the possibility of creating plantations on the islands (coconut palm trees for the production of copra, sugar cane), as well as slave trade (the so-called "Hunt for black droinds", assumed the recruitment of the islanders to work on plantations).

In 1907, he became a dominion, but formally, it became a completely independent state in 1947. After the First World War, the first political organizations began to be emerged ("May" on Western Samoa, "Fijian Youth" for Fiji), which fought for the independence of the colonies. During World War II, Oceania was one of the theaters of hostilities, where many battles occurred (mainly between Japanese and American troops).

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

Postcolonial period

After independence, the main part of the Oceania countries retained serious economic, political and social problems, the decision of which is carried out with the participation of international organizations (including the UN) and in the framework of regional cooperation. Despite the process of decolonization in the 20th century, some of the islands still remain in one way or another addicted: New Caledonia Portrait of a representative of the indigenous people of New Zealand - Maori

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

Polynesians living in Polynesia countries have a mixed racial type that combines the features of the Austaloid and Mongoloid races. The largest peoples of Polynesia are Hawaiians, self-suicide, Taitians, Tongsans, Maori, Markizers, Rapanuitsa and others. Native languages \u200b\u200bbelong to the Polynesian subgroup of the Austronesian Languages: Hawaiian, Samanevsky, Taitian, Tongan, Maori, Marquis, Rapanoisky and others. The characteristic features of Polynesian languages \u200b\u200bare a small number of sounds, especially consonant, abundance of vowels.

Papuans inhabit the island and some areas. According to anthropological type, they are close to melanesians, but differ from them by language. Not all Papua Russian languages \u200b\u200bare related to each other. The national language of Papuans in Papua - New Guinea is the Creole Tok-Pisin language on an English basis. According to various people of the peoples and languages \u200b\u200bof Papuans, there are from 300 to 800. At the same time, there are difficulties in establishing the difference between a separate language and dialect.

Many ocean languages \u200b\u200bare on the verge of extinction. In everyday life, they are increasingly crowding out 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 Maori make up to 15% of the country's population. The share of Polynesians on the micronesia, located in Micronesia, is about 21.3%. The majority of the population make up numerous Papua Russian peoples, although the share of immigrants from other islands of the region is also high.

In New Zealand and in the Hawaiian Islands, the majority of the population are Europeans, whose share is also high in (34%) and in French Polynesia (12%). On the islands 38.2% of the population is represented by Indian Fijians, descendants of Indian contract workers brought to the islands of the British in the XIX century.

Recently, the proportion of immigrants from (mainly by the Chinese and Philipins) increases in Oceania countries. For example, on the Northern Mariana Islands, the share of Philipps is 26.2%, and the Chinese are 22.1%.

Oceania's population mainly professes Christianity, adhering to either Protestant or the Catholic branch.

Economy

Oceania economy. Donation and economic unions.

The groups of the islands and archipelagoes of Western and central parts are combined into a geographic area under the overall name of Oceania. Historically, the division of all islands into four ethnographic-geographical areas: (O-Va Tonga, Samoa, Cook, Hawaiian, O. Easter, etc.), Melanesia (about., Bismarck Archipelago, O-Wa, etc.), ( Mariana and others), new. Most of the Oceania islands focuses in between 10 °. sh. and 20 ° С. sh.

The Russian scientist N. N. Miklukho-Maklai made a great contribution to the study of nature and population of Oceania. He studied the life of the peoples of the island of New Guinea, left descriptions of the nature of coastal territories. Scientific research N. N. Miklukho-Maclay was associated with his conviction in the need to protect backward and oppressed peoples. At the very end of the XIX century. Our countryman lived on the Hawaiian Islands, the native of the Mogilev province N. K. Suzilovsky.

Geological structure and relief of oceania

Remember how mainland, volcanic and coral islands were formed. The largest mainland islands of Oceania is a new Guinea and New Zealand. Vulcanism is a characteristic process of this region. In the Hawaiian Islands there is a Kilauea volcano, one of the most active acting volcanoes on Earth. Volcanic islands form giant island arcs. They have an elongated configuration. Oceania is replete with coral islands - reefs and atolls, which form entire archipelagoes (Gilbert Islands, Tuamot).

Climate Oceania

Oceania Islands are mainly in Equatorial, subequatorial and. Only the northern part of the Hawaiian archipelago enters the subtropics, and the southern part of New Zealand is located in a temperate belt. In Oceania, two climatic regions are distinguished: trade mat and monsoon. For climate of Oceania, small temperature fluctuations are characteristic: from +30 ° Happy day to +21 ° С at night. Winds from the ocean soften the heat. There is never too cold here, nor too hot, so the climate of Oceania is considered the most comfortable on the globe. The main directions - from the east to the west. They contribute to the resettlement of organisms.

Sea air masses dominate in Oceania. In areas where monsoon circulation prevails, precipitation falls 3000-4000 mm per year. In the Hawaiian Islands, on the winding slopes, more than 12,090 mm of precipitation per year falls. This is one of the most wet places on Earth. The distribution of precipitation is associated with the presence of mountains. On the island of Hawaii there are sites where less than 200 mm falls per year.

Among the very dangerous and destructive natural phenomena, tropical hurricanes are noted. They destroy plantations, destroy the dwellings, and sometimes emerging waves wash off all living things. The local population is stirred to settle on Cook Islands and Tuamot, where hurricanes are often observed. The subtropical and moderate climate is characteristic of New Zealand, where the winter is frost to -13 ° C, and in the mountains is snow.

Oceania floral and animal world

Isolation of the island sushi is the most reflected on her and. The diversity of the world of plants and animals depends on the age of the islands, their size and remoteness from the mainland. The poorest of all he is on the coral islands, where the deficit is fresh water and poor soil. Only a few dozen species of plants grow on them. On Oceania, mostly in Melanesia, the ancient plants are preserved, for example, tree ferns reaching 8-15 m of heights. Rich and peculiar vegetable world of New Zealand (pine, palm trees).

The vegetable and animal world of Oceania is characterized by two features. There are rare species that are not found on the mainland. At the same time, there are almost no whole groups of organisms, usual for the mainland. There are no many types of flowering plants that are found on land, but spore plants are widespread. Ancient plants that have been growing on the mainland in the geological past (Gîtecarpus, Agathiis (Kauri), etc. have been preserved on the islands.

Animal world of the islands is the poor. There are no mammals on many islands, the exception is brutged here, mice, goats and cats. A lot of seabirds: petrels, albatrises, seagulls, which nest here and remove chicks. On the island of New Guinea there is a weed chicken, a representative of the Australian fauna.

On New Zealand, Kiwi is preserved at New Zealand, very cautious, inhabitants in thick herbs, the Maori shepherd. Bird Kiwi is depicted on the coat of arms of New Zealand. On New and New Zealand there are rare species of parrots - Kakapapo, or the Sovic, and the KEA parrot with a strong sharp and curved beak. First, Gatteria was preserved at one of the islands of New Zealand.

Only 5-7 types of seabirds nest on individual islands. At the same time, the number of bird species on New Guinea is more than 100, rich insect fauna (more than 3,700 species).

Oceania minerals

Minerals on Oceania Oceania are distributed extremely unevenly. The economy is conducted where valuable minerals are available. So, in New Caledonia is up to 25% of world reserves of nickel, there are reserves of phosphates on the island of Christmas. Among the states of Oceania, Papua is allocated - New Guinea, where there are gold, silver, stocks are explored.

Oceania's economic activity

The population of Oceania is about 10 million people. There are several hypotheses about Oceania settlement paths. Most scientists believe that Oceania was populated by people from Southeast Asia a lot of millennia ago. The hypothesis of Tour Heyerdala was settled out of America.

Oceania inhabitants were skilled seafood and shipbuilders. They made swimming for thousands of kilometers from their native islands. Modern inhabitants of Oceania are engaged, growing coconut palms, bananas, cocoa, coffee. Traditional fishery - fishing. Nature and life of oceania people are largely subject to natural catastrophic disasters (tropical hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanism).

On many of the islands of volcanic and mainland, non-ferrous metal ores, stone coal, are developing phosphorites deposit. Every year, states of Oceania become objects of international tourism. The nature of the islands changes under the influence of man's economic activity. On the site of the destroyed natural plantation, where sugar cane, pineapples, bananas, tea, coffee, rubcoming and other cultures are cultivated.

Political map of Oceania

The modern political map of Oceania has developed as a result of a long struggle of colonial powers for a section of the oceanic archipelago. Until the beginning of the 60s. XX century In Oceania, there was one independent state - New Zealand. By the end of the twentieth century. More than 10 independent states were formed in Oceania. A number of islands and archipelagos remain in political and economic dependence on the world. Most of the Hawaiian Islands archipelago since 1959 is the 50th US state.

The formation of the nature of Oceania has the effect of the Pacific Ocean, its remoteness from other continents, location in tropical latitudes. The basis of the farm of the majority of Oceania countries - agriculture. Many Islands are mining mining.

Oceania is the largest cluster of the islandslocated in the central and western parts of the Pacific Ocean (see Fig. 1).

About 10 thousand Oceania islands are scattered in a huge territory from subtropical latitudes of the northern hemisphere to moderate latitudes of the southern hemisphere. Most of the islands grouped into the archipelagoes: New Zealand, Hawaii, Fiji, Tuamotu, etc. Such a location plays an important role for the nature of the islands.

In Oceania, three parts distinguish: Melanesia (translated from Greek means "Black Islands"), Micronesia ("Small Islands"), Polynesia ("Many Islands").

Fig. 1. Oceania map

Islands and their origin

The origin, geographical position and size of Oceania islands are closely related to the structure of the Pacific DNA. They are an overwhelming reflection of the underwater ocean relief, because the island is placed on the bottom of the ocean.

Oceania islands have different origins: mainland, volcanic and coral.

Relief volcanic islands mountainous, coral - lowered. On the extensive mainland islands, the mountains are combined with the plains.

Mainland Islands Before there were parts of the mainland, and separated from it due to lowering the sushi sites below sea level. These islands are located on the shelf.

For example, a few more tens of thousands of years ago, the greatest island of Oceania - New Guinea - was connected to Australia 150-kilometer jumper. Her lowering is only on

30 m led to the formation of Torres Strait. The mainland islands have both the islands of New Zealand (see Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Mainland Island (New Zealand)

Volcanic islands They are the surface vertices of the largest underwater volcanoes, the foot of which lie at high depths (up to 5 km) (see Fig. 3).

These islands are small, rocky, crowned with cones extinct or existing volcanoes. They are located in the main groups. For example, Hawaiian Islands are 24 islands - stretched 2,500 km. They are formed by powerful outpacing of the lava of underwater and terrestrial eruptions of volcanoes millions of years ago. The largest of the islands - Hawaii is formed with extinct and existing volcanoes. Among them and the highest peak in Polynesia - Mauna Kea volcano (4 210 m).

Fig. 3. Volcanic Island

Coral Islands Formed by marine organisms - coral polyps living inside limestone skeletons (see Fig. 4). Coral skeletons form reef. - stretched stripes - or atoll- Small islands of ring-shaped form.

Fig. 4. Coral Island

The foundation for corals usually serves the top of the underwater volcano. Therefore, many volcanic islands are surrounded by coral reefs. All coral structures rise above the water just a few meters. Therefore, the coral islands are low. They are rarely towering above 5 m above the ocean and barely noticeable among water spaces. That is why legends say that the inhabitants of Oceania "won" their islands from the oceanic bottom.

Climate

The climate is warm and soft, since most of the islands lie in Equatorial and tropical latitudes, only New Zealand comes to moderate.

The air temperatures are high, however, the heat soften the wet winds from the ocean. They cause abundant rains, so the amount of precipitation is large - more than 4,000 mm per year.

On the highlighted slopes of high volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands, there is a wet place on Earth: there are 12 500 mm of precipitation per year. But on the leeward slopes of precipitation there are very little (200 mm). In Oceania, tropical cyclones are born, which in the northern hemisphere is called typhoons, and in South Hurricanes. Most of them are in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. They lead to great destruction. However, in general, despite these dangerous natural phenomena, there is never cold on the islands or hot. Therefore, the climate of Oceania is considered the most comfortable on Earth.

Organic world

Isolation of the islands - the reason for the originality of their organic world. The poorest of all the life on small and relatively young in the age of coral islands, on the mainland it is richer and more diverse.

Due to the difference in moisturizing (or a lot, or little precipitation) are common both evergreen wet forests and dry savanna.

Coconut and sagoval palm trees, melon and bread trees, ficuses, orchids grow in the forests. Among wild plants a lot of useful - trees with valuable wood (iron and sandalwood), plants with juicy fruits (papaya, mango, bananas); Plants giving spices (ginger, nutmeg, pepper). However, the first place undoubtedly belongs to coconut palm (see Fig. 5).

Fig. 5. Coconut palm

Coral islands with poor soils, which occur with a thin layer on coral limestones, have poor herbaceous vegetation. Their decoration is only coconut palm trees. Interestingly, volcanic and coral islands settled on plants with winds, flows and even birds that transferred them to pollen, seeds, nuts.

In Oceania, many endemics - plant species and animals that are no longer found anywhere. So, for example, tree-like ferns and cabbage trees grow only in New Zealand. Now on the islands, natural forests are almost reduced. The plantations of agricultural crops spread in their place.

Animal world The islands are poor. Among the terrestrial animals there are almost no mammals (except mice and rats).

But many birds - paradise, pigeons, parrots, weed chickens. The absence of predators led to the appearance of birds without wings - Kaguya and Kiwi. There are no poisonous snakes on the islands. There are reptiles - gecko, iguana, lizards, ghatteria. In the waters, wash reefs and islands, volatile fish, sharks, sea turtles and snakes live. In the spread of animals they played a big role. Dogs delivered to them, cats, pigs strongly broke and subsequently wild.

Giant Bird Moa, which is no longer

Before the arrival of a person, New Zealand was the kingdom of birds. Mammals, with the exception of several types of bats, it did not exist here. The queen of this feathered state was the Giant Bird of Moa ...

Its the largest copies reached two meters in the shoulder and the mass of more than 200 kg. The females were almost two times heavier than males.

The gigantic Moa had a natural enemy - a giant eagle, the largest bird of prey on the planet (see Fig. 6).

Fig. 6. Image of Moa Bird

Bibliography

Basici

1. Geography. Earth and people. Grade 7: Tutorial for general. Uch. / A.P. Kuznetsov, L.E. Savelyeva, V.P. Drones, series of "spheres". - M.: Enlightenment, 2011.

2. Geography. Earth and people. 7 CL: Atlas. Series "Spheres".

Additional

1. N.A. Maximov. Behind the pages of the textbook geography. - M.: Enlightenment.

1. Russian Geographical Society ().

3. Textbook on geography ().

4. Geographical directory ().

Features of the development of Oceania. Report - Oceania

Geographical position of Oceania, countries and dependent areas of Oceania

Geology and Climate Oceania, Soil and Hydrology Oceania, Economics and Culture of Oceania, Melanesia, Micronesia, New Zealand and Polynesia

Geographical position

Sea currents

Independent states

Dependent territories and territory under guardianship

Geology

Climate

Soil and hydrology

Flora and fauna

History

Preolonional period

Colonial period

Postcolonial period

Economy

Geological structure and relief of oceania

Climate Oceania

Oceania floral and animal world

Oceania minerals

Oceania's economic activity

Political map of Oceania

Islands and their origin

Climate

Organic world

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