Peculiarities of the nature of Oceania. Geographical characteristics of Australia and Oceania Climatic zones of Oceania
If you look closely at the map Pacific Ocean, then you can notice some peculiarity in the location of the islands in the southern part of the ocean: the closer you are to the southwest, to Australia, the denser the islands cover the ocean and the larger they are in size; The further you go from Australia to the east and northeast, the smaller the islands and the more widely scattered they are across the ocean. Taking a closer look, we will notice other features in the location of the islands: most of them, and in particular the large ones, are elongated in a certain direction, and chains stretch in the same direction small islands, continuing each other. These lines form, as it were, wide concentric arcs, covering the Australian continent from the east and approximately parallel to the mountain range that stretches along the eastern coast of this continent. Three such concentric arcs can be outlined: the first, internal, is composed of the largest island - New Guinea (Irian), and its continuation is New Caledonia And New Zealand; the second arc is formed by the Bismarck Archipelago, the Solomon Islands, the islands of Santa Cruz, Banks and the New Hebrides; third arc, outer and less correct, - o-va Caroline, Marshall, Gilbert, Ellis, Fiji, Tonga and Kermadec.
This arrangement of the islands is not accidental and is explained by the geological history of Oceania. These three concentric arcs of islands probably represent the remnants of the mountain ranges of an ancient continent that once occupied a much larger area than present-day Australia. The eastern, outer arc may have been the edge of this continent. Most of the islands mentioned above are formed by rocks of continental origin.
Further to the east and northeast the picture changes. We are entering here into a real oceanic expanse. Small islands, exclusively of volcanic or coral origin, do not show any connection with any continent.
Volcanic islands are mostly high and mountainous. These are Mariana Islands and Hawaii in northern Oceania and Samoa G Tahiti, Marquesas and Tubuai in the southern part. They are rich in picturesque and varied landscapes. On Hawaiian Islands There are active volcanoes - Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Vertex extinct volcano Mauna Kea (4212 m) - highest point throughout eastern Oceania. The crater of the extinct volcano Mauna Halealakala (on the island of Maui) is considered the largest in the world: its circumference is 45 km.
Coral islands are low-lying, they barely rise above the surface of the water. These are the islands (some of those mentioned above) Marshall, Gilbert, Ellis, Phoenix, Tokelau, Tuamotu (Paumotu) and Cook. The Tonga and Caroline groups consist of islands of both categories. Among the coral islands there are ring-shaped atolls with an internal shallow lagoon. These low-lying islands, devoid of trees, are little picturesque, and sometimes present a dull appearance. Coral polyps, the builders of these islands, cannot live at great depths; Therefore, it is suggested that the coral islands are also built on a volcanic pedestal, which gradually sank into the depths. Be that as it may, there are no traces of any ancient continent in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
The islands of Oceania are grouped into archipelagos. Within each archipelago, the distances between the islands are not great and are usually measured in tens of kilometers. The distances between archipelagos are much greater - on the order of hundreds and thousands of kilometers. 1 Therefore, the living conditions of humans on the islands of the same archipelago are for the most part homogeneous, and the connection between them is quite close. The connection between the archipelagos is much weaker and the living conditions on them are different.
However, communication even between individual archipelagos and isolated islands is partly facilitated by constant sea currents. These currents, associated with the rotation of the earth, have a latitudinal direction - along the equator from east to west, north and south of it - in reverse direction. Currents bring pieces and whole tree trunks, fruits and seeds from island to island; There were cases when boats with their crew were carried by sea currents (or a storm) to distant islands.
Climate
Almost all the islands of Oceania are located between the tropics, therefore in a hot equatorial climate. Annual temperature fluctuations are very small - usually do not exceed 5°. But there is no particularly great, depressing heat there, since the ocean moderates the temperature. The average annual temperature ranges from +23.5° (New Caledonia, Hawaiian Islands) to +28° (Marshall Islands), average temperature the coldest month does not fall below + 20°. New Zealand alone, located outside the tropical zone (34 - 47° S), is distinguished by other climatic conditions. Here the climate is moderately warm, even cool, and the difference between winter and summer temperatures is already quite noticeable: in Christchurch South Island average January temperature ( southern summer) +16.2°, the average temperature in July (winter) is +5.5°, the difference is 10.7°. High mountains New Zealand is covered with eternal snow and glaciers.
Irrigation of the islands of Oceania is quite sufficient, even abundant, although not the same everywhere. Particularly generous tropical rains fall over the western archipelagos - over 200 cm per year; the further east you go, the fewer there are. There are different seasons - rainy and drier. Large rivers no, except for several rivers in New Guinea (Fly, Sepik) and New Zealand. This last island has wonderful hot springs.
On most islands the climate is quite healthy and favorable for humans. Only on the western islands are the natural conditions worse. Here, especially in New Guinea, malaria and yellow fever are rampant. On other islands, endemic diseases include leprosy and elephantiasis.
Vegetation
Most of the islands of Oceania are covered with evergreen tropical vegetation, very rich and lush on the western islands, especially New Guinea, but the further east you go, the more monotonous and sparse it is. Perhaps this is explained by the fact that only a very small part of the vegetation of Oceania has been preserved from the time when a large continuous continent is supposed to have existed here. Seeds and fruits of plants are carried by sea, wind and birds, and the vast majority of plant species are brought to the islands from outside. But there is much less chance that they would end up in this way on the small islands of eastern Oceania, located vast distances from one another.
In this sense, the distribution of palm trees is especially indicative: in Indonesia there are up to 200 species, Solomon Islands 18, and in Hawaii there are only three species. Highest value and are widespread: the coconut palm, found throughout Oceania, except for the southern part of New Zealand, and especially characteristic of the coral islands; rattan (palm vine), which provides a flexible and durable material for crafts, growing in the western part of Oceania; The sago palm, which is especially abundant in New Guinea, has the same distribution area, as does the areca palm. Pandanus and breadfruit (Artocarpus) are found almost everywhere. It is difficult to list the various types of evergreen plants: araucarias, rhododendrons, crotons, acacias, ficuses, bamboo and many others. In coastal and swampy areas, in the tidal zone, coastal mangroves are characteristic. A major role is played by cultivated plants brought by man himself: banana (Musa), papaya (melon tree, Carica papaya), root vegetables - yams (Dioscorea sativa), tarot (Colocasia antiquorum) and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). One of the characteristic features of the flora of Oceania is its endemicity and “insularity”: each group of islands has its own species that are not found anywhere else, and the number of such species reaches 30% of the total number of all native plants. Some of them are very archaic, they are like living fossils of the plant world, preserved in unique natural museums.
Typical landscape of large western islands- virgin a tropical forest, covering the slopes of mountains and the coast, generated by a hot and humid climate. Giant trees rise to 40-60 m in height. Solid foliage, intertwining branches, climbing rattans and other vines create perpetual shade below. The trunks and branches are covered with epiphytes. This forest is damp and dark, and it is almost impossible to get through the forest without an axe. Many trees send out dozens of aerial roots and, resting them on the ground, hang in the air like giant spiders.
A completely different type of vegetation cover in the lowlands coral islands eastern Oceania. Monotonous thickets of coconut palms and pandanus trees represent modest groves. Among the coral islands there are some completely devoid of trees and overgrown only with bushes.
In New Zealand, the vegetation is somewhat special. Its general character is subtropical, but the further to the south, the fewer tropical species: palm trees disappear, there are no bamboos. But a huge kauri pine and tree ferns appear; New Zealand flax is typical among herbs ( Phormium tenax), giving good fiber.
Animal world
The fauna is distributed in Oceania similarly to the flora: the further west, the richer, the further to the east, the poorer. The fauna of New Guinea is the most diverse, partly similar to that of Australia. Here, in addition to the wild pig, the oviparous echidna and marsupials are found: tree kangaroos, cuscus (Phalangista), marsupial anteater, marsupial squirrel; Among placentals - a flying dog and a huge carnivorous bat. Of the birds, parrots (cockatoos), birds of paradise (more than 50 species are known), and the New Guinea ostrich-cassowary are especially interesting. There are numerous snakes, including poisonous ones. There are many different insects, among them there are very large butterflies; A particular scourge is the devouring ants and termites.
On the Bismarck Archipelago animal world already poorer, and further to the east - even poorer. On the small coral islands, mammals, apart from the human-imported dog and domestic pig, are represented only by rats and bats. Birds, of course, cross the waters and are found everywhere, but the further you go to the east, the fewer of them. There are even few insects on the coral islands, and therefore few insect-pollinated flowering plants.
The fauna of New Zealand is so unique that it stands out as a special zoogeographical region. The most characteristic of it are various flightless birds, for example, the wingless kiwi, the owl parrot, etc., and in the past the giant moa, which reached a height of 4 meters; there are no snakes, crocodiles, or turtles in New Zealand; The only mammals there are rats and bats.
Marine fauna is richer and more evenly distributed. In addition to various species of fish, it should be noted the presence of marine mammals - dugongs, dolphins, sperm whales, and in more southern waters - toothless whales; There are turtles and numerous mollusks that play a major role in the economy of the population. A characteristic feature is the large sea worm palolo, which is used as food. In contrast to terrestrial fauna, marine fauna is richer just near coral islands, on shallows and in lagoons.
Population of Oceania
Man inhabits all of Oceania, right up to the extreme limits, to the most remote and small islands, and it is divided into regions with the exception of very few. The modern population of Oceania consists of two main elements: indigenous and alien. The newcomer population - immigrants from Europe, Asia and America who settled in Oceania over the past century and a half - will be discussed below. As for the indigenous population, their habitation on the islands is measured in thousands of years. Through centuries of labor and cultural activity, man has influenced the natural environment of Oceania and changed it in many ways. The flora and fauna on many islands is partly created by man.
That is why the island world of Oceania is usually divided into regions not so much according to physical and geographical characteristics, but rather according to the types of population and their culture. Oceania is usually divided into three main cultural and geographical regions: Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia (see map page 20).
Melanesia, covering the southwestern part of Oceania, is inhabited by dark-skinned Negroid peoples of the Papuan-Melanesian group, hence its name (Greek “melas” - black, “nesos” - island). It includes the islands: New Guinea with adjacent small islands, the Admiralty, Bismarck, Solomon, Santa Cruz, Torres, Banks and New Hebrides islands, New Caledonia. The Fiji archipelago, inhabited by Melanesians, constitutes a geographical and cultural transition to Polynesia. The population of Melanesia, anthropologically quite homogeneous, is sharply divided by language into two groups: Melanesians proper and Papuans. Papuans inhabit the extreme northwestern part of Melanesia, primarily the largest island, New Guinea, except for the coastline of its eastern half, and are also interspersed in small groups here and there on other islands: Papuan tribes and languages are known in New Britain and the Solomon Islands . The rest of the space is occupied by the Melanesians themselves. The difference between the languages of the Papuans and Melanesians is very great. The Melanesian languages are closely related to the languages of the Polynesians and Micronesians and are included with them in the large Malayo-Polynesian family of languages; Papuan languages are completely independent and do not show kinship with any other languages of the world; Moreover, the Papuan languages are very different from each other. The third element of the population of Melanesia can be considered pygmy (short) tribes living here and there in the depths of big islands, both among the Papuans and among the Melanesians; their relationship to both has not yet been sufficiently clarified.
The total number of the indigenous population of Melanesia in 1952 was about 2.5 million. Before the arrival of Europeans, according to rough estimates, about 2.2 million people lived there.
Polynesia occupies a much larger expanse of the Pacific Ocean, to the southeast, east and northeast of Melanesia. The word itself means “numerous islands” (Greek “polyu” - many), and in fact there are a lot of these islands and they are very diverse. Southern Polynesia makes up the large double island of New Zealand; western - the archipelagos of Tonga, Samoa and several small islands; central and eastern - Cook Islands, Tubuai, Tahiti, Tuamotu, Marquesas and several isolated islands, including the furthest to the east small island Easter (Rapanui); Northern Polynesia consists of the Hawaiian (formerly called Sandwich) Islands. Despite the enormous distance of the islands of Polynesia from one another (between Hawaii and New Zealand 7.5 thousand km, from Tonga to Easter Island 5.8 thousand km) and despite the diversity of natural conditions, the population of Polynesia is relatively homogeneous in physical type , language and culture. What brings Polynesians together in particular is their language, which is almost the same on different islands. It is this unity of the population that makes it possible to classify such distant and different natural conditions archipelagos to one geographical area.
The indigenous population of Polynesia is now about 450 thousand. Before the arrival of Europeans, about 1.1 million people lived here.
Micronesia (which means “small islands”, from the Greek “micros” - small) occupies the northwestern part of Oceania, closest to the shores of Asia. It consists of the Gilbert Islands, the Marshall Islands (Ralik - Ratak), the Caroline Islands, and the adjacent the islands of Palau (Pelau), and Mariana (“Robber”, according to the old name). The first two archipelagos belong to eastern Micronesia, the rest - to western Micronesia. The indigenous population of Micronesia is of mixed origin, its ancestors probably included Polynesians, Melanesians, and Indonesians. In western Micronesia, Indonesian elements are more noticeable; in eastern Micronesia, Polynesian elements are more noticeable. However, despite these local differences, the culture of the Micronesians is fundamentally homogeneous, as are their languages.
Oceania is a part of the world that is a separate geopolitical region that consists of many islands and atolls located in the western and central Pacific Ocean.
Geographical position
The islands of Oceania are located between the temperate latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere and the subtropical latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Often in geography, Oceania is considered together with Australia.
There is even geographical name- Australia and Oceania. total area Oceania is 1.24 million km 2. The population is 10.6 million people.
Oceania is divided into three geographical region– Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia. Oceania is washed by numerous seas - the Coral, Solomon, New Guinea, Tasman Seas, the Koro and Fiji Seas, which belong to the Pacific Ocean, as well as the Arafura Sea (Indian Ocean).
Oceania Climate
Most of Oceania has a tropical climate. Most of the islands of Oceania are characterized by heavy rainfall. On the islands that are located closer to the tropical zone, the average annual temperature is 23 °C, on the islands near the equator - 27 °C.
Oceania's climate is also influenced by currents such as La Niña and El Niño. Most of the islands of Oceania are negatively affected active volcanoes, tsunamis and typhoons.
This region is characterized by a sharp change weather conditions– droughts are replaced by torrential rains.
Population of Oceania
The majority of the population of the islands of Oceania is represented by indigenous people, which include Micronesians, Polynesians, and Papuans. Polynesians are mixed racial types - they show features of Caucasoids and Mongoloids.
The largest Polynesian peoples are Hawaiians, Maoris, Tongans, and Tahitians. Each nationality has its own language, which is represented by an almost complete absence of consonants.
The racial type of Melanesians is Australoid. The linguistic fragmentation of the Melanesian tribes is very large - a common occurrence is that residents of neighboring villages cannot understand each other. Papuans inhabit some regions of Indonesia and New Guinea.
All Papuan languages are very similar to each other. They are based on the English language, so often even residents of remote regions speak English perfectly.
Economy
The vast majority of Oceanian states have a very weak economy. The reasons for this are factors such as the remoteness of the islands from developed superpowers, limited natural resources, and shortage of personnel.
Many countries are completely economically dependent on Australia and the USA. The basis of the economy is Agriculture. Among the most common agricultural crops are coconut palms, breadfruit, and bananas. Some states have fishing fleets.
Oceania is the largest collection of islands located in the central and western parts Pacific Ocean (see Fig. 1).
About 10 thousand islands of Oceania are scattered over a vast territory from the subtropical latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere to the temperate latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. Most of the islands are grouped into archipelagos: New Zealand, Hawaii, Fiji, Tuamotu, etc. This location plays an important role for the nature of the islands.
Oceania is divided into three parts: Melanesia (translated from Greek as “Black Islands”), Micronesia (“small islands”), Polynesia (“Many Islands”).
Rice. 1. Map of Oceania
Islands and their origin
The origin, geographical location and size of the islands of Oceania are closely related to the structure of the Pacific Ocean floor. They are a surface reflection of the underwater oceanic relief, because the islands have their foundations on the ocean floor.
The islands of Oceania have different origins: continental, volcanic and coral.
The relief of volcanic islands is mountainous, while that of coral islands is low-lying. On the vast mainland islands, mountains are combined with plains.
Mainland Islands were formerly parts of the mainland, and were separated from it due to the sinking of land areas below sea level. These islands are located on the shelf.
For example, several tens of thousands of years ago largest island Oceania - New Guinea - was connected to Australia by a 150-kilometer bridge. Its lowering is only
30 m led to the formation of the Torres Strait. The islands of New Zealand are also of continental origin (see Fig. 2).
Rice. 2. Mainland Island (New Zealand)
Volcanic Islands are the surface peaks of the largest underwater volcanoes, the bases of which lie at great depths (up to 5 km) (see Fig. 3).
These islands are small, rocky, topped with cones of extinct or active volcanoes. They are located mainly in groups. For example, the Hawaiian Islands are 24 islands and stretch over 2,500 km. They are formed by powerful outpourings of lava from underwater and land-based volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. The largest of the islands, Hawaii, is formed by extinct and active volcanoes. Among them is the most high peak in Polynesia - the Mauna Kea volcano (4,210 m).
Rice. 3. Volcanic Island
Coral Islands formed by marine organisms - coral polyps living inside limestone skeletons (see Fig. 4). Clusters of coral skeletons form reefs– elongated strips – or atolls– small ring-shaped islands.
Rice. 4. Coral Island
The foundation for corals is usually the top of an underwater volcano. Therefore, many volcanic islands are surrounded by coral reefs. All coral structures rise above the water only a few meters. That's why the coral islands are low. They rarely rise above 5 m above ocean level and are barely noticeable among the expanses of water. That is why legends say that the inhabitants of Oceania “fished out” their islands from the ocean floor.
Climate
The climate is warm and mild, since most of the islands lie in equatorial and tropical latitudes; only New Zealand is temperate.
Air temperatures are high, but the heat is softened by moist winds from the ocean. They cause heavy rains, so the amount of precipitation is large - more than 4,000 mm per year.
On windward slopes high volcanoes The Hawaiian Islands are home to the wettest place on Earth, receiving 12,500 mm of precipitation per year. But on the leeward slopes there is very little precipitation (200 mm). Tropical cyclones arise in Oceania, which are called typhoons in the Northern Hemisphere, and hurricanes in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of them occur in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. They lead to great destruction. However, in general, despite these dangerous natural phenomena, it is never cold or hot on the islands. Therefore, the climate of Oceania is considered the most comfortable on Earth.
Organic world
The isolation of the islands is the reason for the uniqueness of their organic world. Life is poorest on small and relatively young coral islands; on mainland islands it is richer and more diverse.
Due to the difference in moisture (either a lot or little precipitation), both evergreen moist forests and dry savannas are common.
Coconut and sago palms, melon and breadfruit trees, ficus trees, and orchids grow in the forests. Among the wild plants there are many useful ones - trees with valuable wood (ironwood and sandalwood), plants with juicy fruits (papaya, mango, bananas); plants that produce spices (ginger, nutmeg, pepper). However, the first place undoubtedly belongs to the coconut palm (see Fig. 5).
Rice. 5. Coconut tree
Coral islands with poor soils, lying in a thin layer on coral limestones, have poor herbaceous vegetation. Their only decoration is groves of coconut palms. Interestingly, volcanic and coral islands were populated by plants with the help of wind, currents and even birds that carried their pollen, seeds, and nuts.
Oceania has many endemics - species of plants and animals that are found nowhere else. For example, tree ferns and cabbage trees grow only in New Zealand. Nowadays, natural forests on the islands are almost eliminated. In their place were plantations of agricultural crops.
Animal world the islands are poor. Among terrestrial animals there are almost no mammals (except mice and rats).
But there are many birds of paradise, pigeons, parrots, and weed chickens. The lack of predators led to the appearance of birds without wings - kaguya and kiwi. There are no poisonous snakes on the islands. There are reptiles - geckos, iguanas, lizards, hatteria. The waters surrounding the reefs and islands are home to flying fish, sharks, sea turtles and snakes. Humans played a major role in the spread of animals. The dogs, cats, and pigs he brought multiplied greatly and subsequently went wild.
The giant Moa bird that no longer exists
Before the arrival of man, New Zealand was a kingdom of birds. Mammals, with the exception of a few species of bats, did not exist here. The queen of this feathered state was the giant moa bird...
Its largest specimens reached two meters at the shoulder and weighed more than 200 kg. Females were almost twice as heavy as males.
The giant moa had a natural enemy - the giant eagle, the largest bird of prey on the planet (see Fig. 6).
Rice. 6. Image of the Moa bird
Bibliography
MainI
1. Geography. Land and people. 7th grade: Textbook for general education. uch. / A.P. Kuznetsov, L.E. Savelyeva, V.P. Dronov, “Spheres” series. – M.: Education, 2011.
2. Geography. Land and people. 7th grade: atlas. Series "Spheres".
Additional
1. N.A. Maksimov. Behind the pages of a geography textbook. – M.: Enlightenment.
1. Russian Geographical Society ().
3. Textbook on geography ().
4. Gazetteer ().
Groups of islands and archipelagos of the western and central parts are united into a geographical area under the general name Oceania. Historically, all the islands have been divided into four ethnographic-geographical regions: (Tonga, Samoa, Cook, Hawaiian Islands, Easter Island, etc.), Melanesia (Island, Bismarck Archipelago, Islands, etc.), ( , Mariana Islands, etc.), New. Most of the islands of Oceania are concentrated between 10° S. w. and 20° N. w.
The Russian scientist N. N. Miklouho-Maclay made a great contribution to the study of the nature and population of Oceania. He studied the life of the peoples of the island of New Guinea and left descriptions of the nature of coastal areas. The scientific research of N. N. Miklouho-Maclay was associated with his conviction of the need to protect backward and oppressed peoples. At the very end of the 19th century. Our fellow countryman, a native of the Mogilev province N.K. Sudzilovsky, lived and worked in the Hawaiian Islands.
Geological structure and relief of Oceania
Remember how continental, volcanic and coral islands were formed. The largest mainland islands of Oceania are New Guinea and New Zealand. Volcanism is a characteristic process of this region. The Hawaiian Islands are home to Kilauea Volcano, one of the most active active 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 archipelagos (Gilbert Islands, Tuamotu).
Oceania Climate
The islands of Oceania are located mainly in the equatorial, subequatorial and. Only Northern part Hawaiian archipelago enters the subtropics, and South part New Zealand is located in the temperate zone. There are two climatic regions in Oceania: trade wind and monsoon. The climate of Oceania is characterized by slight temperature fluctuations: from +30 °C during the day to +21 °C at night. Winds from the ocean soften the heat. It is never too cold or too hot here, so the climate of Oceania is considered the most comfortable on the globe. The main directions are from east to west. They facilitate the dispersal of organisms.
Marine air masses dominate in Oceania. In areas where monsoon circulation prevails, precipitation falls 3000-4000 mm per year. In the Hawaiian Islands, on the windward slopes, over 12,090 mm of precipitation falls per year. This is one of the wettest places on Earth. The distribution of precipitation is related to the presence of mountains. There are areas on the island of Hawaii that receive less than 200 mm of precipitation per year.
Among the very dangerous and destructive natural phenomena Tropical hurricanes are not observed. They destroy plantations, destroy homes, and sometimes the resulting waves wash away all living things. Local population is careful not to settle on the Cook Islands and Tuamotu, where hurricanes are often observed. A subtropical and temperate climate is characteristic of New Zealand, where in winter there are frosts down to -13 ° C, and there is snow in the mountains.
Flora and fauna of Oceania
The isolation of the island land had the greatest impact on its and. The diversity of the plant and animal world depends on the age of the islands, their size and distance from the mainland. It is poorest on the coral islands, where there is a shortage of fresh water and the soils are poor. Only a few dozen species of plants grow on them. On the islands of Oceania, mainly in Melanesia, the most ancient plants have been preserved, for example tree ferns, reaching 8-15 m in height. Rich and original vegetable world New Zealand (pines, palms).
The flora and fauna of Oceania are distinguished by two features. Rare species that are not found on the mainland have been preserved here. At the same time, on many islands, entire groups of organisms common to the mainland are almost completely absent. Many species of flowering plants found on land are absent here, but spore-bearing plants are widespread. Ancient plants that grew on the mainland in the geological past (podocarpus, agathis (kauri), etc.) have been preserved on the islands.
The fauna of the islands is poor. There are no mammals on many islands, with the exception of rats, mice, goats and cats that were introduced here. There are many seabirds: petrels, albatrosses, gulls that nest and raise their chicks here. On the island of New Guinea there is a weed chicken, a representative of the Australian fauna.
In New Zealand, the oldest flightless bird, the kiwi, is preserved, a very cautious bird that lives in dense grasses, the Maori rail. The kiwi bird is featured on the coat of arms of New Zealand. Rare species of parrots are found in New Zealand and New Zealand - the kakapo, or owl parrot, and the kea parrot, with a strong, sharp and curved beak. The first lizard tuateria was preserved on one of the islands of New Zealand.
On individual islands Only 5-7 species of seabirds nest. At the same time, the number of bird species in New Guinea is more than 100, and the insect fauna is rich (more than 3,700 species).
Minerals of Oceania
Minerals on the islands of Oceania are distributed extremely unevenly. Farming is carried out where there are valuable minerals. Thus, New Caledonia contains up to 25% of the world's nickel reserves, and Christmas Island has phosphate reserves. Among the states of Oceania, Papua New Guinea stands out, where there is gold, silver, and reserves have been explored.
Economic activities of Oceania
The population of Oceania is about 10 million people. There are several hypotheses about the routes of settlement of Oceania. Most scientists believe that Oceania was settled by people from South-East Asia many thousands of years ago. According to Thor Heyerdahl's hypothesis, immigrants from America settled there.
The inhabitants of Oceania were skilled sailors and shipbuilders. They sailed thousands of kilometers from their home islands. Modern residents of Oceania are engaged in growing coconut palms, bananas, cocoa, and coffee. Traditional trade is fishing. The nature and life of the people of Oceania are largely subject to natural catastrophic disasters (tropical hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanism).
On many islands of volcanic and continental origin, non-ferrous metal ores, coal are mined, and phosphorite deposits are developed. Every year, the states of Oceania become targets international tourism. The nature of the islands is changing under the influence of human economic activity. In place of the destroyed natural plantations, plantations have been created where sugar cane, pineapples, bananas, tea, coffee, rubber and other crops are cultivated.
Oceania political map
Modern political map Oceania emerged as a result of a long struggle between the colonial powers to divide the oceanic archipelagos among themselves. Until the beginning of the 60s. XX century there was one in Oceania 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 politically and economically dependent on the world. Most of the Hawaiian Islands archipelago has formed the 50th state of the United States since 1959.
The formation of the nature of Oceania is influenced by the Pacific Ocean, its distance from other continents, and its location in tropical latitudes. The basis of the economy of most countries in Oceania is agriculture. Mining is carried out on many islands.
Between 28°N and 53° S; 130°E and 105°W This island world includes almost 7 thousand islands. The total area of the island land of Oceania is about 1.3 million km2. This is only 2% of the area of the Pacific Ocean.
Geographical location, size and topography of the islands closely related to their origin. According to their genesis, the islands of Oceania belong to four main types: continental, biogenic and geosynclinal, which arise in contact zones - island arcs.
The mainland islands are the most significant in area (,). Mountain ranges they are combined with vast low-lying plains and plateaus. are a typical example of islands of volcanic origin. Coral reefs and atolls are of biogenic origin. Atolls are flat, low, ring-shaped islands with a lagoon in the middle connected to the ocean. Such are, for example, the islands of Central Polynesia (the Tuamotu archipelago is the largest collection of atolls in the world). Geosynclinal island arcs lie in western Oceania. The relief of islands of this type is a combination of mountains and. Such, for example, is the island of New Caledonia, stretching for more than 400 km.
Oceania is determined by the origin of the islands. Thus, New Caledonia is characterized by rich deposits of chromite and a number of other metals. , bauxite and oil are mined in New Guinea. Phosphorite deposits have been discovered on the atoll islands.
Oceania islands determined geographical location territory and the moderating influence of the ocean. The main archipelagos of the islands lie in the equatorial and tropical zones of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Only the islands adjacent to it are located in and belts. Average monthly values of the warmest month vary from +25°C in the north to +16° in the south; the coldest - from +16° in the north to +5°C in the south. , the Caroline and Mariana Islands, as well as New Guinea, lie in a zone where the temperature is around +26°C all year round. The moderating influence of the ocean affects minor temperature fluctuations between seasons and during the day. There is a lot of precipitation, on average 3000-4000 mm. They are especially abundant in the western part of Oceania, where mountains of mainland islands stand in the way of trade winds from the ocean. However, one of the wettest places on Earth is in the Hawaiian Islands, where up to 12,500 mm of precipitation per year falls on the windward slopes of the volcanoes.
Species composition and animal world poor and unique due to the remoteness and isolation of the islands of Oceania from the rest of the land. Large islands Oceania is covered predominantly with evergreens (on windward slopes) or. Here the trees are dominated by ficus, pandanus, bamboos, and casuarinas. There are many valuable trees and plants useful to humans: coconut and sago palms, bread and melon trees, rubber plants, bananas and mangoes. The forests of New Zealand contain many endemic species: special types of tree ferns, pine trees (kauri pine is one of the giant trees globe), cabbage tree, New Zealand flax, etc.
The fauna is also unique. It is richer and more diverse on the islands closer to Australia. Thus, in New Guinea, echidna and tree kangaroo are common, and crocodiles are found there. New Zealand is home to the running bird, not the flying one, the kiwi. Among the land animals on the islands of Oceania there are almost no mammals, there have never been predators, and there are no poisonous snakes. Extraordinarily rich various forms life of coastal waters and lagoons of islands.
Livestock (cows, pigs, horses), as well as a number of cosmopolitan animals from other parts of the world, were brought to Oceania. Rats have multiplied on the islands, cats have gone wild; goats and rabbits destroyed a significant part of the vegetation, which led to the loss of cover. Irrational use of land, deforestation, pollution of coastal waters, and the transformation of some islands into military testing grounds for nuclear weapons are disrupting the natural balance on the islands of Oceania.
Population Oceania , amounting to about 10 million people, represented by indigenous people, migrants and a mixed population. The Papuans, who belong to the equatorial race, live on New Guinea and the adjacent islands. The indigenous population of New Zealand (Maori) and other islands of Oceania belong to a special Polynesian group of peoples occupying an intermediate position between the three main races of humanity. These peoples have lighter skin and wavy hair than the Papuans. It is still not entirely clear where and by what routes many millennia ago the Polynesians settled the main archipelagos of the islands of Oceania. The newcomer population are immigrants from Europe, Asia and America. Thus, Anglo-New Zealanders make up 3/4 of the population of this country, and the indigenous people - Maori - only 9%. However, on other islands of Oceania, indigenous people (as opposed to Australia) make up the majority of the population.
Residents of Oceania traditionally engage in fishing. In New Zealand, European settlers raise sheep and cattle; meat, wool and butter are the main export products.
Political map Oceania was formed as a result of the seizure of the islands by European and American colonialists in the 19th-20th centuries. Three decades ago, there was only one independent state in Oceania - New Zealand. Now politically independent Micronesia consists of many (more than 1500 of them!) small islands in the western Pacific Ocean north of (Mariana, Marshall, Caroline Islands and etc.). New Zealand is included in a special region of Oceania. And not only due to natural and ethnographic conditions, but also taking into account the level of economic development throughout Oceania.
