Chapter 14: Australia and Oceania

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Australia

• continental landmass, separated from rest of S
  continent 50 Ma
• W plateau, interior lowlands, eastern highlands,
  great barrier reef
• interior deserts, monsoon/savanna in far N,
  midlatitude to E and SE, Mediterranean in SW
• native fauna includes diverse marsupials
  (kangaroos, koalas), birds (emus, parrots,
  lorikeets)

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Australia and Oceania Physical
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New Zealand

• part of Pacific ring of fire
• N island subtropical, active volcanoes reaching
  9000 ft.
• S Island cold, higher and more rugged mtns., S
  Alps reach 12,000 ft
• unique forests w massive native trees (kauris),
  ferns
• once home to moa but now extinct

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Pacific Islands

• continental islands situated along ring of fire
• steep explosive volcanos, largest island is New
  Guinea, peaks exceeding 15000 ft.
• oceanic islands formed by midplate hot spot
  activity
• less explosive volcanism, shorter life span (lt10
  mil. yrs from high island to atoll)
• low islands (atolls) formed when midplate high
  islands sink

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Atoll Formation
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Bora Bora
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Indigenous Settlement

• Aboriginal settlement of Australia, NG 40,000 yrs
  ago
• by 3500 years ago deep sea navigation allowed
  settlement of more distant islands
• within the past 2000 years settlement extended to
  remote corners of Pacific (HI, NZ, Easter Is.)

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Australia and Oceania Settlement
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Indigenous Cultures

• Australia
• comprehensive knowledge of landscape
• "dreamtime" (spirit world)
• Pacific Islands
• 3 cultural realms
• Melanesia (great cultural diversity)
• Micronesia
• Polynesia (homogenous culture across great
  geographic expanse)

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Australia and Oceania Languages
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Political History

• significant European settlement did not occur
  until after voyages of Cook (1780)
• settlement waves consisted of prisoners, gold
  rushers, farmers
• settlement extensive in Australia, NZ, Hawaii
• most of Oceania colonized by Europe by late 1800s

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Politics Today

• independence came later to most parts of Oceania
  than elsewhere in the world (1960s, 70s)
• Tonga only state to retain traditional govt.
• Europe and the U.S. remain in control of some
  island groups (French Polynesia, NC, Niue,
  Tokelau, Hawaii, Guam)
• civil war exists in parts of Melanesia

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Australia and Oceania Geopolitical Issues
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Population Today

• Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Guam, highly
  urban low natural growth rates, concerns over
  immigration
• other parts of Pacific Islands mostly rural, high
  natural growth rates, concern over emigration
• atolls face concerns over crowding, lack of
  resources, and sea level rise

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Australia and Oceania Population
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Economy

• high standards of living in Australia, New
  Zealand (tourism, minerals, livestock) though
  indigenous populations lag
• tourism also supports high standards of living in
  Hawaii, Guam
• minerals provide base of economy in New
  Caledonia, Nauru
• elsewhere islanders depend on combination of
  subsistence agriculture, fisheries, aid, and
  remitances

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Mining in New Guinea
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Australia and Oceania Environment