Oceania Maps, Photos, Travel

 

About Oceania

Oceania is a geographical region located between Asia and the Americas that encompasses Australia and more than 10,000 smaller islands to the east. It is defined by its proximity to the surrounding ocean and seas rather than its connection to any specific landmass. With a land area that is the smallest of all continental regions and a population that is second only to Antarctica, Oceania is a unique and diverse part of the world.

Oceania is composed of four regions: Australasia, Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia.

Australasia

Australia and New Zealand are part of the region of Australasia, which is the largest land area in Oceania. In comparison, New Zealand is larger than all the South Pacific Islands combined, but its size is only a fraction of Australia's, being able to fit into the larger country nearly thirty times.

Polynesia

The Polynesian Triangle, also known as Polynesia, encompasses a vast region of the Pacific Ocean that includes New Zealand, Hawaii, and Easter Island. Despite New Zealand being part of Australasia, Hawaii being part of the United States, and Easter Island belonging to Chile, all three are connected by their geography, culture, and language. The Polynesian Triangle also includes other island nations and groups such as French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu.

Melanesia

Melanesia lies to the west of Polynesia and includes several island groups such as New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Fiji. The region is culturally and racially distinct from Polynesia, with its people originating primarily from New Guinea.

Micronesia

Micronesia is located in the north of Oceania. It includes several island nations such as Kiribati, Guam, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Nauru, and Wake Island. This region has a distinct cultural and historical background, and some of the islands in this region were important battlegrounds during World War II, when Japan and the United States fought for control of the area.

Influence in Oceania

A number of countries both within and outside of Oceania either govern or have strong influence over smaller nations in Oceania.

New Zealand

The immigration laws in New Zealand have made it possible for a large population of Polynesians to settle in the country. This has resulted in New Zealand having the largest concentration of Polynesian people in the world, with approximately 15% of New Zealand's population being of Polynesian descent. The Kermadec Islands is also part of New Zealand but north these unpopulated islands lie Niue and the Cook Islands. These two territories have self-governing status but are in free association with New Zealand. Additionally, they use the New Zealand dollar as their currency.

Australia

Many residents of Oceania have relocated to Australia, particularly those from New Zealand. Despite a noticeable population of Polynesians in Australia, it still constitutes a small portion of the country's total population. Approximately 600,000 New Zealanders currently reside permanently or temporarily in Australia. They have the advantage of not requiring a visa with their New Zealand passport and have the freedom to live and work in Australia. Located to the north of Australia is Papua New Guinea, which is the second most populous country in Oceania. It gained independence from Australia in 1975, but Australia remains involved in the country's development, providing aid and assistance.

USA

The 50th state of the United States is the Hawaiian islands, which are located at the northernmost point of Polynesia. The U.S. has strong ties with American Samoa, another island in Polynesia, and The Federated States of Micronesia, an island nation made up of over 600 islands. The Federated States of Micronesia is self-governing, but in a free association with the U.S., which grants the U.S. the right to establish military bases in exchange for financial assistance and aid.

FRANCE

French Polynesia and New Caledonia, located in Melanesia, have a strong French influence. French Polynesia includes Tahiti and citizens of New Caledonia are considered French, and are free to live and work in France if they choose. New Caledonia is technically considered a part of France.

CHILE

The South American country of Chile governs Easter Island, located on the easternmost point of Polynesia. Despite being over 3540 km (2200 miles) away, Chile is the closest major nation to Easter Island. It is believed by some that native Americans arrived on the island before the arrival of Europeans, in addition to the Polynesian population already present.