Advertisement
Oceania isn't a mythical underwater world like the lost city of Atlantis. Instead, it's a real place, resting in the immensity of the Pacific Ocean. If you've ever spent time in Australia or New Zealand, you were in Oceania, but that's just the beginning. This unimaginably vast region stretches on for many more miles, often just bits of dry land peeking out of the great blue ocean. Here are nine things to know about it.
Oceania is an incredibly vast geographical region with boundaries that geographers can't quite agree on. It consists of Australia, and a constellation of islands, large and small, mostly located north and east of Australia. By some counts, there are roughly 10,000 such islands covering more than 100 million square kilometers (38,600,000 square miles) of ocean surface, but just over 8 million square kilometers (3 million square miles) of land.
The region's so enormous that if you include surface water and surface land, it's bigger than all the other land area on Earth combined.
Most of the islands are downright tiny and uninhabited. But others, like New Zealand and the eastern half of New Guinea, are sizable by comparison.
Oceania is so enormous that geographers break it into smaller chunks. The most common subdivisions are Australia, followed by Melanesia (from New Guinea island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean to Tonga); Micronesia (more than 600 islands in the Pacific, like Palau, Kiribati and the Federated States of Micronesia); and Polynesia (more than 1,000 islands including New Zealand, Cook Island, Samoa and Hawaii.)
People have lived in Australia for at least 60,000 years, and they reached the Solomon Islands about 30,000 years ago. But in other tiny remote areas of Southeast Asia, humans are relative newcomers, having arrived just 1,000 years ago.
How they did so befuddles many scientists, who struggle to see how prehistoric people with few instruments could possibly navigate the vast waters separating these far-flung outposts.
Oceania is known for its cannibalistic past. In 1839, two British missionaries visited Erromango, part of the Vanuatu archipelago, which in older times was called Martyr's Island. They were devoured by the locals. Anthropologists believe that cannibalism was practiced in that area until at least 1969. One local in 2008 even gave out the recipe for cooking a human after killing (baking time is three to five hours.)
On Fiji, the practice of human flesh eating survived until at least the 1800s. The belief was that eating your enemies transferred their power to you. Even in 2011, there were reports that a German tourist was eaten in French Polynesia, though experts think it was more likely a garden-variety murder with the killer trying to burn evidence of the body. Nowadays, "cannibal tours" are offered for tourists, and souvenir shops selling "cannibal dolls" are abundant in the Pacific Islands.
Some sources estimate that sheep actually outnumber people in Oceania. Most of its landmasses are sparsely populated, but there are roughly 42 million people living there, strewn throughout 14 different countries.
Australia (25 million) makes up most of the population, followed by Papua New Guinea (9 million), New Zealand (5 million), Fiji (1 million) and the Solomon Islands (nearly 700,000). The remaining countries are Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Territories and dependencies include American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Pitcairn Island, Tokelau, and Wallis and Futuna. Niue and Tokelau are the least populated places in Oceania less than 1,700 people each.
No wonder the region is called Oceania water is Oceania's defining feature.Most of the region is under the Pacific Ocean just 8 percent is aboveground (as we said earlier 100 million square kilometers of ocean but just 8 million square kilometers of land). Given its small percentage of landmass, perhaps it's no surprise that Oceania's population density is just eight people per square kilometer (roughly three people per square mile).
Safety alert: please do not try this at home.
On the southern tip of Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, the local men practice what's called Gol, or Nanggol land diving. They construct haphazard-looking stick towers, tie vines to their ankles and then jump off headfirst.
These plunges see the hurtling bodies reaching speeds of 45 mph (72 kph) or more. And the most successful dives are the ones where the men can tuck their heads at the last moment and lightly brush their shoulders against the ground, stopping just short of certain death.
Good dives ostensibly, the ones where people survive supposedly ensure a bountiful yam harvest. The event is now a tourist attraction and is considered the progenitor to modern bungee jumping, only without any safety features whatsoever ... unless you count forest vines. The country has tried to get royalties from adventure companies that apparently ripped off the practice.
As the planet warms due to climate change, rising seas are encroaching on Oceania's islands. One Polynesian island, named Tuvalu, about halfway between Australia and Hawaii is, as the locals say, "sinking."
As the waters rise, the beaches are slipping under the waves, slowly devouring this small island. Crops fail to thrive in the salty soil. Climate change-related illnesses (like ciguatera poisoning from consuming fish that eat micro-algaes expelled from bleached coral) are increasing. Tuvalu is home to 11,000 people and is the fourth-smallest country on Earth. But it may not be home to anyone in the next 50 to 100 years, or perhaps even sooner. The island of Kiribati is also "disappearing."
Oceania is home to dozens of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These sites meet stringent criteria for their importance in relation to cultural, natural or historical landmarks.
In that regard, Oceania contains an embarrassment of riches. Here, you'll find UNESCO World Heritage sites like Australia's famed (and dying) Great Barrier Reef, Hawaii's Mauna Loa (the largest active volcano on the planet), the Auckland Islands, the Sydney Opera House and Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
And how about Mount Cook National Park, which protects New Zealand's tallest mountain? There's also Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island, and the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, which preserves one of the biggest remaining oceanic wildernesses on Earth.
Due to its sheer sprawling size, Oceania includes millions of people living in starkly different circumstances. Australia and New Zealand both land in the top 10 of the United Nations Human Development Index, which shows where countries rank according to standard of living, life expectancy and other factors.
Near the bottom of the list lie Kiribati, Tuvalu, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. These are some of what the U.N. calls the Least Developed Countries. For example, the gross domestic product per capita in Australia is more than $51,000 while in the Solomon Islands it is around $2,400. New Zealanders can expect to live past 82 years on average; on Vanuatu, the average is 70 years.
Originally posted here:
9 Deep-diving Facts About the Lands of Oceania - HowStuffWorks
- Pope Francis to visit Asia and Oceania in September - Crux Now - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- EY Weighs Another 100 Job Cuts in Oceania, The Australian Reports - Bloomberg - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Oceania Cruises Announces New 2025-2026 Tropics and Exotics Collection - Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Pope Francis to visit 4 nations across Asia and Oceania in September - Vatican News - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Oceania Cruises Announces New 2025-26 Tropics and Exotics Collection - Cruise Industry News - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Pope Francis will head to Asia and Oceania in September for his longest foreign trip yet - America: The Jesuit Review - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Oceania Cruises Announces New Tropics and Exotics Collection for 2025-2026 - Porthole Cruise and Travel - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Per Berth Prices Rise for Oceania and Regent Newbuilds - Cruise Industry News - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Pope Francis to embark on tour of Southeast Asia, Oceania in longest papal trip - Bakersfield Now - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Pope will take his longest trip: to Asia-Oceania in September - Aleteia - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Asia/Oceania I: Korea, Republic maintain perfect record with another 3-0 win - Billie Jean King Cup - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Highlights of Billie Jean King Cup 2024 tennis tournament Asia-Oceania - Xinhua - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Oceania Cruises Announces New Tropics and Exotics Collection - Recommend Magazine - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- VATICAN Pope Francis will be in Southeast Asia and Oceania from 2 to 13 September - AsiaNews - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Oceania Triathlon continental titles on the line in Taupo this weekend World Triathlon - World Triathlon - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- DHL Express introduces dedicated flight between Sydney and Hong Kong to cater to Oceania-North Asia trade demand - payloadasia.com - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Vatican announces long-awaited papal visit to Asia and Oceania - Macao News - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- EY confirms 148 jobs gone in mass redundancy round across Oceania - The West Australian - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Hosts Tonga launch campaign with dominant victory against American Samoa - Oceania Football Confederation - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Oceania Cruises unveils 2026 around the world voyage on Vista - TTG Asia - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Sea Control 501 Multilateral Approaches to Maritime Security in Oceania with Zach Ota | Center for International ... - CIMSEC - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Oceania set to open booking for $60K, 180-day around-the-world cruise - Business Insider - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Oceania Cruises Announces 2026 Around the World Voyage Aboard Its Newest Ship, Vista - PR Newswire - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- The Oceania Vista will sail the world in 2026 - Travel Weekly - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Oceania Announces 2026 Around the World Voyage Aboard Vista - Cruise Industry News - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Oceania Championships: Record-breaking Samoan Opeloge and Australia's Elliott make moves in Olympic rankings - International Weightlifting Federation... - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Hawaii-based 'Indo-Pacific Support Cutter' focused on Oceania is on its first Pacific deployment - Honolulu Star-Advertiser - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- PNG and Vanuatu to participate in inaugural FIFA Series - Football in Oceania - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- OCEANIA/PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Escalation is feared after tribal conflict: The only way to avoid it is on-site dialogue - Agenzia Fides - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Brazil claim record-extending 6th FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup - Oceania Football Confederation - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- NMI's Aiden Gimed wins silver in Oceania Weightlifting Championships - Marianas Variety News & Views - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Fiji U20s secures 39-25 win over Tonga at round 1 of Oceania Rugby U20s Challenge - Fijivillage - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Vakuruivalu wins bronze in the senior men's 109kg category at the Oceania Weightlifting Championship - Fijivillage - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- 5G subs in SE Asia & Oceania to hit 550M by 2029-end - Nation Thailand - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- AI image generator Stable Diffusion perpetuates racial and ... - University of Washington - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- APCO and AIP partner to strengthen Oceania packaging industry - Packaging Gateway - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Solomon Islands to host OFC Women's Champions League in March - Friends of Football - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Tahiti tournament next prize for Wellington Olympic or Auckland City - Friends of Football - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Gordon Treanor joins $3bn drinks giant Suntory Oceania - The Shout - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- LoL esports announces Japans LJL will join Oceania in PCS ... - Dexerto - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- NZ Festival of Squash in Tauranga attracts top world and Oceania ... - Bay of Plenty Times - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Sisters Stephanie and Caley McNair gain international smallbore ... - Hawkes Bay Today - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Australian Superbike: Herfoss Earns Pole Position At "The Bend" - RoadracingWorld.com - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- From boys' football to the Ferns in a year the rapid rise of winger ... - Friends of Football - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Global protein production expected to slow, but persist in 2024 - MEAT+POULTRY - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Catching up after the weekend? Heres all the top results and all on ... - Friends of Football - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- All Blacks Sevens chart new beginnings in the HSBC SVNS Series - allblacks.com - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- The Dominican Republic to host WBSC Americas U-15 Baseball ... - World Baseball Softball Confederation - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- XXX BFA Asian Championship starts Sunday, qualifies three teams ... - World Baseball Softball Confederation - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Oceania - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help - March 31st, 2023 [March 31st, 2023]
- 5 Things You Should Know About: Oceania - WorldAtlas - March 4th, 2023 [March 4th, 2023]
- Oceania Healthcare (NZSE:OCA) Is Paying Out Less In Dividends Than Last Year - Simply Wall St - November 27th, 2022 [November 27th, 2022]
- 'Wingspan' Oceania Expansion Announced for Release Soon on iOS, Android, Switch, Xbox, and PC TouchArcade - Touch Arcade - October 30th, 2022 [October 30th, 2022]
- Oceania and Africa rising in university rankings - The PIE News - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- South Asia And Oceania Pea Fiber Consumption Is Expected To Grow By Nearly 2x By 2032 - openPR - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- PET Type Antiblock Masterbatch Market Size reach to 82.50 million USD in 2022-2027 With Impact of domestic and global market Top players: Review by... - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure launches on March 14, 2023 in North America; March 17 in Europe and March 24 in Oceania - RPG Site - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- A 5G-proficient workforce will be in high demand: Nitin Bansal, MD, India & Head Networks, South East Asia, Oceania And India, Ericsson - The... - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Being in India more critical than ever: Ericssons Mirtillo | Mint - Mint - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Sedin lands in Melbourne with Steve de Mamiel at the helm - ARNnet - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Heavy Machinery Maintenance & Repair Demand Is Set To Reach A Valuation of US$ 284 Bn Billion 2032; Owing To Technology Integration into Service... - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- WWII Ship Sunk In Oceania Shows Up In Dried-Up Californian Lake Officials Have No Idea How It Got There - IFLScience - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- EY Oceania Strengthens Transformation Capability Through The Business Acquisition Of Red Moki - The Balance - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- World University Rankings 2023: trends analysis - Times Higher Education - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- How Africa is still paying the most for the lowest-quality internet - Benjamindada.com - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Global population hits 8 billion soon, but shrinks by 2100 - Big Think - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Banana Genomes Hint at Hidden Species We Urgently Need to Find - ScienceAlert - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Boxing: Kiwi heavyweight Hemi Ahio ready for the spotlight - New Zealand Herald - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- An unbeatable moment to leverage: 2023 Womens World Cup must win hearts to change minds - The Guardian - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Architectural Services Sales Is Anticipated to Reach US$ 426.3 Bn by 2032; Rising Urbanization to Act as Key Drivers | Fact.MR's Study - GlobeNewswire - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Oceania unveils world cruise and other long voyages for 2025 - Travel Weekly - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Sailing to the Baltic Sea's top port cities with Oceania - Cruise Passenger - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Oceania Dairy tanker driver injured after truck rolls in South Cantebury - Stuff - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Study Highlights Wide Variation in Mortality of Spondyloarthritis, IBD Across the Globe - AJMC.com Managed Markets Network - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Earth had its 6th-warmest August on record - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Humans have caused unprecedented changes to rivers - Earth.com - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- From boat to bike: Georgie Howe's rapid rise to the pro ranks - CyclingTips - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Turbulence not over: Asahi pushes canned beer and healthier innovation as cost pressures heighten - FoodNavigator-Asia.com - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Auckland City keep quadruple title hopes alive with Chatham Cup football final win - Stuff - September 15th, 2022 [September 15th, 2022]
- Cruise Lines That Don't Require a COVID-19 Vaccination - Cruise Fever - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]