THE PACIFIC REALM CHAPTER 11: part 3

MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC QUALITIES THE LARGEST TOTAL AREA OF ALL GEOGRAPHIC REALMS THE SMALLEST LAND AREA OF ANY OF THE REALMS A HIGHLY FRAGMENTED REALM COMPRISED OF HIGH-ISLAND AND LOW- ISLAND CULTURES A REALM IN POLITICO-GEOGRAPHICAL TRANSITION

REGIONAL CHARACTER TOTAL LAND AREA IS ABOUT 376,000 SQUARE MILES (TEXAS + NEW MEXICO) COLONIZED BY THE FRENCH, BRITISH, AND THE US TOTAL POPULATION IS < 10 MILLION TOURISM IS THE ECONOMIC MAINSTAY; SOME MINERALS, FISHING POLITICAL ORGANIZATION – INDEPENDENT STATES, COLONIES, DEPENDENCIES, AND ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS

SUVA, FIJI

REGIONS MELANESIA- (MELAS MEANS BLACK) – WEST IRIAN, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, VANATU, NEW CALEDONIA, FIJI MICRONESIA- (MICRO MEANS SMALL) – PALAU, FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA, NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS, REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS, NAURU, WESTERN KIRIBATI, GUAM POLYNESIA- (POLY MEANS MANY) – KIRIBATI, COOK ISLANDS, FRENCH HAWAII, SAMOA, AMERICAN SAMOA, TUVALU, TONGA, EASTERN POLYNESIA

MICRONESIA

MELANESIA

NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA

POLYNESIA

BORA

PORT OF PAPEETE, TAHITI

HIGH-ISLAND VS LOW-ISLAND DICHOTOMY HIGH-ISLANDS – VOLCANIC – HIGH ELEVATIONS/RUGGED RELIEF – WELL-WATERED – GOOD SOILS – AGRICULTURAL DIVERSITY – TEND TO HAVE LARGER POPULATIONS

HIGH-ISLAND VS LOW-ISLAND DICHOTOMY LOW-ISLANDS – INCLUDE THE MAJORITY OF THE REALM’S ISLANDS – COMPOSED OF CORAL – LOW ELEVATION/RELIEF – DROUGHT IS COMMON – FISHING AND COCONUT PALM ARE MAINSTAYS

MARINE GEOGRAPHY A SUB-FIELD OF GEOGRAPHY CONCERNED WITH THE SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT OF THE SEAS, ITS RESOURCES AND MARITIME BOUNDARIES KEY TERMS – TERRITORIAL SEA (12 MILE LIMIT) – EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE (200 MILES) – HIGH SEAS – MEDIAN LINE BOUNDARIES – CONTINENTAL SHELF (DOWN TO 600 FEET AND OUT TO 200 MILES)

WORLD MARITIME CLAIMS

ANTARCTICA THE ICE-COVERED CONTINENT MCMURDO STATION ROSS ICE SHELF ANTARCTICA - A REALM? MULTIPLE CLAIMS

THE PACIFIC REALM (CHAPTER 12: )