Australia and Oceania

 Interplay between European and indigenous culture European dominance  Indigenous dominance Polynesia Micronesia Melanesia Australia New Zealand

Introduction Isolated physical setting Exotic plants and animals Late arrival of human occupations Interplay between indigenous peoples and European cultures Cultural adaptation, assimilation, and conflicts Youthful political geography Fluid geopolitical identity

Environmental Geography Varied Natural and Human Habitat

Landform Volcanic islands Oceania Australia New Zealand Arid interior (outback), highly urbanized coast Rugged mountain

Australia Western Plateau Interior Lowlands Eastern Highlands Landform Australia Western Plateau Ancient shield landmass Interior Lowlands Flat, and featureless lowland Eastern Highlands Barrier between western interior and eastern coastal plain Highlands Plateau Great Artesian Basin Basin

Landform Artesian well Interior basin lacks water supply, but the Great Artesian Basin possesses a rich supply of underground water

New Zealand Rugged mountain range featured by volcanic peaks Landform New Zealand Rugged mountain range featured by volcanic peaks  Pacific Rim of Fire Fjord-like western coast in the South Island  Glacial forces

Oceania Volcanic islands Seismic hazards (Pacific Rim) Landform Polynesia Micronesia Volcanic islands Melanesia Bora Bora Seismic hazards (Pacific Rim)

Landform Volcanic Islands Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Evolution of Volcanic Islands Landform Evolution of Volcanic Islands High islands 3. Islands subside below sea level Hot spot Low islands 1. Active volcanism 2. Volcanism dwindles & erosion intervenes Geologic time

Climate A. Tropical Oceania B. Arid Outback C. Temperate Australian and New Zealand coastal plain

Natural Hazards Environmental issues Drought Seismic hazards (Pacific Rim of Fire) Drought

Global Resource Pressures Environmental issues Global Resource Pressures Mining Logging

Mining in Papua New Guinea Environmental issues Mining in Papua New Guinea Mining, while providing incomes, causes immense environmental damage to the region

Nuclear Testing Environmental issues 1946 - 1958 Marshall Islands Tuamotu Archipelago

Population and Settlement A Diverse Cultural Landscape

Indigenous settlement Aborigines in Australia, Maori in New Zealand New Guinea Highlands, Society Islands European migrations Sydney, Melbourne… Asian laborers and immigrants Indian in Fiji, Japanese in Hawaii Recent Asian immigrants in Australia

Australia and New Zealand are highly urbanized and Westernized Most of pacific islands are rural (eg. Papua New Guinea)

Population distribution

Sydney, Australia Most Australians (85%) live in cities

Peopling the Pacific

European Colonization Australia Served as a penal colony (1788) Decimation of Aborigines New Zealand Wars with Maori chiefdoms (1845 ~ 1870) Hawaii U.S. annexed Hawaiian kingdom (1898)

Australian agriculture Too dry for farming  extensive ranching Hunting, gathering by Aborigines Commercial farming in the coastal plains Viniculture in Mediterranean climate region Sugarcane in subtropical climate region Dairy farming in well-watered area

Oceanic agriculture Village-centered shifting cultivation Papua New Guinea highlands Plantation agriculture in coastal plains Sugarcane fields in Fiji and Hawaii

Current population issues Australia and New Zealand Influx of Asian immigrants Less-developed island nations Growing population given limited land

Cultural Coherence and Diversity A Global Crossroads

Process of Cultural Change Cultural differentiation  geographical isolation Cultural accommodation/assimilation  European colonialism Cultural homogenization or preservation  globalization

Multicultural Australia Dominance of colonial European roots 70% of population is British or Irish White Australia Policy (~1973) Remaining links with the British Crown But increasingly multicultural due to Political movement of native inhabitants Inflows of Asian immigrants with a skill “Asianization” policy Two-way globalization

Multicultural New Zealand Parallel the story of Australia with a slightly different cultural mix Unique Polynesian roots Maori (15%) Pacific islanders (5%)

The Mosaic of Pacific Cultures (1) Traditional culture worlds The division of Oceania into Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia is based on racial and cultural distinctions by 19c anthropologists Melanesia Micronesia Polynesia Skin color: dark brown Social system: village chiefdom kingdom But the actual distinction is rather subtle Revolves around village life Highlanders in Papua New Guinea

The Mosaic of Pacific Cultures (2) External cultural influences Colonial plantation brought contact laborers Japanese/Chinese in Hawaii, Indian in Fiji Creole cultures Multicultural Hawaiians French New Caledonia Pidgin English & Christianity International tourism transforms their livelihoods Fiji, French Polynesia, The Hawaiian Islands, Samoa

Language of Australia and Oceania

Geopolitical Framework A Land of Fluid Boundaries

Colonial legacy Youthful states Ever-changing political map Over the last two centuries Persisting colonial ties French Polynesia U.S. territory Youthful states Oldest political states are the 20th century creation Australia, New Zealand (1907)

Indigenous Patterns Prior to European contact, the political geography was mosaic of indigenous territories Melanesia based on kinship Polynesia based on chiefdom Some large volcanic islands of Polynesia formed kingdom (eg. Hawaii)

An Imposed Colonial Framework (circa 1900) U.S. Germany France Britain

An Imposed Colonial Framework (After WWI) U.S. Japan Britain France Australia New Zealand

An Imposed Colonial Framework (After WWII) U.S. Britain France Australia New Zealand

An Imposed Colonial Framework (present day) U.S. France New Zealand

Marshall Islands Spanish (1526~1885) Germany (1885~1914) Japanese (1914~1944) U.S. (1947~1979) Independence (1990s) WWI WWII Political control of Micronesia has shifted numerous times during the last two centuries

Native Rights in Australia and New Zealand Geopolitical tensions Native Rights in Australia and New Zealand General trends are to acknowledge the land rights of indigenous people Establishment of Aboriginal reserves Native Title Bill (1993)

Geopolitical tensions Ethnic tension in Fiji The populations of indigenous Fijians and South Asian immigrants are roughly equal The violation of democratic process by the Fijians (eg. military coup in the late 1980s and 2000)

Rebellion in Papua New Guinea Geopolitical tensions Rebellion in Papua New Guinea Resource-rich Bougainville’s indigenous inhabitants demand local control Suppressed by military force

Geopolitical tensions

Economic and Social Development A Hard Path to Paradise

Wealthy Australia, New Zealand, French territories Impoverished remainders

Economy of Australia and New Zealand Economic assets Highly educated population Diverse base of natural resources Modern urban and industrial infrastructure Challenges Dependence on extraction of raw materials Small domestic markets Lack of high-tech and IT industries  Efforts to diversify economic bases

Economy of Australia and New Zealand – economic diversification Moving away from the traditional extractive economies (eg. tourism) Promoting economic integration within the region CER (Closer Economic Relationship) Agreement Shifting away from Europe and North America in favor of closer links with Asia Recent immigration policy ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum) APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Group)

Global trade in Australia and New Zealand

Oceania’s Economic Diversity Subsistence-based economies Shifting cultivation, fishing Commercial extractive economy Plantation, mining, logging Global tourism Subsidies from the present/former colonial powers

Relatively fared well regardless of varied level of economic development with the exception of Papua New Guinea