OCEANIA

Oceania consists of Australia, the Pacific, and Antarctica.

Australia is sometimes called “The Island Continent”.

Early cartographers called it “Terra Australis” – the southern land.

Seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere Australians call their country “The Land Down Under” due to its location in the southern hemisphere Seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere

Australia is the oldest, flattest, and (except for Antarctica) the driest continent

Most of Australia is desert

Ayers Rock is called Uluru by the aborigines

The Great Barrier Reef is located off of Australia’s northeastern coast

It is the world’s largest coral reef

Long isolation from other continents has created unique wildlife for Australia

The platypus is one example

Australia is home to 182 species of marsupial

Marsupials carry their young in a pouch

The Murray-Darling is Australia’s only major river system

Lake Eyre is a salt lake that rarely contains water

Tasmania is an island off the southeastern coast of Australia

Unusual animals are also found in Tasmania

The Tasmanian wolf, also called the Tasmanian tiger, is now extinct

So are Tasmania’s indigenous people

Australia is made up of 6 states and 2 territories

Most Australians live along the southeast coast.

The aborigines are Australia’s indigenous people

Aboriginal culture dates back 40,000 years

Aborigines invented the boomerang and the didgeridoo

Aboriginal art reflects themes from nature

Early settlers came to Australia from Britain’s overcrowded prisons

Major Australian cities include: Sydney, New South Wales

Melbourne, Victoria

Perth, Western Australia

Darwin, Northern Territory

Brisbane, Queensland

Adelaide, South Australia

Hobart, Tasmania

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

The Australian national gemstone is the opal.

Opals are mined in Coober Pedy Opals are mined in Coober Pedy. Many old mines have been converted to homes and shops.

Australia also produces a lot of iron ore, which is why the rocks are red

THE PACIFIC

The Pacific was first mapped by Captain James Cook.

Captain Cook was eventually killed and eaten by the native Hawaiians

The Pacific region is made up of many islands, and most people there are Melanesian or Polynesian

These are Micronesians

New Zealand is made up of 2 main islands: the North Island and the South Island

Major cities in New Zealand include Auckland and Wellington (the capital) on the North Island…

…and Christchurch on the South Island

New Zealand has many volcanoes

Sheep outnumber people in New Zealand 20 to 1

The only mammals native to New Zealand are bats

New Zealanders are called Kiwis. The kiwi bird has no wings.

The indigenous people of New Zealand are the Maori.

The Maori are Polynesian The Maori are Polynesian. Tattoos were invented by Polynesians, and were once a substitute for clothing

Papua New Guinea is Australia’s nearest neighbor

The people of Papua New Guinea are Melanesian

The Ring of Fire encircles the Pacific

Atolls form around extinct volcanoes

The Bikini Atoll

The Bikini Atoll was the site of the first nuclear test

Christmas Island is famous for the crabs that live there seasonally.

Easter Island belongs to Chile

It is also called Rapa Nui, and is famous for its giant head statues

Many flags in Oceania feature the Union Jack (British flag), and the Southern Cross constellation.

Here are some examples:

ANTARCTICA

Antarctica is the coldest, driest, highest, and iciest continent Few species can survive the harsh Antarctic environment Mosses, lichens, and algae are the only plants found in Antarctica Seals and penguins live in Antarctica seasonally, on the Antarctic Peninsula Orca and other species of whale are also found in the waters surrounding the continent There are no mammals native to the Antarctic continent (no, not even polar bears).

Antarctica is studied by scientists from over a dozen countries

The ice cap covering Antarctica averages over a mile in thickness