Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Chapter 11 Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific

Map of Oceania Figure 11.1

Housekeeping Items A reminder that the final exam will be in class next Wednesday (the 27th) and, if you owe me work, get it in as soon possible, but certainly before the last day. I have another couple of articles to circulate. As Craig pointed out, it would be ideal if we would have more time to read and discuss them in class. We have the Indian food presentation today. Today, we can cover the Oceania chapter, but last class people seemed really bored, and I was pretty bored too. Alternatively, you can read the notes on your own, and we can watch a short video, or do part lecture and part video.

I. THE GEOGRAPHIC SETTING Region covers ¼ of the Earth’s surface Pacific Ocean serves as both a link and a barrier Many different overlapping place names Country, island grouping, ethnic grouping, etc.

A. Physical Patterns Continent Formation Island Formation Australia: broke free from Gondwana and crashed into Eurasia Great Barrier Reef: Longest coral reef in world; shunts warm water to the south Island Formation Some created via tectonic action Some created via volcanic action Hot spots, atolls, makatea

A High Island and an Atoll

A. Physical Patterns Climate Most islands in tropical and subtropical zone Mild temperatures Arid in Australia’s interior, low islands Australia: only one river system Moist everywhere else, high islands El Niño: Causes droughts every 2-7 years

Climates of Oceania Figure 11.8

A. Physical Patterns Flora and Fauna Isolation has had impacts on life in Oceania Australia: 144 species of endemic marsupials Endemic plants adapted to aridity New Zealand and the Pacific: Islands have to be colonized by animals and plants carried by wind or birds Biodiversity thins to east, away from land

Duck-billed Platypus Figure 11.10

B. Human Patterns Over Time The Peopling of Oceania Australian Aborigines: migrated 50,000-70,000 years ago Melanesians settled surrounding areas (i.e., New Guinea) Austronesians: Migrate throughout Pacific about 5000-6000 years ago Three cultural regions: Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia

Culture Groups in the Pacific Figure 11.13

B. Human Patterns Over Time Arrival of the Europeans Pacific divided among Europeans by the 1800s Displacement of natives, idea of ‘noble savage’ On resource-rich islands, relatively simple social organization On resource-poor islands, social hierarchies instituted

B. Human Patterns Over Time The Colonization of Australia and New Zealand Australia: founded by UK as penal colony NZ: Founded later by voluntary immigrants Natives thrust into grinding poverty Shifting Ties Until WWII, strong ties to UK; after WWII, U.S. Since 1970s, increasing connection to Asia

Penitentiary at Port Arthur, Tasmania Figure 11.15

C. Population Patterns Just 34 million people 2/3 live in Australia Australia and NZ: older, slower growing populations Other countries: younger, faster growing High rates of urbanization throughout Often poorer standard of living than rural

Population Density in Oceania Figure 11.16

II. CURRENT GEOGRAPHIC ISSUES Shift from Europe to Asia for trade, tourism Emerging technology promotes regional identity Email Internet Jet travel

A. Sociocultural Issues Ethnic Roots Reexamined Historical Australian/NZ identity as European Led to racism against Asians; illegality of immigration Multiculturalism in bloom from 1970s onward Number of people identifying as Aborigine or Maori rising Rise in prestige; increase in mixed-race marriage Increase in legal rights; still not great Fiji: struggling over ethnicity, land ownership

Aborigines and Maori

A. Sociocultural Issues Forging Unity in Oceania Many languages in small area Growth of Pidgin languages The Pacific Way Consensus as traditional approach to problem solving Sports as a Unifying Force Sailing, surfing: indigenous Rugby, volleyball, soccer, cricket: imported

Cricket in the Trobriand Islands Figure 11.23

A. Sociocultural Issues Women’s Roles Myth: Pacific women are simple love objects Reality: in Polynesia, could achieve rank of chief; in Micronesia, lineage traced through women Vary greatly from island to island Men’s Roles Stereotypical Aussie male: laid-back drifter Persistent but eroding

Stereotypical Men and Women

B. Economic and Political Issues Shift from Export to Service Economies Still very little manufacturing; undercut by Asia Pacific islands tend more towards extraction Tourism Growing rapidly, creates problems for ecology In Hawaii, growth is in Asian tourists Attempt to promote sustainable tourism

Origin of Tourists Figure 11.26

B. Economic and Political Issues New Asian Orientations Most apparent in economics Asia buys 71% of Australian exports Loss of European protection for markets is painful Gutting of labor unions Stress less visible in Pacific islands; tradition of self-sufficiency Geopolitical concern over China

Exports From Oceania Figure 11.28

C. Environmental Issues Australia Introduction of rabbits decimated native species Grazing requires irrigation, ‘dingo fence’ Urban sprawl boosts carbon output New Zealand Deforestation rampant from grazing 15 times as many sheep as people

Human Impacts in Oceania

The Dingo Fence Figure 11.30

C. Environmental Issues Pacific Islands Mining: Ok Tedi in Papua New Guinea; Nauru Indigenous forced off land, which is left ruined Nuclear pollution U.S. and French testing on possessions UNCLOS Provides 200 mile buffer around islands for resource exploitation Global Warming: fear of rising sea levels

Global Warming Figure 11.33

D. Measures of Human Well-Being Low GDP per capita belies relatively high standard of living Informal economy, remittances, subsistence farming or agriculture Australia and NZ: high HDI Most else: missing statistics, but changing diets lead to health issues New Zealand: 2 female PMs since 1997

Human Well-Being Rankings