Australia and Oceana Region

1. Australia and Oceana Region

2. Australia and Oceania • Located in the Southern Hemisphere • Located in the Pacific Ocean • Oceania is the area located north of Australia • Oceania consists of many islands and few large land masses • Australia is the only continent that is also a country • Australia is neighbored by Indonesia, Papua and New Guinea

3. Geography • Because of the physical barriers and their geographic location in the Pacific Ocean, many of the cultures in the region are scattered and isolated on islands. • Australia’s distance and isolation, from other parts of the world, have contributed to the evolution of unique animals and plants.

4. Geography • The presence of many islands in the region is most often attributed to tectonic activity. • An archipelago is a cluster or collection of islands. • A barrier island is an island that is parallel to the mainland. It acts as a barrier to the coast. • An atoll is a ring shaped island that encircles a lagoon.

5. Geography • Many of the islands of Oceania have experienced a reduction in size over time. This can be attributed to the process of erosion. • Erosion is the process by which soil and rock are removed from the Earth by wind or water flow

6. When an island sinks in the middle, a doughnut shaped landform is created called an atoll.

7. Australia • Bordered by oceans on all sides • Settled in the 19th century • Interior is largely remote and desolate therefore, most of the population resides along the coast • Northeast of the continent is the largest reef on earth, the Great Barrier Reef • Mining, otherwise known as “resource extraction,” is the largest export industry

8. Population is centered primarily in the east, along the coastline

10. Australia Because of its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, many people in the traditional economies of the region rely on fishing

11. The Great Barrier Reef is located off the northeast coastline

12. An Aerial view of the Great Barrier Reef

13. The outback is lightly populated with few towns.

14. Mineral Resource Extraction • Mining above and below the earth’s surface modifies the physical environment of Australia • Resources are being exhausted • Ore grades are declining • Processing is becoming more complex and expensive

15. Because of its proximity to beaches, a culture of outdoorsmanship has developed. This is me. 

16. Australia • Australia has been subject to ozone holes in the atmosphere. These holes in the ozone layer of the atmosphere are caused by chlorine introduced into the atmosphere by chlorofluorocarbons. • As a result of these holes in the ozone, Australia has experienced higher than usual skin cancer rates. • One adaptation to the environment that the governments of Australia and New Zealand have encouraged people to make is the use of sunscreen and hats.

17. Comparative Skin Cancer Rates 1975 - 2007

18. Oceania • The ideal environments of these islands attract many tourists. • Few large land masses contributes to the formation of the world’s most powerful storms.

21. Primary Sources Primary Source - A document or artifact that was created at the time of an event or period in time by a participant or observer • An article about early Australian history is not a primary source because it is not written at the time of the event. The word “history” by definition indicates events in the past. • A ranchers journal written in the 19th century, however, would be a primary source to study life in Australia during its early history.

22. Below is a photograph of the island of Niue. What infrastructure is visible?

23. Could you tell that this is an airport?

24. From the photograph, what conclusion can you draw about the population of Niue?

25. Do you see many houses, roads or other man-made structures in this photograph? What does that say about the population?

26. Niue Alofi Niue is a tropical, island country in the South Pacific 1,500 miles northeast of New Zealand. Its land area is about 100 square miles and its population, predominantly Polynesian, is only around 1,400. (Elgin’s population is nearly 9,000)