Australia and the Pacific

1. Australia and the Pacific Pages 834 – 841 And 846 - 855

2. Vocabulary • Atoll – A ring shaped coral island enclosing a body of water. • Coral Reef – A formation of rock like material made up of the skeletons of tiny sea creatures. • Coup – A sudden violent overthrow of a government.

3. Vocabulary • Indigenous – People native to a region. • Outback – A sparsely inhabited region with low plateaus and plains. • Primary Industry – Involves the collection of resources from nature. • Secondary Industry – Involves the use of resources to create new products.

4. Section 1: Chapter Atlas • Australia • New Zealand • Micronesia • Melanesia • Polynesia • Great Barrier Reef • Indian Ocean • Pacific Ocean

5. Section 1: Chapter Atlas • This region is made up of tens of thousands of islands. • Each island has different climates, ecosystems, and resources that make them unique.

6. Section 1: Chapter Atlas • Australia is the largest island in this region. • There are three sub regions of islands – Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.

7. Section 1: Chapter Atlas • Australia is the Earth’s smallest continent. It is also a country. • Australia contains some amazing landform features such as Ayers Rock, the Outback, and the Great Barrier Reef.

8. Section 1: Chapter Atlas • Melanesia is north of Australia. It is the most densely populated area of this region. • Micronesia is north of Melanesia. Almost all of the island are coral islands with sandy beaches. • Polynesia is the largest sub region. It stretches from New Zealand to the Hawaiian Islands.

9. Section 1: Chapter Atlas • Polynesia like the other areas of this region have two types of islands. • Low Islands are located just above sea level. They have little fresh water and poor soil. Many of them are atolls. • High Islands are rocky, mountainous, and volcanic. They also have very fertile soil.

10. Section 1: Chapter Atlas • The Indo Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate are moving towards each other at a rate of a few inches per year. • This movement is pushing up the ground and creating new islands and volcanoes.

11. Section 1: Chapter Atlas • The land broke away millions of years ago and these islands have been isolated. • The plants and animals have adapted and changed in different ways than the rest of the world. • The introduction of other animals, like rabbits, wild pigs, and snakes, to this region has harmed the ecosystems.

12. Section 1: Chapter Atlas • Weather patterns vary greatly in this region. • Elevation, wind, and ocean currents can cause the variations in climate.

13. Section 1: Chapter Atlas • Australia’s climate varies greatly from one side of the island to the other. • They can get extremely hot temperatures. In fact they have recently added a new temperature zone to Australia’s map. It is for temps. Above 120 degrees Fahrenheit!

14. Section 1: Chapter Atlas • New Zealand has a maritime climate. It is a lot cooler and receives more precipitation than Australia. • The rest of the Pacific Islands basically have a humid subtropical climate. This means they have high temperatures all year long and receive a lot of precipitation.

15. Section 1: Chapter Atlas • Wildfires are a big threat to this region, especially Australia. • In Australia the wet summer months allows the grasses to grow throughout the Outback. Then in the winter months the grasses dry out and wildfires occur.

16. Section 1: Chapter Atlas • Australians and New Zealander’s primarily live in urban areas. • Australians primarily live on the east coast because it is a milder climate. • 90% of the 22 Million people live on the coast in cities like the capital city, Sydney.

17. Section 1: Chapter Atlas • Australia has many natural resources. • Bauxite, iron, coal, natural gas, and diamonds. • New Zealand has few mineral resources. • Both countries have big farms and ranches. • Australia produces cotton, wheat, and sheep. • New Zealand produces wool. • Farming is easier in New Zealand than Australia because New Zealand has much more precipitation.

18. Section 1: Chapter Atlas • The Pacific Island populations generally live in small villages rather than urban areas. • Most low islands have poor soil and few mineral resources. • High islands generally have fertile soil and many resources. • The high islands generally produce bananas, cacao (chocolate), gold, copper, and petroleum.

19. Section 2: Australia and The Pacific Today • This region has a diverse population. • Most Australians and New Zealanders have decedents that are English. (England sent its convicts to settle Australia!) • More and more Asians and Pacific Islanders are moving into this area. • A small number of Australians and New Zealanders are decedents of indigenous people.

20. Section 2: Australia and The Pacific Today • Australia has about 1% of their 22 million people that are aboriginal. • New Zealand is about 8% of their 4 million people that are Maori. • Each of these groups were mistreated by Europeans during colonization. The governments are working to compensate the indigenous people for the mistreatments.

21. Section 2: Australia and The Pacific Today • Pacific Islanders are primarily indigenous people. • They have been influenced by European colonization. Many of them now believe in Christianity rather then their original religions. • They have found way however to keep their art, dance, and music alive.

22. Section 2: Australia and The Pacific Today

23. Section 2: Australia and The Pacific Today • Australia and New Zealand were once colonies of Britain, so their governments are similar to Britain’s government. • Both are parliamentary governments. This means the people elect a parliament and parliament elects a prime minister. The prime minister is the head of parliament. Together they run the country.

24. Section 2: Australia and The Pacific Today • Both Australia and New Zealand have regional or state governments that are allowed to govern locally. • The rights and responsibilities of Australia and New Zealand are similar to the United States. People have rights like freedom of speech and religion. • However, there are some differences. A big difference is that if you are registered to vote in Australia and you do not, you can be fined.

25. Section 2: Australia and The Pacific Today • The governments of the Pacific Islands is mostly democratic. • There are some however that faced corruption. • Fiji is one example. Since 1987 there have been 4 coups led by the military.

26. Section 2: Australia and The Pacific Today • Australia and New Zealand have market economies. • Most of the Pacific Islands have developing economies.

27. Section 2: Australia and The Pacific Today • Australia’s majors industries: • Agriculture • Mining • Tourism • Manufacturing • Some resources are exported to Asia but many Australian businesses are secondary businesses. • This means their businesses use resources to make new products that are then sold.

28. Section 2: Australia and The Pacific Today • Due to its highly educated people and great technology Australia has modernized and successful industries. • This results in a wealthy economy and high economic output per person.

29. Section 2: Australia and The Pacific Today • New Zealand has a similar but smaller economy compared to Australia. • Their most important industries are service industries and tourism. • New Zealand farmers raise cattle and sheep for meat, dairy, and wool products.

30. Section 2: Australia and The Pacific Today • Pacific Island economies rely on primary industries. • Agriculture and fishing are important primary industries. • They Island nations have banded together in the Pacific Island’s Forum. The think that they will have better industries and opportunities for tourism this way.

31. Section 2: Australia and The Pacific Today • The economies of this region rely on the environment and there are challenges to the environment. • Drought – Lack of water is causing Australian farms to produce less and less food. Also, this could create perfect conditions for wildfires. • Nuclear Weapons – The United States and Great Britain tested nuclear weapons in this area from 1940-1990. The testing could cause harmful effects for the region. • Climate Change – The change in the weather over a long period of time is of concern in the Pacific region because it can cause water levels to rise.

33. Section 4:Antarctica • Covered by a sheet of ice and surrounded by water. • Least populated place on Earth • Coldest and windiest place on Earth.

34. Section 4:Antarctica • 98% of Antarctica is covered with a sheet of ice. • That ice holds most of the world’s fresh water. • Glaciers form in the valleys and move toward the coast. • When they reach the water they break off and become icebergs. • Pack Ice forms In the winter when the water freezes near the coastline.

35. Section 4:Antarctica • The Transantarctic Mountains divide the continent into East Antarctica and West Antarctica. • The interior of the continent is very dry. The little bit of snow that falls doesn’t melt.

36. Section 4:Antarctica • Coal and Iron Ore are the resources found here. • Only a few small plants like algae and moss can grow in this region. • Penguins, seals, and other marine life spend most of their time in the water and not on the continent.

37. Section 4:Antarctica • Until the 1900’s Antarctica was not well known. • Since it has not been disturbed by humans like other continents, scientist look at it like a huge laboratory.

38. Section 4:Antarctica • Early Explorers – • Ronald Amundsen: Journeyed to the South Pole. Reached it Dec. 1911. • Robert Scott : Reached the South Pole Jan. 1912. His entire team died in a blizzard on the return trip. • Ernest Shackleton : Set out to cross Antarctica but his ship was destroyed. His crew survived by living on an ice floe. They eventually crossed the ocean and got help.

39. Section 4:Antarctica • Early explorers claimed land in Antarctic. • By the 1940’s the claimed lands overlapped and started to cause tension. • Twelve countries came together and signed the Antarctic Treaty. This document preserved Antarctica for peaceful and scientific use. • Over the years more treaties have been signed.

40. Section 4:Antarctica • There are no permanent settlements on Antarctic. • There are scientific research stations throughout the continent. • The scientist study oceans, glaciers, and climate.

41. Section 4:Antarctica • Scientist study the past to learn about what might happen in the future. • They drill deep into the ice and examine the samples to learn about the climate during the time the ice was formed.

42. Section 4:Antarctica • Scientist also study the ozone layer, the layer of the atmosphere that protects us from the sun’s dangerous rays. • The ozone is thinning over Antarctica. This area is known as a the hole in the ozone. It allows ultraviolet radiation to reach the earth. • The man-made chemical compound that has created this hole have been banned. They believe if the ban is kept in place the hole in the ozone with eventually close up.