Oceania, the planet's smallest continent, is without doubt one of

the most diverse and fascinating areas on the planet. A large

percentage of geography experts now consider the longestablished continent of Australia to be more accurately defined
as Australia/Oceania.
Collectively it then combines all of Australia, New Zealand, Papua
New Guinea, as well as the thousands of coral atolls and volcanic
islands of the South Pacific Ocean, including the Melanesia and
Polynesia groups.
Oceania also includes Micronesia, a widely scattered group of
islands that run along the northern and southern edges of the
Equator.
Note: All Australia/Oceania recognized countries are labeled in
red on the map; dependencies and territories are labeled in black.

Antarctica facts
Size: 13,209,000 sq km, 5,100,021 sq miles
(varies due to changing ice shelves)
Percent of Earth's Land: 8.9%
Status Antarctica, almost 98% solid ice, was finally considered a
continent in 1840, and not just a group of isolated islands. Today
it has active territorial claims submitted by Argentina, Australia,
Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom.
(Many of these claims are not recognized by some countries and
remain in a constant disputed status)
Capital City none
Climate Antarctica is the coldest and windiest spot on the planet.
In fact, the lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth was
recorded in Antarctica (-129.3F) and the mean winter
temperatures range from -40 to -94F. Winds are commonly
measured at up to 200 miles per hour.
Current Weather at the South Pole.

Highest Point Vinson Massif at 16,066 ft. (4,897 m) (map)

Lowest Point Bentley Subglacial Trench, -2,555 m)
Latitude/Longitude 90 S, 0.00 E
Official Language none
Official Currency none
Population Officially none, but governmental research stations are
populated with small groups of scientists at all times. In addition,
during the 2009/2010 season, nearly 37,000 tourists visited the
continent.
Antarctic Circle
The Antarctic (or Antarctica) Circle is one of the five major circles
or parallels of latitude that mark maps of the Earth.
Shown on the image above with a dashed red line, this parallel of
latitude sits at approximately 66.33 south of the Equator. It
marks the northern limit of the area within which, for one day or
more each year, the sun does not set or rise.
The length of continuous day or night increases southward from
the Antarctic Circle, mounting to six months at the South Pole.

Oceania contains a wide variety of landforms, with most of the

significant ones located in the countries of Australia,, New
Zealand and Papua New Guinea. And because most of the islands
of Oceania are small in size (mere dots on the map), it's
impossible for us to show their individual landforms on a single
and readable map.
Many of those small island are remnants of ancient volcanic
activity, or coral atolls that encircles a lagoon partially or
completely. Few have rivers of any size, and for that matter lakes.
So, here we show and describe Australia's recognized landforms,
and for the other countries, dependencies and territories, please
access them individually on this map
.
fast facts
Continent Details: Note: All recognized countries of Oceania are
shown in red on the map.
Namesake: The name "Oceania" (Ocanie) was coined in 1812 by
geographer Conrad Malte-Brun. It is from a French word derived
from the Greek word (keans), or ocean.
Major Languages: Major languages include the Aboriginal
Australian languages from the PamaNyungan and TransNew
Guinea families, and approximately forty Polynesian languages.
Colonial languages include English in Australia and New Zealand,
and in many other territories, while French is spoken in New
Caledonia and French Polynesia. There are also mixtures of
colonial languages with indigenous languages, such as Tok Pisin,
Bislama, Chavacano, Norfuk and Pitkern. Also, as in other parts of
planet, immigrants brought their own languages, such as Chinese,
Greek and Italian.
Hawaii is politically a part of North America, but geographically
not part of any continent.
Population: 35,670,000, 6th most populous continent.
Population Density: 4.2; without Australia's mainland, 16.1
Largest Countries (by size): Australia (7,686,850 sq km), Papua
New Guinea (468,840), New Zealand (268,680 sq km)
Largest Countries (by pop.): Australia (22,028,000), Papua New
Guinea (5,172,033), New Zealand (4,108,037)
Smallest Countries (by size): Nauru (21 sq km), Tuvalu (26 sq km),
Marshall Islands (73,600 sq km)
Smallest Countries (by pop.): Tuvalu (11,046), Nauru (12,329),
Palau (19,409)
AUSTRALIA
t this map
Australia description
1 | 2 Description (Page 1)
The initial inhabitants of Australia traveled here from farsoutheast Asia, and from the Torres Strait islands. From their
initial settlements in the north some 70,000 years ago, their
individual lifestyles and cultural traditions eventually spread
across this vast uncharted land.
The first European exposure to Australia occurred in 1606, when
the Dutch explorer, Willem Janszoon, sighted, then landed on the
Cape York Peninsula. He found the area inhospitable and moved
on. Regardless, adventurers and traders, aggressively searching
for riches in the southern hemisphere, continued to sail through
the northern coastal areas bordering a land the Dutch named
New Holland.

In 1688, on one of his three circumnavigations of the globe,

William Dampier became the first British explorer to set foot on
Australian land, coming ashore in Shark Bay.
In the mid 18th century, Britain had an overcrowded prison
population, and they required a new penal colony. In 1770, the
legendary British explorer, James Cook, arrived in Australia and
found the eastern coastline a most desirable location. He
subsequently named this land New South Wales, and claimed it
for Great Britain.
Eighteen years later (one of the world's greatest sea voyages), a
grueling 252 day, 15,000 mile journey brought eleven ships
carrying about 1400 people (mostly convicts) from England all the
way to Australia.
They anchored at Port Jackson (Sydney Harbor) on January 26,
1788. There, under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip, in his
capacity as the colony's first Governor, the British Crown Colony
of New South Wales was established. That day (Australia Day), is
an official public holiday celebrated in all states and territories of
Australia.
For the next 80 years - in a somewhat provocative move - over
150,000 additional men and women (convicted criminals) were
shipped to Australia, often enduring difficult and deplorable
conditions during their lengthy ocean journeys.
As a result, until the Australian Gold Rush of the 1850's brought
thousands of (free) immigrants to Australia in search of riches, the
settler population was dominated by convicts and their
descendants.
AboriginalIn this land of incredible opportunity (for some), the
indigenous Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were
suffering. Their population decreased dramatically in the 19th
century as imported diseases killed thousands, and forced
displacement and blatant land grabs disrupted their traditional
lifestyles.
During the 19th century, separate and somewhat independent
colonies were formed from parts of New South Wales, which
loosely occupied the eastern half of the country; they included
Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria.
On January 1, 1901, a federation of colonies took shape after
years of discussions and planning. The Commonwealth of
Australia was created as a Dominion of the British Empire, and a
new nation was born. Western Australia, granted self-government
in 1889 by the British, was the most reluctant participant in this
new Commonwealth of Australia, but joined nevertheless.
Immediately thereafter, the Australian Capital Territory was
formed from a part of New South Wales, in an effort to provide a
location for the new federal capital of Canberra. The Northern
Territory joined the Commonwealth that same year, and at that
time, the population of Australia was nearly 4 million, which
included approximately 95,000 indigenous peoples

The founders of this new nation promoted their belief in civil,

economic, political and social equality for all. Free education,
trade unions, women's suffrage, maternity allowances, sick leave
and old-age pensions were successfully introduced.
On April 25 each year (ANZAC Day), Australia commemorates the
anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New
Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey. That
decision to fight alongside Britain partially decimated the male
population of Australia, as over 60,000 of its bravest were killed
and many thousands were severely wounded.
World War II During World War II, Australian forces played a
significant role in the Allied victory in Europe, as well as in the
South Pacific, where they engaged the Japanese in many difficult
battles in remote areas of New Guinea. The Aussies stood tall, and
helped win the war.
World War II literally sparked the Australia's economy, as major
growth swept across the country. Workers were needed and

countless thousands of migrants from Europe arrived to fill the

positions. Many were the wide-eyed young, all hopeful for a
bright and profitable future, and they would not be disappointed.
In total, almost two million immigrants came to Australia between
1948 and 1975. Across the country major construction projects
paid solid wages, and home ownership rose dramatically.
In 1956, Melbourne, Australia hosted the Olympic Games and the
world watched this new country shine.
The 1960's were a transition period for Australia. At the forefront
of change, the far-sighted citizens of Australia voted
(overwhelmingly) for full citizenship and a (governmentmandated) quality education for the estimated 350,000 Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander peoples that lived in their country. And
after some (short-sighted) immigration restrictions were finally
lifted, Australia is today a beacon of democratic procedures and
non-discriminatory policies.
In September of 1999, Australia led the international
peacekeeping force sent to restore order in East Timor. That same
year, Australia's 11.6 million voters rejected a referendum that
would have ended Australia's formal allegiance to the British
Crown.
Australia remains a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary
system of government. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of
Australia. She is represented (symbolically) by the GovernorGeneral at the federal level, and by the Governors at the state
level. Although the Governor-General maintains certain powers,
the leader of the political party with the majority of support in the
House of Representative becomes the country's Prime Minister.
Australia has an enviable, strong economy with a per capita GDP
on par with the dominant European economies. Robust business
and consumer confidence and high export prices for raw materials
and agricultural products are fueling that economy, particularly in
mining states. Australia's emphasis on reforms, low inflation, a
housing market boom, and growing ties with Australia have been
key factors behind the economy's 16 solid years of expansion.
Sydney Olympics At the end of the 2000 Olympic Games in
Sydney, the Australian based rock group "Men at Work" sang their
popular and patriotic signature song, "Down Under." One of the
lyrics asks, "Do you come from a land down under?" Well, millions
of travelers each year could easily answer, "No, but I've been to
the land down under, and I loved it!"
Of all the travel destinations on Planet Earth, Australia remains
one of the most attractive choices. Surely it offers a wide variety
of things to do, sites to see and family attractions of all
description, but in this land of dazzling scenery and big blue skies,
it's the charming, friendly faces that make all the difference.