Overview of Oceania
Name: Oceania.
Location: located in the vast sea area north and south of the equator in the southwest and south of the Pacific Ocean. Its narrow scope refers to Polynesia in the east, Micronesia in the middle and Melanesia in the west. Broadly speaking, it refers to Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea (Irian Island) except the above three islands.
Area: Oceania has a total land area of about 8.97 million square kilometers, accounting for about 6% of the total land area of the earth, making it the smallest continent in the world.
Geographical area: there are 14 independent countries in Oceania, and the remaining ten areas are still under the jurisdiction of the United States, Britain, France and other countries. It is geographically divided into six regions: Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.
resident
Population: 29 million. It accounts for about 0.5% of the world's population and is the least populated continent in the world except Antarctica. 65% of the population of the whole continent is distributed in the Australian mainland. The population density among island countries varies greatly. Local residents such as Papuans, Australians, Tasmanians, Maori, melanesians, Micronesia and Polynesia account for about 20% of the total population, and European descendants account for more than 70%, in addition to mixed-race, Indians, China and Japanese.
Language: Most residents speak English, while the local residents of the three islands speak Melanesian, Micronesia and Polynesian.
Religion: Most residents believe in Christianity, a few believe in Catholicism and most Indians believe in Hinduism.
natural environment
Coastline: The coastline of the mainland is about 19000 km long. The whole continent is generally below 600 meters above sea level except for a few mountainous areas with an altitude of more than 2000 meters, and the terrain is low and gentle. Generally divided into two parts: the mainland and the island: the western plateau of the Australian mainland. 200 above sea level? 00 meters, mostly desert and semi-desert, but also some mountains with an altitude of 1000 meters; The central plain is below 200 meters above sea level, and the lake surface of North Aier Lake is 16 meters above sea level, which is the lowest point in Oceania. The eastern mountain is 800 meters above sea level? 000 meters, the eastern slope of the mountain is steep and the western slope is gentle. New Guinea, New Zealand's North Island and South Island are all mainland islands with narrow plains and many mountains above 2000 meters above sea level. Puncak jaya on the new guinea is 5029 meters above sea level, which is the highest point in Oceania. Melanesian islands are mostly continental, which is the continuation of the arc mountains on the continental margin. There are deep-sea basins and deep-sea trenches between island arcs. Most of the islands in Polynesia and Micronesia belong to coral reef type, with small area and low terrain. Many islands have lagoons surrounded by coral reefs, which become natural ship berths and water airports. In addition, there are a few volcanic islands formed by the accumulation of submarine volcanic eruption materials, such as Hawaiian Islands, Palau Islands, Solomon Islands, New hebrides and so on. It is characterized by high mountains, dangerous terrain and numerous natural harbors. The outflow area of water system accounts for about 48% of the total area, and murray river is the longest river. The internal flow area (including no flow area) accounts for about 52% of the total area, all of which are distributed in the central and western Australia, and the main internal flow flows into Bell Lake. Compared with other continents, there are very few rivers in Oceania, with short rivers and little water. The rainy season soars, and sometimes the water is stopped in the dry season, which is not conducive to navigation, but all rivers are frozen almost all year round. There are few lakes in Oceania. The lake is Bell Lake in Australia, with an area of about 8,200 square kilometers, which changes with the change of precipitation. The deepest lake is Tianao Lake at the southwest end of South Island, New Zealand, with a depth of 276 meters. There are many lakes in mainland Australia. In addition to building lakes, New Zealand also has dammed lakes formed by lava blocking rivers. There are volcanic lakes on the island of Hawaii. In addition, many islands have lagoons surrounded by coral reefs. The lagoon on New Georgia Island is one of the largest lagoons in the world, and the Merkel Lagoon in Palau is also famous.
Volcano: The coastal islands in the east and north of Australia are part of the volcanic belt on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean. There are more than 60 active volcanoes in Oceania, and there are more than 30 in Melanesia alone. Mauna Loa volcano on Hawaii Island is an active volcano in Oceania, with an altitude of 4 170 meters.
Climate: Most of Oceania lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the south, and most of it is tropical and subtropical. Australia has a maritime climate except continental climate. The average annual temperature in most areas is 25? Between 8℃. In the northern hemisphere, from the northernmost surface of the Hawaiian Islands to the equator, the average temperature in the coldest month rises from 16℃ to 25℃. The southern hemisphere increases from 50 south latitude to equator, from 6℃ to 25℃; The South Island of New Zealand and the mountainous areas in southeastern Australia can reach below 0℃. From the northernmost part of the Hawaiian Islands to the vicinity of the Mariana Islands, the average temperature in the hottest month in the northern hemisphere rose from 24℃ to over 28℃. The southern hemisphere starts from about 50 degrees south latitude to the northwest of Australia, and rises from 12℃ to 32℃. The extreme temperature in Crockley, Queensland, Australia reaches 53℃, which is the hottest place in Oceania. The average annual precipitation in the desert areas of central and western Australia is less than 250 mm, which is the least in Oceania. The annual average precipitation in the northeast of Kauai Island in Hawaii is as high as 12000 mm, which is one of the regions with more precipitation in the world. Northern New Guinea, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia are tropical precipitation areas, which are rainy all year round, and the annual average precipitation on windward slopes exceeds 2000mm. In northern Melanesia, northern New Guinea and southern Marshall Islands, the average annual precipitation can reach 3000? 000 mm, the leeward slope is only about 1000 mm, and the northern part of Australia and the southeast coast of New Guinea belong to warm season rainfall areas, with an average annual precipitation of 750? 000 mm, warm season precipitation accounts for about 50? 0%。 Southeast Australia and New Zealand belong to temperate precipitation areas, with relatively uniform precipitation in each month, but slightly more in winter, with an average annual precipitation of 500? 000 mm or more, and in some areas it is as high as 5000 mm or more ... The southwest and southwest coast of Australia belong to the Mediterranean winter precipitation area, and the winter precipitation accounts for about 40-60% of the annual precipitation.
natural resource
Minerals: Nickel, bauxite, gold, chromium, phosphate, iron, silver, lead, zinc, coal, petroleum, natural gas, uranium, titanium and struvite are abundant. Nickel reserves are about 46 million tons, ranking first in all continents; Bauxite reserves are 4.62 billion tons, ranking second in all continents.
Forests and grasslands: The forest area accounts for about 9% of the total area, accounting for about 2% of the total forest area in the world. It produces a variety of precious wood such as pine, beech, palm, eucalyptus, fir, ebony and mahogany. Grassland accounts for more than 50% of the total area of Oceania and about 16% of the total grassland area of the world.
Water conservancy: the hydraulic reserves are about 65.438+0.35 billion kilowatts, accounting for 4.9% of the world's total hydraulic reserves; 2.8 million kilowatts of hydropower have been developed, accounting for 1.8% of the world's total development. It is estimated that the annual power generation can reach 200 billion kWh, accounting for about 2% of the world's exploitable hydropower resources.
Fishery: The waters near Melanesia, the southeast coast of Australia and the waters near New Zealand are the main fishing grounds, rich in sardines, cod, eels, mackerel and whales.
General situation of economy
There are significant differences in the level of economic development among countries in Oceania. Australia and New Zealand have developed economies, while other island countries are mostly agricultural countries with relatively backward economies. Crops include wheat, coconut, sugarcane, pineapple and natural rubber. Wheat production accounts for about 3% of the world's total wheat production, and the main foods of local residents are potatoes, corn and rice. Sheep is the main animal husbandry, and the number of sheep accounts for about 20% of the total number of sheep in the world. Wool production accounts for about 40% of the world's total wool production.
Industry: Oceania's industry is mainly concentrated in Australia, followed by New Zealand. Mainly distributed in mining, steel, non-ferrous metal smelting, machinery manufacturing, chemistry, building materials, textiles and other departments. The industries of Oceania island countries are mostly distributed in their respective capitals or capitals, which are generally relatively backward. They are mainly based on the exploitation and processing of agriculture, forestry and livestock products, mostly controlled by foreign capital, and their products are mostly used for export.