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Home , Pouch (marsupial), Ross Sea, South Pacific Area

GeoJournal As you read this chapter, use your journal to log the key economic activities of , Chapter Overview Visit the Glencoe World , and . Note interesting Geography Web site at geography.glencoe.com details that illustrate the ways in which and click on Chapter Overviews—Chapter 34 to human activities and the ’s environ- preview information about the region today. ment are interrelated. Guide to Reading Living in Australia, Consider What You Know Oceania, and Environments in Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica range from tropical rain forests to icy wastelands. What Antarctica attractions or activities might draw people to visit or live in a region with such extreme differences in the physical environment?

Reading Strategy A Geographic View Organizing Complete a web diagram similar to the one below by filling in Diving the developing South Pacific countries that receive much-needed income There’s something special about from tourism. peering beneath the bottom of the world. When Antarctica’s summer diving season begins in September Developing Countries the sun has been largely absent for six months, and the water . . . has become as clear as any in the Read to Find Out world. Visibility is measured not in feet but in football fields. • How do people in Australia, New . . . Only here can you orbit an Zealand, and Oceania make their electric-blue while livings? being serenaded by the eerie View from under Antarctic ice • What role does trade play in trills of Weddell seals. the economies of South Pacific countries? —Norbert Wu, “Under Antarctic Ice,” National Geographic, February 1999 • What means of transportation and communications are used in the region?

Terms to Know The wonders hidden under Antarctic ice are • station among the many attractions of Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica. • grazier Tourism is a growing part of the region’s economies. In this section • copra you will learn how people in Australia and Oceania earn their livings despite remote geographic locations and challenging environments. Places to Locate • • Papua New Guinea Agriculture • Nauru Agriculture is by far the most important economic activity in the South Pacific area. Australia and —the region’s major developed countries—export large quantities of farm products. Australia is the world’s leading producer of wool, and New Zealand is known for the quality of its dairy products, lamb, beef, and wool.

Skyline of Melbourne, Chapter 34 833 Australia, at night Throughout Oceania, the lack of arable soil limits commercial agricul- ture. As a result, most island farmers practice subsistence farming. They grow starchy roots and tubers—taro, cassava, and sweet potatoes—and raise pigs and chickens. Fishing adds to the diet of many South Pacific peoples. Some South Pacific islands, how- ever, have areas of rich soil—often volcanic—and ample rainfall. These islands produce a variety of crops, such as tropical fruits, sugarcane, cof- fee, and coconut products, for export. The major South Pacific cash crop, pro- duced widely in the region, is copra (KOH•pruh), or dried coconut meat. Cattle Station Among the island countries that A rancher rounds up cattle on a station in southern Australia. export are Fiji, a producer of sugar- cane, copra, and ginger, and Papua Place Why are Australian ranches so large? New Guinea, a supplier of coffee, copra, and cacao. Although only 5 percent of Australians work in agriculture, much of their country’s vast land area Mining and Manufacturing is devoted to raising livestock—primarily sheep Avariety of mineral deposits exist in some parts and cattle. Because of the generally dry climate, of the South Pacific region. Australia is a leading ranchers must roam over large areas to find exporter of diamonds, gold, bauxite, opals, and iron enough vegetation to feed their herds. As a result, ore. Extracting these minerals, however, is ham- some Australian ranches, called stations, are pered by high transportation costs inside and out- gigantic—as large as 6,000 square miles (15,540 sq. side the country. In addition, public debate about km), about the size of Connecticut or Hawaii. Aboriginal land rights limits where mining can In addition, because of Australia’s dry climate, occur. For example, Australia has the world’s largest only about 10 percent of its land is suitable for undeveloped supply of uranium ore, but much of it growing crops. Irrigation, fertilizers, and modern lies within ancestral lands sacred to the Aborigines. technology help Australian farmers make the best With some exceptions, few significant mineral use of their limited croplands. Wheat, for example, resources are found in other areas of the South is grown in the dry Central Lowlands. By contrast, Pacific region. New Zealand has a large aluminum sugarcane thrives in the wetter climate and fertile smelting industry, and Papua New Guinea’s rich soil of Australia’s northeastern coast. deposits of gold and copper have only recently been About half of New Zealand’s land is used exploited. Kiribati and Nauru, once dependent on for agriculture. New Zealand ranchers, known as phosphate mining, now face dwindling supplies. graziers, raise sheep, beef, dairy cattle, and red They are now encouraging foreign investment and deer. Surprisingly, the country has 25 times more seeking aid to develop new economic activities. farm animals than people! New Zealand’s soil, more fertile than that of Australia, allows farmers Government to grow wheat, barley, potatoes, and fruits. One of Mining in Antarctica New Zealand’s most distinctive fruits is the Antarctica holds enormous untapped mineral kiwifruit, a small, green-fleshed fruit named for its resources, including petroleum, gold, iron ore, and resemblance to the kiwi, the flightless that is coal. Scientists have used core sampling—drilling the country’s national symbol. cylindrical sections through the Antarctic ice cap—to

834 Unit 11 identify the presence of these and other key min- The rest of the South Pacific region is less indus- erals. Although seven countries have made territo- trially developed than Australia and New rial claims to Antarctica, the voluntary 1991 Zealand. Manufacturing in the islands of Oceania Protocol on Environmental Protection, signed by is limited to small-scale enterprises, such as textile 44 nations, prohibits mining on the . production, clothing assembly, and mass produc- tion of craft items. Manufacturing Australia and New Zealand are the South Pacific region’s major producers of manufactured goods. Service Industries Because agriculture is important in these two Throughout Australia and Oceania, service indus- countries, food processing is their most important tries have emerged as major contributors to national manufacturing activity. Relatively isolated geo- economies. As in other developed countries, most graphically, Australia and New Zealand must people in Australia and New Zealand make their import costly machinery and raw materials in living in service industries. In Oceania few coun- order to set up major manufacturing industries tries are large enough to support extensive service capable of producing exports. As a result, indus- industries other than tourism. Nauru, however, tries in the two countries generally manufacture has begun to attract international banking and products for home consumption. Goods that cannot investment companies as a way of ending its be produced domestically are imported. traditional dependence on phosphate mining.

MAP STUDY

Antarctica: National Claims and Research Stations

0° 20°W 20°E atlantic 40°W 40°E Orcadas Maitri (Argentina) (India) Syowa (Japan) Sanae 60°E Gen. Bernardo Halley (S. ) O'Higgins (Chile) (U.K.) Palmer Weddell Belgrano II Mawson (U.S.) (Argentina) (Australia) 80°W 80°E indian Davis ocean Amundsen-Scott (Australia) S S S S S South (U.S.) ° ° ° ° °

T Pole 80 70 Mirnyy 50 40 30 R Vostok (Russia) O

P 100°W (Russia) 100°E

I C Casey Antarctic Land Claims O (Australia)

F Chile 0 mi. 1,000 C Argentina A Scott (N.Z.) Ross Dumont d'Urville P 0 km 1,000 120°W McMurdo (U.S.) (France) 120°E R Sea I Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection Norway C O A Australia R NT CLE N CIR France pacific 140°W 140°E New Zealand ocean Major research station 160°W 160°E 180°

2. Applying Geography Skills How does the map show international cooperation in Antarctica? 1. Interpreting Maps What countries hold over- lapping claims in Antarctica? Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps Global Trade Links In recent decades, improved transportation and communications links have increased trade between the once remote South Pacific region and other parts of the world. The South Pacific’s agricultural and mining products are its greatest sources of export income. Countries in Oceania export copra, timber and wood products, , vegetables, and handi- crafts. The spices of the vast South Pacific region are now found in kitchens around the world. For example, the islands of are a major source of black pepper, and Tonga exports ginger and the costly vanilla beans used to flavor ice cream and baked goods. A number of South Pacific countries, however, must import food to supplement the subsistence crops. During most of the 1900s, Australia and New Zealand traded exclusively with the United Kingdom and the United States. In recent years, how- Battle Site Guadalcanal, one of the Solomon ever, these South Pacific countries have increased Islands, was the site of heavy fighting between the trade with their neighboring Asian countries of United States and Japan during World War II. Japan, Taiwan, and China. In 1971 various island Place How do World War II battle sites benefit Pacific countries of Oceania set up the South Pacific Forum, countries today? an organization that promotes trade and economic growth. Because of few natural resources, some South Pacific islands are dependent to some degree Tourism on outside investment or foreign aid. In recent decades the expansion of air travel has boosted tourism in Australia and Oceania. Transportation and Each year thousands of tourists visit the region. Among the South Pacific region’s attractions are Communications its indigenous cultures, unique wildlife, and con- Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica contain thou- trasting physical features—rock formations, sands of miles of coastland, barren desert, and tropical rain forests, geysers, mountain glaciers, solid ice. Physical barriers and long distances chal- sandy beaches, and coral reefs. lenge travelers in the region. Land Travel History World War II in the Pacific Australia and New Zealand have the most developed road and rail systems in the region. In Today several countries in Oceania are promot- coastal areas of these countries, highways are well ing World War II battle sites on or near South maintained, and subways provide public trans- Pacific islands as tourist destinations. Just as his- portation in urban areas. Few roads, however, are tory buffs in the United States visit Civil War bat- found in the isolated Australian . tlefields, people from the countries involved are In Oceania many island countries are too small, now visiting World War II battle sites. For devel- too poor, or too rugged to have well-developed oping South Pacific countries, such as Vanuatu, the road or rail systems. Some governments, however, Marshall Islands, the Solomon Islands, and the are improving the roads and bridges necessary Federated States of Micronesia, tourism provides a for economic growth. Antarctica lacks permanent much-needed source of income. settlements and has no roads or rail systems.

836 Unit 11 Air and Water Travel Planes also provide transportation between Long distances, harsh climates, or obstacles to land islands in the South Pacific. In Australia’s outback travel make air and water travel important to the almost every station or farm has at least one plane. region. Cargo ships and planes move imports and Ranchers often use helicopters to herd cattle over exports to and from far-flung Pacific territories. Com- thousands of acres of rough terrain. mercial airlines and cruise ships bring travelers. Water and air also provide important means of Communications personal transportation. Pacific islanders began In the South Pacific area, the same geographic using outrigger canoes thousands of years ago, and obstacles that hinder land travel also make com- many of Oceania’s travelers continue to use boats munications difficult. The development of modern today. Sailboats and motorized boats are common, technology, however, has helped increase contacts and ferries link New Zealand’s two major islands. within Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica and Icebreakers—ships with reinforced bows—carry with the rest of the world. In the Australian out- people and supplies to Antarctica as do small back, some cattle stations are large enough to planes and helicopters, although winter blizzards maintain their own post offices and telephone often make transportation of any kind impossible. exchanges. Others use two-way radios to commu- Severe winters isolate Antarctica: nicate. Emerging technologies, such as cellular, dig- ital, and satellite communications and the Internet, Along about February the annual exo- are becoming common in developed areas. A con- dus [from the research stations] begins tinuing challenge is to provide developing Pacific countries with access to these technologies. “ in earnest. Once the cold season takes hold, planes stop making regular flights to inland stations, and the ice layer spreads out to sea, making access by ship Student Web Activity Visit the Glencoe World nearly impossible. Only a few hundred Geography Web site at geography.glencoe.com and residents stay through the winter. click on Student Web Activities—Chapter 34 for an activity about research in Antarctica. Michael D. Lemonick, “McMurdo Station,” Time, January” 15, 1990

Checking for Understanding Critical Thinking Analyzing Maps 1. Define station, grazier, copra. 3. Identifying Cause and Effect How 6. Place Study the map on page 835. 2. Main Ideas On a table like the does importing more manufac- Which Latin American countries one below, fill in details about tured goods than it exports affect hold claims in Antarctica? Which the key agricultural and mining a country’s economy? have research stations there? products of countries in this 4. Predicting Consequences What region. Then describe the role the might be the consequences of Applying Geography region plays in world trade. opening Antarctica to mining? 7. Economic Activities Create Agricultural Mining 5. Drawing Conclusions Why are a table that shows major Country Products Products Australia and Oceania trading economic activities for six more with East and South- countries in the region. Then east Asia than with the West? explain why the economies of some countries focus on one major product.

Chapter 34 837 Guide to Reading People and Their Consider What You Know Environment Australia’s remarkable wildlife is recognizable around the world. What animals and plants unique to Australia can you name? Reading Strategy A Geographic View Taking Notes Use the major headings of the section to create an outline similar to the one below. From Leafy Grove to Salty Swamp I. Managing Resources A. Behind us a forest of dead eucalyptus B. C. trees stood in a salty swamp, a grave- II. Atmosphere and Climate yard of skeletons with gray arms raised in good-bye. . . . Once a leafy grove in Read to Find Out Western Australia, this salt lake rose • Why do Australia, Oceania, and from the ground when nearby wood- Antarctica face many environ- lands were cleared for farms. Thirsty mental challenges? trees had absorbed rainwater and • What effects did nuclear testing kept the water table from rising, but have on the region? when they were cut, the water sur- Salty swamp, Australia • Why are the thinning of the ozone faced and brought salt with it. The layer and global warming special result: saline ponds and dead fields. challenges for this region? —Michael Parfit, “Australia: A Harsh Awakening,” National Geographic, July 2000 Terms to Know • • introduced species • food web Beneath much of Australia’s land surface there • ozone layer is a layer of salty subsoil or salty groundwater. Salts are carried to the • El Niño-Southern Oscillation surface as the water slowly evaporates. Scientists believe that 40 per- (ENSO) cent of Western Australia’s productive wheat belt could be lost to • diatom salty swamps in the next fifty years. Today Australia, like other coun- tries, is experiencing the environmental consequences of human Places to Locate activity. In this section you will learn about environmental challenges • Tasmania in Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica as well as the efforts under way • Murray-Darling River Basin to remedy environmental damage. • Great Barrier Reef Managing Resources Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica hold some of the planet’s richest and most diverse natural resources. Unfortunately, these resources have not always been well managed, and today the region faces many environmental issues. Conservation efforts, however, are

838 Unit 11 gaining recognition in the region. Environmental issues concern voters and government leaders alike in Australia, New Zealand, and other South Pacific islands.

Australia’s Unusual Animals The continent of Australia, separated for so long from other landmasses, is home to many unique animal species. , , and wal- labies are just some of Australia’s 144 species of — whose young must mature in a pouch after they are born. The Aus- tralian island of Tasmania gave its name to the , a powerful meat-eating marsu- pial about the size of a badger. Australia’s strangest wildlife may be the duck-billed and the , a spiny anteater—the only mam- mals in the world that lay eggs. Australia’s unusual wildlife species, however, have been seriously threatened by the human introduction of various nonnative animals. These introduced species include the hunting dogs called dingoes brought from Asia by migrating Aborig- ines. Sheep, cattle, foxes, cats, and rabbits were also brought by European settlers. In the absence of nat- ural predators, these animals have multiplied and taken over the habitats of Australia’s native species. Some of Australia’s native species have become extinct, and at least 16 kinds of marsupials are now endangered. Efforts to restore Australia’s ecological balance include the use of electric fencing to keep out nonnative animals, hunting and trapping pro- Wildlife The and the Tasmanian devil grams, the introduction of natural predators, and (inset) are uniquely Australian mammals. the creation of native wildlife reserves. Place Why does Australia have such a variety of unusual animal species? Forest, Soil, and Water The protection of forest, soil, and freshwater resources is a major concern throughout the South Murray-Darling River Basin, one of the world’s Pacific region. In Australia many sparse woodlands largest drainage basins, the use of water for agricul- have been cleared for farms and grazing lands, leav- ture and growing city populations has dramatically ing little protection against wind erosion. As in other reduced the rivers’ flow. parts of the world, soil conservation in the region is Oceania also faces challenges in managing its closely linked to reducing deforestation. Countries freshwater resources. Many small coral atolls and with valuable timber resources, such as New volcanic islands hold only limited supplies of fresh- Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu, are water. Agricultural runoff and inadequate sanita- developing plans to use forest resources without tion cause that further threatens these damaging the environment. supplies. The lack of clean drinking water keeps Drought, salt, irrigation, and agricultural runoff the standard of living low and poses barriers to threaten Australia’s freshwater sources. In the fertile economic growth in some countries of Oceania.

Chapter 34 839 Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef (left) in Australia is home to hundreds of species of coral-forming organisms (right). Improvement will come with better Human-Environment Interaction What human activities management of runoff, construction threaten the Great Barrier Reef? of additional sanitation facilities, and development of less expensive ways of removing salt from ocean water. at the time. In 1954 the United States exploded a Agricultural runoff, chemical fertilizers, and nuclear device on Bikini Atoll, in the Marshall organic waste also threaten in the South Islands. The people of Bikini Atoll had been moved Pacific region. Toxic waste in particular endangers to safety, but those living on Rongelap Atoll, down- Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and other Pacific wind of the explosion, were exposed to massive coral reefs. Coral environments are increasingly doses of radiation that resulted in deaths, illnesses, stressed by tourists, boaters, and divers as well as and genetic abnormalities. oil-shale mining. Although the American testing was stopped, the Pollution also affects all kinds of marine life, effects of radiation exposure and environmental including the tiny organisms that make up coral damage have continued through several genera- reefs. Algae—on which these organisms thrive— tions. Today the atolls affected by the testing remain and are key parts of the ocean’s food off-limits to human settlement. Recent studies, how- web, the interlinking chains of predators and their ever, offer hopeful signs of eventual environmental food sources in an ecosystem. As these tiny living recovery. In the 1990s the United States government things are destroyed, the larger plants and animals provided $90 million to help decontaminate Bikini that rely on them for food also die off. Atoll and set up a $45 million trust fund for blast survivors and their offspring from Rongelap Atoll. History The nuclear legacy also has had political effects. The Nuclear Legacy Antinuclear activism is a major factor in regional The testing of nuclear weapons has had major politics. In 1986 New Zealand banned nuclear- effects on the region’s environment. In the late 1940s powered ships and those with nuclear weapons and 1950s, the United States and other countries from entering its waters. Because of this ban, the with nuclear capability carried out aboveground United States withdrew from a defense agreement testing of nuclear weapons in the South Pacific. The with New Zealand. In the mid-1990s, French plans dangers of such testing were gravely underestimated to conduct nuclear tests on an atoll in French

840 Unit 11 aroused antinuclear demonstrations. The The loss of protective ozone may be behind the international outcry led to an early halt to the tests. global rise in the rates of skin cancer and cataracts, conditions caused by overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Increased solar radiation that Atmosphere and Climate reaches the through ozone holes may also Like other world , Australia, Oceania, and contribute to global warming, the gradual rise in Antarctica are threatened by global atmospheric Earth’s temperatures over the last century. and climate changes. In the 1970s scientists found Climate and weather in the South Pacific region are a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica: highly sensitive to changes in the El Niño weather pattern called El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The mysterious stuff called ozone, This seasonal weather event can cause droughts in which until then was known to the pub- Australia and powerful cyclonic storms in the South “ lic chiefly as an . . . element of smog in Pacific. These ENSO-related weather patterns are overcrowded cities, was being destroyed believed to be increasing in frequency and severity and may also be linked to global warming. in the stratosphere by chemicals made Some scientists claim that continued rises in and released in the 20th century by Earth’s temperatures could be devastating. If polar humans. . . . The hole was real; the ice caps were to melt and thermal expansion of ozone had dropped by 50 percent. . . . ocean waters occurred, many of Oceania’s islands Samuel W. Matthews, “Is Our would be flooded by rising ocean levels. Rising World Warming?” National ocean temperatures also affect certain types of Geographic, October ”1990 plankton and algae that grow in warm waters, causing overgrowth and the choking out of other The ozone layer’s protective gases prevent harm- life-forms. Diatoms—plankton that flourish in cold ful solar rays from reaching the earth’s surface. The ocean waters—would die if temperatures rose, ozone hole over Antarctica grew dramatically affecting life-forms that feed on them. Scientists in between 1975 and 1993, when it covered more than the region, especially in Antarctica, are studying 9 million square miles (23 million sq. km). In 1989 a global warming and are hoping to discover causes, similar ozone hole developed over the Arctic. predict consequences, and provide solutions.

Checking for Understanding Critical Thinking Analyzing Maps 1. Define marsupial, introduced 3. Comparing and Contrasting 6. Location Study the physical- species, food web, ozone layer, How are countries of the region political map on page 796. Which El Niño-Southern Oscillation similar and different in the chal- countries are at the greatest risk (ENSO), diatom. lenges they face concerning water from rising ocean levels as a result 2. Main Ideas On a chart like the one resources? of continued global warming? below, list resources and examples 4. Decision Making Do you agree of their mismanagement in the or disagree with New Zealand’s Applying Geography region. Also list possible solutions. nuclear ban? Explain your reasons. 7. Effects of Mining Study the 5. Problem Solving What steps would Example of Possible map on page 787. Compare Resource Mismanagement Solution youtake to increase awareness a mineral-rich area shown about the risks of global warming? on the map to a mineral- Explain. rich area in another region. Explain the effects of min- ing on both environments.

Chapter 34 841 Viewpoint CASE STUDY on the Environment

WEST ANTARCTICA ANTARCTICA

Ice shelf

Antarctica’s Melting Ice: During the last century, Earth’s average surface temperature crept steadily higher—a phenomenon called global IsIs GlobalGlobal warming. In the past few decades, vast expanses of Antarctic ice have started breaking up and large chunks WWarmingarming have floated out to sea. Researchers speculate that if the huge West collapses and melts, sea atat FaultFault ?? levels could rise dramatically, causing flooding in coastal regions around the world. Is global warming responsible for Antarctica’s melting ice?

842 Unit 11 n March 2000 an iceberg As global twice the size of Delaware temperatures broke free from Antarctica’s rise, ocean waters I Ross Ice Shelf, part of the warm and then . On expand,and ice in ▼ the other side of the conti- places such as Cars spew carbon nent, an entire ice shelf disinte- Antarctica begins to dioxide into the air, grated in 1995. Why is this melt. The start contributing to global warming. happening? Antarctica is creeping higher onto the coldest place on Earth. the edges of the con- Nevertheless, the continent is tinents. Sea levels in some Antarctic ice are part of a natu- a little warmer than it used to parts of the world are already ral cycle that has nothing to do be. The average temperature almost a foot (30 cm) higher with recent global warming. in parts of has than they were a century ago. They point out that the West increased by almost 5°F (3°C) However, this increase is trivial Antarctic ice sheet began in the last 50 years. During the compared with the rise that shrinking before people started 1900s, the average temperature could occur if the vast West burning large amounts of fossil worldwide rose by 1°F (.5°C). Antarctic ice sheet melts. If this fuels and adding carbon diox- Most scientists believe that happens, sea levels could rise ide to the atmosphere. rising global temperatures are by 13 to 20 feet (4 to 6 m). partly due to an increased Coastal communities world- Other scientists think that amount of carbon dioxide wide would be flooded. Low- recent changes in Antarctic ice (CO2) in the atmosphere. lying islands, such as sheets are a direct result of Much of the carbon dioxide and Kiribati in the Pacific, human-caused global warming. is caused by human activities would disappear underwater. While these scientists admit such as burning gasoline, coal, Recent studies, however, there might be a natural cycle and other fossil fuels. In the indicate that the West Antarctic at work in Antarctica, they atmosphere, carbon dioxide is ice sheet has been receding for argue that global warming is a powerful heat absorber, trap- almost 8,000 years. Scientists speeding up that cycle. ping heat that radiates from have also uncovered evidence the sun-warmed ground. The that the ice sheet may have What’s Your Point of View? trapped heat leads to global collapsed about 400,000 years Experts predict it will take 500 to warming. ago, before the last ice age. 700 years for the West Antarctic These findings have sparked ice sheet to melt completely, no a controversy. matter what the cause. Should Tavaerua Island (below) could people today care about this disappear if sea level rises. Scientists issue? Why or why not? (right) study Antarctic ice cores for Some scientists think that clues to a changing climate. ▼ changes taking place in Problem Solving

ndividuals and groups often face problems that require critical Ithinking to solve. Identifying problems and evaluating possible solutions are important skills used by individual citizens, local and national governments, and world organizations.

Learning the Skill Whether a problem is simple Environmentalists say the Great Barrier Reef will be under threat if the or complex, local or global, the Australian government allows oil explorations in the area. After years of same problem-solving steps can controversy, the government has started testing ways of tapping oil reserves lar sites. Experts say there is more be applied. You can practice around one of the world’s most spectacu these steps in your everyday life, just as governments and organi- oil to be tapped in the reef’s coastal rock next to the coral than has ever been zations do when addressing found on the entire American continent. major conflicts. Environmentalists say the processes involved could destroy the delicate Here are the steps involved in coral. . . . “To do that [extract the oil] requires a lot of energy and the oil you get problem solving: kind of mining.” is very carbon intensive, making the whole process a very dirty • Identify the problem. State clearly the issue at hand and More than one million people visit the reef each year but oil pollution the reasons the problem must has the potential to ruin the tourist industry. . . . [The government] says the be solved. country cannot afford to ignore the reef’s precious resources. . . . [S]uch is the • Brainstorm possible solutions sensitivity of the issue, the authorities have only given the go-ahead for one to the problem. Be open- minded and creative. Take pilot area to be exploited for oil. —“World: Asia-Pacific Oil Threat to Great Barrier Reef,” notes on all the possibilities ember 25, 1998 suggested. BBC News (online), Sept • Evaluate the proposed solu- tions. Evaluate each proposed solution by listing its advan- Practicing the Skill tages and disadvantages Read the excerpt above. Then and anticipating its possible use what you know about prob- consequences. lem solving to answer these • Choose and implement the questions. Work in a small group to find an best solution. Choose the 1. What is the problem? environmental issue facing your best possibility, understand- community. As a group, apply the 2. What are the positions of ing that it may have some steps for problem solving to the environmental groups and drawbacks. Put your solution issue you have chosen. Prepare a the Australian government into practice. written report of your results. If regarding the problem? • At a later time, review the possible, share your proposed solu- 3. What are some possible solu- success of the solution. If tion with community authorities. tions to the problem? implementing your solution has not improved the situa- 4. How has Australia tried to solve the problem? The Glencoe Skillbuilder tion or has resulted in further Interactive Workbook, problems, begin the process 5. How can the success of the Level 2 provides instruction and again. solution be evaluated? practice in key social studies skills.

844 Unit 11 SUMMARY & STUDY GUIDE

SECTION 1 Living in Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica (pp. 833–837) Terms to Know Key Points Organizing Your Notes • station •Agriculture is the most important economic Create an outline using the for- • grazier activity in the region, although mining is done mat below to help you organize in Australia and some island countries. your notes for this section. •copra • Manufacturing in Australia and New Zealand Living in the South Pacific centers on food processing, and the rest of I. Agriculture the region engages in small-scale production II. Mining and Manufacturing of clothing and crafts. A. Mining in Antarctica •The importance of service industries, particu- 1. 2. larly tourism, is increasing in the economies of the region. •Transportation and communications technolo- gies, such as air travel, satellite communica- tions, and the Internet, are helping people in the region to overcome geographic obstacles.

SECTION 2 People and Their Environment (pp. 838–841) Terms to Know Key Points Organizing Your Notes •marsupial •Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica have many Create a web diagram like •introduced species natural resources, but the region’s environment the one below to help organize is threatened by human activity. the notes you took for this sec- • food web tion. Add other key ideas to the •ozone layer •Governments and individuals in the region are focusing on balanced management of water web, and draw lines to show •El Niño-Southern resources, forest, land, and wildlife. connections between ideas. Oscillation (ENSO) •diatom •Nuclear testing conducted in Oceania during ENSO ozone hole the 1940s and 1950s has had a lasting impact on people and the environment. Environmental Concerns • Scientists are studying global warming and the thinning ozone layer to prevent potential risks. deforestation climate change

Thermal spring, Rotorua, New Zealand

Chapter 34 845 ASSESSMENT & ACTIVITIES

Critical Thinking 1. Finding and Summarizing the Main Idea What are three critical challenges to Reviewing Key Terms agriculture in Australia? Write the key term that best completes each of the 2. Identifying Cause and Effect In what following sentences. Refer to the Terms to Know in ways could mining operations in Antarctica the Summary & Study Guide on page 845. interfere with scientific research programs there? 1. Ranchers on an Australian ______will sometimes build fences to keep out ______. 3. Problem Solving Use a graphic organizer like the one below to describe three steps 2. The kangaroo, one type of ______, is that countries in Oceania might take to native to Australia. reduce the impact of tourism on coral reefs. 3. ______are part of the ______of larger life-forms. Reduce tourist impact 4. Disruptions to weather patterns in the South Pacific caused by ______may be increasing. 5. A New Zealand ______makes a living by raising sheep, beef cat- Locating Places tle, and dairy cattle. Antarctica: Physical Geography 6. Many countries in Oceania export Match the letters on the map with the physical features of Antarctica. ______. Write your answers on a sheet of paper. 7. Scientists discovered a reduction in the ______in the 1970s. 1. 4. Ross Sea 6. Transantarctic 2. Antarctic Circle 5. Antarctic Mountains 3. Peninsula 0 ° W Reviewing Facts 20 40 E ° E ° W SECTION 1 40

60 ° 1. How does the importance of agri- S culture, mining, and manufactur- ing vary among South Pacific 60 °E °W 60 A 70 countries? ° C S 2. What service industries are devel- oping in Australia and Oceania? 80 ° S 3. How have changes in trans- ° 80°W 80 E portation and communications affected the location and pat- terns of economic activities in D the South Pacific region? ° 100 W F 100°E SECTION 2 4. What are the major threats to the region’s wildlife, forests, soil, and

water? °W °W 120 120 °E 5. What have been the effects of 140 B W °

nuclear testing in Oceania? ° 160 What effects in the South Pacific 0 mi. 1,000 180 6. 140 0 km 1,000 ° have occurred because of atmos- 160 E Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection ° pheric and climatic changes? E

846 Unit 11 Self-Check Quiz Visit the Glencoe World Geography Web site at geography.glencoe.com and click on Self-Check Quizzes—Chapter 34 to prepare for the Chapter Test.

Using the Regional Atlas Standardized Test Practice Refer to the Regional Atlas on pages 784–787. Read the selection below. Then choose the best 1. Location Where are most of the zinc deposits in the region? answer for the following multiple-choice question. If you have trouble answering the 2. Human-Environment Interaction Which question, use the process of elimination to physical features in the region are vulnera- narrow your choices. ble to environmental damage from mining activities?

Rabbits are one of the more destructive Thinking Like a Geographer wild animals that have been introduced into Using what you know about the physical geogra- Australia. They damage the environment and phy of Oceania’s islands, write a paragraph sug- reduce agricultural production. They compete gesting three ways these islands might address with native wildlife for food and shelter, their lack of clean freshwater. which reduces the populations of many native plants and animals. Because rabbits eat seedlings, there are fewer young plants to Problem-Solving Activity replace those that die naturally. Rabbits also Group Research Project With a small group compete with livestock for the same plants, of classmates, research one of the introduced eating them to below ground level. This loss species in Australia. Investigate the origins of the problem it has created, its effects on the of plant cover results in soil erosion. environment, and suggested solutions. Brain- storm additional solutions, and evaluate each proposal. Prepare a report to the class on the 1. Based on the information in the paragraph, solution you think is best. how do rabbits reduce agricultural production? A They live in wheat-growing regions and GeoJournal eat the wheat seedlings. Descriptive Writing Using your GeoJournal B They compete with native wildlife for food. data, select a human activity from each of the fol- lowing areas: Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica. C Dead plants are not replaced by enough Then write a descriptive paragraph that com- new plants to prevent soil erosion. pares how each of these activities has modified D They eat the plants that provide food the physical environment. for livestock and cause soil erosion by eliminating plant cover.

30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Technology Activity Using the Internet for Research Use Look for the best answer choice for the Internet to find information about global the question. The best answer choice warming. List the sources you find on the Internet, is the one that offers the most correct and compare the different viewpoints on the issue information in response to the question. of global warming. Then choose one solution that you support, and write an argument for adopting that solution. Chapter X 847

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