UNIT 1111 Australia,Australia, Oceania,Oceania, andand AntarcticaAntarctica WHY IT’S IMPORTANT— Vast and sparsely populated, the region of Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica is perhaps the most diverse of the world’s regions. Parts of the region—Australia and Oceania—are developing close eco- nomic ties to other countries in the Pacific Rim, the area bordering the Pacific Ocean. Such ties to prosperous Pacific Rim nations will influence global trade and trading networks for decades to come. Cold, icy Antarctica lacks a permanent human population, but the data gathered there by scientists will broaden your understanding of the world’s climates and resources in the years ahead. World Regions Video To learn more about Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica and their impact on your world, view the World Regions video “Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica.” 778 Unit 11 NGS ONLINE www.nationalgeographic.com/education Penguins in Antarctica UNIT 114 REGIONAL ATLAS What Makes Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica a Region? oth palm trees and polar ice lie within this diverse region that includes two continents—Australia and Antarctica—and some 25,000 islands scattered across vast expanses of the B Pacific Ocean. Australia is ancient and arid. Low mountains curve down its eastern coast, blocking rainfall to the flat interior where scrubland and deserts form what Australians call the “outback.”Across the Tasman Sea lies New Zealand—lush, green, and moun- tainous. North of New Zealand’s rugged shores lies the rest of Oceania, where groups of tropical islands dot the blue ocean waters like tiny jewels. A different sort of jewel lies far to the south of New Zealand—Antarctica, a glittering kingdom of ice and snow that sits astride the bottom of the world. 3 2 1 1 Shouldering the day’s catch, a spear fisher in the Cook Islands watches his companion take aim. The Cook Islands spread across 850,000 square miles (2.2 million sq. km) of ocean. Like people through- out Oceania, Cook Islanders depend on the sea for food. 780 Unit 11 4 2 A loaf-shaped mass of sand- 3 Fringed with coral reefs, the 4 A sea of sheep parts for two stone, Uluru (also known as thickly forested islands of Palau bicyclists on New Zealand’s Ayers Rock) looms over the flat seem to float on the surface of South Island. Sheep greatly landscape of central Australia. blue Pacific waters. Palau is a outnumber people in New Uluru is sacred to Aborigines, chain of about 200 islands a Zealand, where pastures thrive the country’s native inhabi- few hundred miles east of the in a climate that is mild year- tants. Aborigines share their Philippines. Its coral reefs are round. The nation ranks as homeland with Australia’s other among the world’s most bio- one of the world’s leading natives—kangaroos and other logically diverse. producers of lamb, mutton, animals found nowhere else on and wool. Earth. Unit 11 781 UNIT 11 REGIONAL ATLAS Lands Down Under Europeans were latecomers to this region, much of which lies “down under” the Equator. Australia’s origi- nal settlers were Aborigines; the first settlers of New Zealand were the Maori. During the 1800s, the British colonized both lands.Today,Australia and the islands of Oceania are a blend of European, traditional Pacific, and Asian cultures.Antarctica has no permanent human inhabitants. Although huge livestock ranches spread across Australia and New Zealand, life in these two countries is largely urban, with most people living in coastal cities. For many Pacific Islanders, life is more tradi- tional, and people support them- selves mainly through fishing and subsistence farming. 1 3 1 A blend of cultures is reflected 2 by an Aborigine wearing west- ern-style clothing. Aborigines are thought to have arrived in Australia from Asia at least 40,000 years ago. Today, many Aborigines are striving to pre- serve their ancient traditions while living in a modern world. 782 Unit 11 4 2 Thatched houses called fale 3 Mirrored in the waters of 4 Bundled against the cold, sit beneath palm trees on an Sydney Harbor, the Sydney scientists in Antarctica load island in Samoa. Open sides Opera House glows as evening equipment into a waiting heli- allow cool ocean breezes to falls. The white shells that form copter. Antarctica is a continent blow through the houses. the building’s roof resemble bil- reserved almost entirely for Blinds made of palm leaves lowing sails—a fitting tribute to scientific research and explora- can be let down to keep out the city that is Australia’s tion. The United States is one rain or glaring sun. busiest seaport. of many countries operating research stations here. Unit 11 783 UNIT REGIONAL ATLAS 11 Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica PHYSICAL 120°E 140°E 160°E 180° 160°W 140°W 120°W 30°N CHINA Pacific Ocean TROPIC OF CANCER Hawaiian Is. 20°N N M I C R Guam O N Caro E S 10°N line I M Is. A E L A N E S I L New A P i INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE O n Britain L e EQUATOR 0° Gilbert Is. Y N E Bougainville S New I I Arafura s Phoenix Is. l A Guinea a Sea n Solomon d 10°S s Cape Islands Timor Sea B Tua Arnhem York a G mo r r t Land Peninsula r Samoa Is. u Great Sandy i e A e a rc Desert r t h. ° R New 20 S e Fiji Is. Tahiti e Caledonia Macdonnell f TROPIC OF CAPRICORN Ranges Great Gibson Artesian Coral AUSTRALIA G Desert . Pitcairn I. Basin R N Sea g I ° Lake n D 30 S li I r V Eyre a I E D D G Nullarbor T N North Great A A Plain E R Island Victoria R NEW Desert Murray G ZEALAND R. 40°S Mt. Cook Indian Tasman 12,316 ft. Sea (3,754 m) Tasmania 40 20 Ocean ° E 0 ° E South ° ° A ° W W N Southern Island 20 40 TA Alps R C 50°S AU T EN M D LA I UE N C Q D C I °E 0 mi. 1,500 60° R W C 60 Weddell L 0 km 1,500 Enderby E Sea Land Miller Cylindrical projection ANTARCTIC 60°S PENINSULA RONNE ICE SHELF T ° 80°W R 80 E A N S South ELLSWORTH A 8,000 m 0 mi. 500 26,247 ft N Pole LAND T WEST A EAST 0 km 500 R D 6,000 m 19,685 ft ANTARCTICA C ANTARCTICA °W T N 100 ° 100 M I °E 70 S GIBSON GREAT C A A S 4,000 m DESERT ARTESIAN 13,123 ft R M ° L I L E O 80 INDIAN MACDONNELL BASIN A N BY U 2,000 m OCEAN RANGES CORAL 6,562 ft D RD ROSS ICE N T SEA SHELF A S I E °S Sea level °W °W N 120 S K 70 120 °E 140 W L 0 mi. 1,000 ° Ross Sea I W Elevation Profile 160 160 140 S 0 km 1,000 ° ° ° ° Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection E E 60 784 180 POLITICAL 120°E 140°E 160°E 180° 160°W 140°W 30°N CHINA Pacific Ocean TROPIC OF CANCER HAWAII U.S. ° 20 N NORTHERN MARIANA IS. U.S. N PHILIPPINES GUAM U.S. MARSHALL ° 10 N Koror ISLANDS Palikir INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE Majuro PALAU FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA Tarawa EQUATOR 0° PAPUA Yaren KIRIBATI NEW GUINEA NAURU SAMOA INDONESIA Port Funafuti TOKELAU N.Z. Moresby Honiara TUVALU 10°S Arafura SOLOMON Timor Sea ISLANDS WALLIS & Apia AMERICAN FRENCH Sea Fr. SAMOA POLYNESIA VANUATU FUTUNA U.S. COOK Fr. Port-Vila Suva ISLANDS Great Sandy G Coral TONGA N.Z. ° re NEW FIJI 20 S a Desert t Sea CALEDONIA ISLANDS TROPIC OF CAPRICORN D Fr. i v PITCAIRN I. i ’ N.Z. U.K. d NIUE i AUSTRALIA n Brisbane g Nuku alofa R 30°S a n g Perth e 0 mi. 1,500 Sydney North Island Canberra NEW 0 km 1,500 Melbourne ZEALAND Auckland Miller Cylindrical projection 40°S Indian Tasman Wellington Sea Christchurch Tasmania 40 20 0° E Ocean South ° ° ° °E W W A Island 20 N 40 NORWEGIAN T CL A AI R Indian M C 50°S Atlantic T OCEaN IM IC OCeaN LA C C E IR 60 H IN C °E National capital ° S T L W I N E 60 IT E IM 70 Major city R G A ° B R L S A C A 60°S U 80 S T ° S R 80° A °E W L 80 I A South N CHILEAN C Pole L CLAIM A I ANTARCTICA M ° MAP Study 100 W 100°E Unclaimed 1. Which rivers drain the eastern part of Australia? Pacific °W OCEaN 120 120 °E W °W ° 2. Which countries claim parts of 0 mi. 500 ° 140 160 160 140 Antarctica? NE 180 FRENCH 0 km 500 W ° ° ZEALA UnitUnitE AUSTRALIAN 1111 E785CLAIM Azimuthal Equal-Area projection ND CLAIM CLAIM UNIT REGIONAL ATLAS 11 Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica POPULATION DENSITY 120°E 140°E 160°E 180° EAST ASIA 30°N TROPIC OF CANCER DATE LINE 20°N INTERNATIONAL Pacific Ocean 10°N EQUATOR 0° SOUTHEAST ASIA Port 10°S Timor Arafura Sea Moresby Sea Darwin Coral Sea Suva 20°S Noum´ea TROPIC OF CAPRICORN Brisbane 30°S Perth 0 mi. 1,500 Sydney Adelaide Canberra Auckland 0 km 1,500 Melbourne Miller Cylindrical projection Tasman 40°S Indian Sea Wellington Hobart Ocean Christchurch 40°W 0° ° 20°W 20°E 40 E Per sq.