Quiz • 1. name one island discussed in 14-2. • 2. Name one of the three regions of Oceania ( ex. ____nesia) • 3. What do we call an island formed by a barrier reef? 14-3 Oceania islands of the Pacific What do you think of when you hear the term “Islands of the Pacific”? Objectives • By the end of the class students should be able to do the following: • Define the regions of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. • Compare and contrast High islands and Low islands. • Assess the impact of European imperialism on this region of the world. • Examine the collapse of Easter island and discuss what it means for our use of natural resources. Geographic Settings • Oceania is made up of over 10,000 islands scattered across the Pacific. It is divided into three regions: Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia. (309) • Melanesia includes the islands of the western Pacific from New Guinea to Fiji to the Solomons. • Micronesia, meaning “tiny islands,” is composed of Guam and 2,000 small islands in a 210 mile radius. http://youtu.be/frNfJTqIl_Y • Polynesia, or many islands, is a 15 million square mile region that includes Hawaii, New Zealand, Tahiti and Easter Island. Geographic Settings II • Oceania is made up of two types of islands. High islands, which the tops of volcanoes that are fertile and rise high above sea level. Low islands, lie barely above sea level and are made of coral reefs attached to undersea mountains. • Most of Oceania is in the tropics. This makes for nice weather all year round. • High islands are often wet and fertile making for good agriculture. Corpa, tropical fruits, and sugar are often exported. Low islands are often dry and depend on fishing and trade for sustenance. Differing Traditions • Living on widely scattered islands, the people of Oceania developed their own distinct and complex cultures. Religions, artistic expression, and languages varied widely. • European explorers reached the islands around 1500. • France and Britain move into the area and start to claim it. They spread Christianity. • America also starts to compete for colonies. The colonizers profited from corpa, coconut oil, and sandalwood, as well as cash crops like coffee, rubber and bananas. Regional and Global Concerns • World War II made the islands strategically important when Japan occupied the islands. The Allies fought bloody battles to dislodge them. • Since 1945 9 island nations have won independence. Others are self governing territories of New Zealand. Hawaii is a U.S. state. Guam and American Samoa are U.S. territories. • Mining and Tourism have become important to the region. • Remote location no longer protects the region, they have organized into the 16 nation South Pacific Forum. Giants of Easter Island Get ready for the test http://youtu.be/WDIl5bOAkz8 .