An orthographic projection of Oceania
Oceania ( OH -s(h)ee-AH -nee-ə, -AY - , OH -shee-A(H)N -ee-ə ) is a geographical region including Australasia , Melanesia , Micronesia , and Polynesia . Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent , while Australia is regarded as an island or a continental landmass contained inside of the larger continent of Oceania. Spanning the Eastern and Western Hemispheres , at the centre of the water hemisphere , Oceania is estimated to have a land area of about 9,000,000 square kilometres (3,500,000 sq mi) and a population of around 44.4 million as of 2022. When compared to the continents (which it is often compared to, not including Australia), Oceania is the smallest in land area and the second-least populated after Antarctica .
Oceania has a diverse mix of economies from the highly developed and globally competitive financial markets of Australia , French Polynesia , Hawaii , New Caledonia , and New Zealand , which rank high in quality of life and Human Development Index , to the much less developed economies of Kiribati , Papua New Guinea , Tuvalu , Vanuatu , and Western New Guinea , while also including medium-sized economies of Pacific islands such as Fiji , Palau , and Tonga . The largest and most populous country in Oceania is Australia, and the largest city is Sydney . Puncak Jaya in Highland Papua , Indonesia , is the highest peak in Oceania at 4,884 m (16,024 ft).
The arrival of European settlers in subsequent centuries resulted in a significant alteration in the social and political landscape of Oceania. The Pacific theatre saw major action during the First World War with the Japanese occupying many German territories. During the Second World War , Allied powers including the United States , the Philippines (a U.S. Commonwealth at the time), and Australia fought against Axis power Japan across various locations in Oceania. (Full article... )
Savaiʻi is the largest and highest island both in Samoa and in the Samoan Islands chain. The island is also the sixth largest in Polynesia , behind the three main islands of New Zealand and the Hawaiian Islands of Hawaii and Maui . While it is larger than the second main island, Upolu, it is significantly less populated.
Samoans sometimes refer to the island of Savaiʻi as Salafai : This is its classical Samoan name, and is used in formal oratory and prose . The island is home to 43,958 people (2016 census), and they make up 24% of the population of Samoa.
The island's only
township and
ferry terminal is called
Salelologa . It is the main point of entry to the island, and is situated at the east end of Savaiʻi. A
tar sealed
road serves as the single main
highway , connecting most of the villages. Local bus routes also operate, reaching most settlements. (
Full article... )
List of geographic articles
The following are images from various Oceania-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1 German trading station at
Jaluit Atoll with a Marshallese
korkor outrigger canoe in the foreground (from
Micronesia )
Image 2 Kili Island is one of the smallest islands in the
Marshall Islands . (from
Micronesia )
Image 4 The Polynesian spread of colonization in the Pacific (from
Polynesia )
Image 5 Outline of sovereign (dark orange) and dependent islands (bright orange) (from
Micronesia )
Image 6 Languages of Micronesia. (from
Micronesia )
Image 7 Polynesia is generally defined as the islands within the
Polynesian Triangle . (from
Polynesia )
Image 9 Māori
war canoe drawn after
James Cook 's voyage to New Zealand. (from
Polynesia )
Image 11 Map of Melanesia, showing its location within Oceania (from
Melanesia )
Image 12 Polynesia is one of three major cultural areas of the
Pacific Ocean islands , along with
Melanesia and
Micronesia . (from
Polynesia )
Image 13 Outline of sovereign (dark orange) and dependent islands (bright orange) (from
Melanesia )
Image 14 Micronesia is one of three major cultural areas of the
Pacific Ocean islands , along with
Melanesia and
Polynesia . (from
Micronesia )
Image 15 Grinding stones discovered from
archaeology in Samoa (from
Polynesia )
Image 16 King
Kamehameha I receiving the Russian naval expedition of
Otto von Kotzebue . Drawing by
Louis Choris in 1816. (from
Polynesia )
Image 17 Mount Marpi in
Saipan . (from
Micronesia )
Image 18 A pan flute from
Solomon Islands , 19th century (from
Melanesia )
Image 19 Image of the
Castle Bravo nuclear test, detonated on 1 March 1954, at
Bikini Atoll (from
Micronesia )
Image 20 On February 14, 1779, Capt.
James Cook was killed on the island of Hawaii (from
Polynesia )
Image 23 Map showing the migration and expansion of the
Austronesians which began at about 3000 BC from
Taiwan . The Polynesian branch is shown in green. (from
Polynesia )
Image 24 A depiction of a royal
heiau (Hawaiian temple) at
Kealakekua Bay , c. 1816 (from
Polynesia )
Image 25 Polynesian (Hawaiian) navigators sailing multi-hulled
canoe , c. 1781 (from
Polynesia )
Image 27 Chronological dispersal of
Austronesian peoples across the
Indo-Pacific (from
Micronesia )
Image 28 Moai at Ahu Tongariki on
Rapa Nui (from
Polynesia )
Image 29 Mokoliʻi Isle near
Oahu ,
Hawaii (from
Polynesia )
Image 30 Sailors of Melanesia in the
Pacific Ocean , 1846 (from
Melanesia )
Image 31 A common fishing canoe
va'a with outrigger in
Savaiʻi island,
Samoa , 2009 (from
Polynesia )
Image 32 Outline of sovereign (dark orange) and dependent islands (bright orange) (from
Polynesia )
Image 33 Polynesians with
outrigger canoes at
Waikiki Beach ,
Oahu Island , early 20th century (from
Polynesia )
Image 34 Chronological dispersal of
Austronesian peoples across the
Indo-Pacific (from
Melanesia )
Image 35 Painting of
Tahitian Women on the Beach by
Paul Gauguin —
Musée d'Orsay (from
Polynesia )
Image 37 Aerial view of
Solomon Islands (from
Melanesia )
Image 38 Chamorro people in 1915 (from
Micronesia )
Image 39 Cook's Bay on
Moorea ,
French Polynesia (from
Polynesia )
Image 40 Canoe carving on
Nanumea atoll, Tuvalu (from
Polynesia )
Image 41 German New Guinea before and after the German-Spanish treaty of 1899 (from
Micronesia )
Image 42 Beach scenery at
Laura ,
Majuro , Marshall Islands (from
Micronesia )
Image 43 The arrival of
Abel Tasman in
Tongatapu , 1643; drawing by
Isaack Gilsemans (from
Polynesia )
Image 44 A
Melanesian child from
Vanuatu (from
Melanesia )
Image 45 Subregions (
Melanesia ,
Micronesia ,
Polynesia and
Australasia ), as well as sovereign and dependent islands of
Oceania (from
Micronesia )
Image 46 Australia's concept of Australasia, which includes Australia, New Zealand and, in this case,
Melanesia (from
Australasia )
Image 47 Cinder plain of
Mount Yasur in
Vanuatu (from
Melanesia )
Image 48 Carving from the ridgepole of a
Māori house, ca 1840 (from
Polynesia )
Image 49 Subregions (
Melanesia ,
Micronesia , Polynesia, and
Australasia ), as well as sovereign and dependent islands of
Oceania (from
Polynesia )
Image 50 An illustration of the Cross Spikes Club of the US Navy on
Bikini Atoll , one of several Marshall Islands used for
atomic bomb tests . (from
Micronesia )
Image 51 Melanesia is one of three major cultural areas of the
Pacific Ocean islands , along with
Micronesia and
Polynesia . (from
Melanesia )
Australasia Melanesia Micronesia Polynesia
Adamstown , Pitcairn Islands 6
Alofi , Niue 7
Apia , Samoa
Avarua , Cook Islands 7
Fakaofo , Tokelau 8
Funafuti , Tuvalu
Mata Utu , Wallis and Futuna (de facto)2
Nukuʻalofa , Tonga
Pago Pago , American Samoa 4
Papeete , French Polynesia 2
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