Oceania Powerpoint Flashcards
three major subregions of Pacific Islands
Micronesia (includes the Marshall Islands and Guam)
Melanesia (includes Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caldonia, Papua New Guinea)
Polynesia (includes Samoa, Cook Islands, Easter Island, Bora Bora, sometimes Hawaii)
Great Artesian Basin
world’s largest reserve of underground water
it is under pressure so water rises to the surface when wells are bored
importantwater supply for livestock, agriculture and domestic use
Great Dividing Range (also called Eastern Highlands)
located along the eastern coast of Australia
separates rivers that flow to east coast from those flowing inland or to south
Outback
remote, dry, sparsely populated interior of Australia
Ayers Rock (known as Uluru to Aborigines)
large sandstone rock located in the Northern Territory
sacred site for Aborigines
tourist attraction
Great Barrier Reef
located off the northeast coast of Australia
1200 miles long
tremendous biodiversity
2 million tourists visit each year (fishing, diving, snorkeling)
threatened by climate change ( ocean acidification, coral bleaching), fishing, chemical and sediment pollution, coastal development, and tourism
North Island
has more volcanic activity than the South Island
geothermal energy
South Island
Southern Alps (rugged mountains, permanent snowfields, glaciers) Fjords (steep-sided, narrow inlets of the sea, formed when deeply glaciated valleys are flooded by the sea)
New Zealand is ??? than Australia.
geologically younger and more tectonically active
High islands
volcanic
rise steeply from sea
heavy rainfall
receive orographic precipitation
Low Islands
coral atolls (low lying island landform consisting of a circle of of coral reefs around a lagoon, often associated with the rim of a submerged volcano or mountain) drier than high islands (do not receive orographic precipitation) particularly vulnerable to sea level rise
Australia
Dry/Arid climate dominates interior of the continent
one of most arid regions on earth
susceptible to drought and wildfires
coastal regions receive more precipitation than the interior
New Zealand
Mild Temperate climate
Westerly winds bring moisture to western coast eastern coast is in a rain shadow
North Island is generally warmer than the South Island
Pacific Islands
Tropical climates (hot, rainfall for most of the year)
Potential Results of Climate Change
May result in an increase in drought, wildfires in Australia
May result in the melting of glaciers in New Zealand
Island nations are particularly vulnerable to climate change
Increased storms
Sea level rise
Saltwater intrusion
Alliance of Small Island States
association of low-lying, mostly island, countries (from around the world) that have formed an alliance to combat global warming which threatens their existence through sea level rise
Reasons for Alliance of Small Island States
produce almost no greenhouse gas emissions but are tremendously vulnerable to climate change
lack the power to influence international discussions as individual countries
Biodiversity of Australia
fauna is distinctly different from SEA (Wallace’s line)
marsupials (kangaroo, koala, and Tasmanian devil)
monotremes (lay eggs, but nurture young with milk), platypus and spiny anteater.
Biodiversity of New Zealand
no predators, until introduced by humans
in the absence of predators, some birds lost the ability to fly
the introduction of predators by humans resulted in the loss of some flightless bird species
Biodiversity of Pacific Islands
biodiversity declines as one moves eastward, away from larger land masses
few native animals on Pacific Islands (except New Guinea)
Native species
a species naturally found in a region
Endemic species
a native species that is unique to a specific geographic region
Exotic species
a species from a place/region outside their natural location
may or may not be invasive
ex. Cane Toad
Invasive species
a species from a place/region outside their natural location that causes harm to native ecosystems/species
may be accidentally or deliberately introduced
Feral
domesticated species in the wild
are exotic, but not all exotic animals are feral (some were never domesticated)
Pollution of Oceania
fertilizer pollution creates “dead zones” along coasts where marine life lacks oxygen
carbon dioxide contributes to acidification of the ocean and damages coral reefs
plastic pollution
breaks down into smaller particles (microplastics) but stays in oceans for hundreds of years, contaminating and killing marine life
a major source is abandoned fishing gear
rivers are also a major source (carry waste from the land to the ocean)
carried by ocean currents into gyres where currents circulate and trap waste creating vast mats of floating trash (Pacific Garbage Patch)
Pacific Garbage Patch
trash accumulation in both the western and eastern Pacific Ocean
Mining
bauxite coal gold iron ore nickel uranium
Phosphate mining on the Pacific Island of Nauru
centuries of roosting birds have left Nauru with deep deposits of bird droppings (guano) that produce phosphate
used as fertilizer
exported to Australia to make poor soils more productive
extracted through strip mining, which devastated the landscape of Nauru
Uranium Mining in australia
large uranium reserves
releases radioactivity into the landscape and creates risks for mine workers
most important uranium resources near Aboriginal lands and conservation areas
Ranger uranium mine
located within the boundary of Kakadu National Park, Australia (mining leases predate park)
more than 16 million tons of radioactive waste
created serious water pollution problems in area
will cease in 2021
Australia/New Zealand
diverse economic activities
agriculture (livestock, grains, wine)
-cotton, fruit/vegetables, mining in Australia
-wood products in New Zealand
Agriculture in Pacific Island countries
is largely dependent on family based, small-scaled farms
subsistence agriculture
export some plantation crops (coconut, oil palm, vanilla, coffee and cocoa)
Australia and New Zealand Quality of Living
have high incomes and high standards of living
poverty persists, particularly among Aborigine and Maori populations
Pacific Islands Quality of Living
some Pacific Island countries have high incomes as a result of their associations with the US (Guam) or France (French Polynesia, New Caledonia)
other islands are not as wealthy (Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands)
Subsistence affluence
a decent standard of living achieved with little cash income through reliance on local foods and community resources
while incomes low…
natural resources (coconut, fish) provide a reasonable diet
extended family and community support prevent deprivation
relatively effective health and education systems contribute to comparatively high life expectancies
low infant mortality rates and high literacy rates.
Fishing
Pacific Islanders eat more fish per person than any other population.
fishing in important to the majority of small island economies
Tragedy of the Commons
when an open-access common resource is overexploited by individuals who do not recognize how their use of the resource can degrade the environment and impact others (for example, overfishing to extinction)
South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Rarotonga)
declared the South Pacific as a nuclear free zone
bans the use, testing and possession of nuclear weapons within the zone
Religion
Christianity is the predominant religion (influence of colonialism in the region)
local/indigenous beliefs are important in the region (Aborigine, Maori and Pacific Island populations)
some communities have blended local and Christian practices (syncretism)
Language
English predominant language of the region
Māori and New Zealand Sign Language official languages of New Zealand
Loss of indigenous languages
almost 20% of all living languages are spoken on the island of New Guinea
-most linguistically diverse country in the world
over 800 languages
Tok Pisin is a lingua franca – combines local and English words
Australia (History of discriminatory immigration policies)
In the 1970s, the racist restrictions were removed and replaced with a skills criteria
as a result, Australia’s population became more diverse
current refugee policy is controversial
asylum seeks are sent to offshore detention facilities
White Australia policy
a government policy that restricted immigration to people from northern Europe through a ranking
British and Scandinavian immigrant candidates were given the highest priority, followed by southern Europeans
Oceania Demography
one of the least populated world regions
most of Australia’s population lives along the southeastern coast
smaller islands tend to have higher population densities and growth rates
Overall population growth is slow
Antarctica
claimed by many countries, but owned by none
No permanent occupants
Region of scientific interest (5000 scientists live in Antarctica in the summer; that number drops significantly in the winter)
Approximately 50,000 tourists visit Antarctica each year
Antarctic Treaty (1959)
governs international relations on continent
bans nuclear tests and disposal of radioactive waste
bans mineral and oil exploration
ensures the continent can only be used for peaceful purposes and scientific research
neither denies nor gives recognition to existingterritorial claims
Antartica Climate Change
Antarctic seabirds may be breeding later
may affect krill (important for food chain)
