The Islands of Oceania Flashcards
How many islands are there in Oceania?
Thousands
How many types of islands are there?
Three
What are those three types of islands called?
Continental islands, high islands, low islands
How are continental islands formed?
They break off from a continent
How does a chunk of land break off from a continent?
Either the sea level rises or tectonic activity
What is the key feature of continental islands?
There are none; physical features vary
What are three examples of continental islands?
Australia, New Zealand, Papau Mew Guinea
How do high islands form?
An underground volcano erupts again and again, building up hardened lava
What is the key feature of high islands?
A steep central peak
What place has lots of high islands?
Melanesia
How are low islands formed?
Coral climbs up a high island, and then the high island sinks, leaving nature to grow overtop the coral
What is the key feature of low islands?
A ring with a central lagoon
What two places have lots of low islands?
Micronesia and Kiribati
How many low islands does Kiribati have?
97
What is another word for low islands?
Atolls
